Exercise and keeping fit

This is something on an interest of mine. I wouldn't describe myself as a gym freak, i see going to the gym more of a means to an end. Essentialy what i do at the gym is done to benefit other physical interests (ooh er) so i can enjoy them all the more. Which at the moment more or less covers playing football. As sports go football is my first love, from kicking a ball about at school as a youngster to playing 11 aside on a saturday nowadays. Not to mention midweek games of 5's and 7's.

The thing is going to the gym is actually a little dull, and to keep up my current fitness regime means going twice a week on top of the football i play, so i what i'd like to do is take up another sport that can take the place of at least one gym session. This is the dilemma i'm currently facing, my 2nd choice sport after football would probably be snowboarding. I've not hit the slopes in about 4 years now and wouldn't mind doing so again, tis not cheap though and quite frankly snowboarding in Scotland is an unsatisfying existence. Even in the heart of winter the quality of snow is poor and dryslopes just don't quite cut it.

So snowboarding is out for the noo. So what sports can i take up that arn't either to expensive or impractical. Squash, no far to middle management for my liking. Badminton, a possibility i know a few people who play, it's cheap and as an indoor sport can be played all year round. There's Tennis, a traditional summer sport but i did see an advert about year round Tennis and coaching available at my local sport centre. Possibly worth inquiring about, i'm not a huge fan of watching tennis but i think i'd enjoy playing it a lot more, well provided i could master basic techniques and not be a total buffoon on the court.

I'm struggling here, cycling is something that could be good, initial investment aside. Fellow blogger J33liewanger would be the person to ask about that, i also used to play 5's with a fellow who was a keen cyclist and his fitness was phoenominal, i wouldn't mind something that would push me quite hard. I suspect however that if a badminton racquet is cheaper than a tennis racquet that might make up my mind for me! :-)