REGULAR exercise cuts the risk of dying from infectious disease by more than a third, according to new research, but what quirky activities are there to get involved in?
An international team of scientists found 150 minutes a week of physical activity that gets you slightly out of breath can have a massive impact on immunity - that's just 21 minutes a day.
It suggests exercise can reduce fatalities by 37 per cent, the danger of even catching similar diseases by 31 per cent and boost the effectiveness of vaccines by up to 40 per cent.
Professor Sebastien Chastin, who led the study said dancing around the living room or going for a run or walk is just as effective as the gym.
But after being stuck indoors for a large part of the last year, with gyms closed and, for some part, only being able to leave the house for essential reasons or once-daily exercise, running may have grown old.
If you are looking for inspiration for new sports to get involved with, look no further. We've put together a list of alternative activities or events for those looking for something a bit different.
Take a look:
Korfball, across the North-East
Korfball is a mixed-gender sport with similarities to netball and basketball. It's played by two teams of eight players, made up of four female players and four male players in each team. The aim of the game is to throw a ball into a netless basket that is mounted on a 3.5m high pole.
While unfamiliar to many in the North-East, there are six teams across four clubs in the region as well as a dedicated organisation, North East Korfball Association.
The sport was invented by Dutch school teacher Nico Broekhuysen in 1902 and remains popular in the Netherlands with some 90,000 in the country playing.
While many teams in the North-East are based at universities, Northern Storm Korfball Club and Tyneside Titans are open to all.
Roller Derby, Durham
Rollerskating seems to have gotten more popular during the pandemic - but are you good enough to join a team?
Roller Derby contact sport played by two teams of fifteen members, one of whom is a point-scorer and must lap as many skaters in the opposing team as possible. This leaves the rest of the team to block the other team's point-scoring player.
Durham Roller Derby was formed in February 2014 and - pre-Covid - held regular tryouts. The team says it is constantly growing and developing its league and have been part of the British Roller Derby Championships since 2016.
Bed Racing, North Yorkshire
Bed racing has been embraced by the people of North Yorkshire, with an annual event taking place in Knaresborough. With the exception of the pandemic, the Great Knaresborough Bed Race has been held every year since 1966, always on the second Saturday in June.
While this year's event has been cancelled, it is normally a mighty display of decorated beds, passengers and runners along a course of 2.4 miles.
You have plenty of time to get training for next year's event.
The Ponteland Wheelbarrow Race, Northumberland
The annual Ponteland Wheelbarrow Race has traditionally been run on New Year’s Day since the early 1400s, when villagers went foraging for food during a particularly harsh Northumberland winter.
Beginning at 12pm in the village centre, the race is around a mile long but you will need great stamina and upper body strength for this one.
The event is a charity fundraiser, with participants and those attending putting cash into collection buckets and some wheelbarrows being sponsored.
Bog Snorkelling, Wales
Bog snorkelling is said to have been created as part of a bar bet in 1976 but today offers athletes an unusual test of skill and endurance - but are you up for the challenge?
The World Bog Snorkelling Championships takes place every August bank holiday in the small Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells. Anyone wishing to partake has to get down and dirty, with a bog triathlon, which includes a run and bike ride, and a swim.
The course runs a water-filled trench, 55m in length, cut through a peat bog. Competitors must wear snorkels, mask and flippers, and bog snorkelling competitors must traverse two consecutive lengths in the shortest time possible. However, you must resist the urge to actually swim - competitors have can only use flipper power.
We're not sure how you would train for this one but if you are getting involved, get in touch and let us know.
- This article was amended to say 90,000 people in the Netherlands play korfball, not 900,000.
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