It’s fairly common knowledge that winter months of shortened daylight hours and gray skies can drag a person down. Post-holiday depression after weeks of over-indulgence doesn’t do a body or spirit much good either.
It’s just as well known that regular exercise is more than just heart-healthy and cholesterol- and diabetes-battling, but also improves sleep, mood and overall mental and emotional health. And regular exercise has a broad interpretation. In addition to all of the gym activities, it includes walking, taking stairs and, most of all, sports.
Philadelphia’s LGBT sports community offers a plethora of indoor sports for people of all (or no) skills levels, more now than at any time in its history. And the key part to that is the no-skills requirement. They dare to be all-inclusive. These are efforts to engage in fun, physical activities as well as social events outside of the usual establishments. The fact that all of these groups welcome newcomers at any level into the fold is a statement of inclusiveness on its own.
Personally, I don’t have the joint support for something like tennis (which is also indoors over the winter months but does require some knowledge of play) but I could definitely play volleyball once a week. Dodgeball as well, if I can get my flexibility and nimbleness back up to snuff.
There are also multiple bowling leagues, but with the season underway, you’ll have to check with each group to find out if you can get into a standing team that needs a player (or you could just sub each week for whichever team is down one).
So think beyond the immediate future and look into the opportunity to play soccer, dodgeball, volleyball or swim or wrestle as part of your holiday and post-holiday health and happiness program. All it takes is a click and some light reading:
• Fins Aquatics Club: philadelphiafins.org
• Philadelphia Falcons Soccer Club: falcons-soccer.org
• Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association: philadelphialibertytennis.org
• Philadelphia Spartans Wrestling Club: phillyspartans.com
• Stonewall Sports PHL (dodgeball/volleyball): stonewallsports.org
Short stops
• CBLSL holds its annual general-membership meeting 12:30 p.m. Nov. 8 at William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. They will also be hosting the second-annual Jingle Bell bar crawl Dec. 5, with proceeds benefitting an as-yet-to-be-determined nonprofit; CBLSL.org.
• Take advantage of the lingering nicer weather and join the Frontrunners 9:30 a.m. Saturdays at Lloyd Hall for their weekly Kelly Drive run; philadelphiafrontrunners.org.
We’re looking for holiday or other themed parties for a delightful all-photo sports section around the end of the year. Email [email protected] for your organization to be included.