Five unique reasons to get out of your house in the summer

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Parents bugging you to get out and be more active because summer has arrived? Here are some unusual activities that might interest you enough to leave your nice air-conditioned house.

Archery

Surprisingly there are a couple of places here in London that offer lessons on how to shoot a bow and arrow. There is even a diversity of styles of archery you can choose from, such as Mediterranean and Chinese. Mediterranean leans more towards the style that is seen in popular media, such as Legolas from The Lord of the Rings movies. The Chinese style of archery, on the other hand, aims for more tactical archery involving shooting arrows from unusual positions, such as lying on the ground. Some places that offer lessons for archery in London:

• Archer’s Nook

• Pa Kua Canada

Price Range: $30 to $60.

Escape Rooms

This activity not only will get you out of the house, but your family or friends can join you in the fun. You and others will be locked in a room, where you must work together to solve puzzles and find keys to unlock your way out in a set amount of time. The time limit is usually one hour, max. Don’t worry though, you’re not totally on your own as there is usually a game master watching or waiting for you to buzz them for a clue. There is a limit to the number of clues your group is allowed to have, so the party must choose wisely on when and what to ask about. In the end it can be a fun bonding experience with friends and family and afterwards everyone can go out for dinner or drinks to talk about the shared experience. Escape room place suggestions in London:

• Escapology

• Exodus

• Trapdoor Factory

• Mystery Escape Rooms

Price Range: $25 to $30 per person.

Pole Dancing

Just as the name states, it’s dancing with a pole, but also a type of acrobatics. Pole dancing is an interesting way someone can lose weight and build up their muscles. Spinning on a pole might not be interesting initially but as you get to learning the harder stuff, you’ll be able to do some interesting moves. London has its own pole dance studio called The Pole House, where they not only teach pole dancing but other classes such as aerial acrobatics. Prices for The Pole House: $25 for drop in sessions, memberships range from $40 to $350.

Hot Yoga

Yoga is a relaxing activity that can be done at home. However, hot yoga is another story. Hot yoga is when you perform yoga poses in a hot humid room that helps the you sweat out bad toxins in your body. Though, if you are not used to being in 26-40 degree Celsius temperatures, be prepared by drinking some water and eating something light like an apple or orange before going to a session. It’s also an activity that you can enjoy with your friends as you boil together. Places that offer hot yoga in London are:

• Yoga Shack

• Modo Yoga London

Price Range: $5 to $40 depending if they have drop in classes and/or membership fees.

Virtual Reality

The age of arcades is returning in the form of virtual reality (VR) centres, where people rent out a station or room for an allotted time. It’s a pretty fun experience where you can get a little of exercise while playing a video game. Games such as Beat Saber are a great upper body exercise since you must move your arms to cut cubes up to a music’s beat, while dodging walls that are flying towards you on screen. Some VR centres in London:

• VRcadia

• Dreamland VR

• Ctrl V

Price Range: $25 to $30 per person for one hour.