Runners around India haven’t been able to stop talking about the registration fee hike for next year’s Tata Mumbai Marathon — India’s biggest mass participation road race which draws more than 50,000 runners on the third Sunday of January every year. Several runners complained on online forums and social media platforms while several others discussed on their training runs this week the ₹5,000 registration fee for the full marathon, up from ₹3,500. Despite the anger at the price hike and debate over whether running is still an affordable sport these days, more than 12,000 runners paid and signed up for the full marathon in a week since registrations opened on July 31, say sources at Procam International, the promoters of India’s marquee race. In case, you are among those who has been put off by the rising costs of races or simply never liked running and are looking for a way to be active, Lounge has some fun, but not necessarily free, alternatives for you.
Swimming
Given the never-ending summer that most of India puts up with in these days of climate change and global warming, swimming is among the best cardiovascular exercise you can switch to. Swimming is a full body workout, says former Olympian and swimming coach Nisha Millet. “You can constantly challenge yourself with swimming by changing the speed, distance or stroke and that keeps it interesting. You also burn plenty of calories and can get that coveted V-shaped back,” says Millet. Best of all, unlike running swimming is not hard on your knees as it is a low impact sport that does not load your joints and lowers the chances of suffering injuries. Studies have shown that swimming also helps reduce hypertension and improves mental and cardiovascular health. While swimming in the open waters of our lakes, rivers and seas is practically out of question due to the widespread pollution and indiscriminate dumping of effluent and industrial waste, a handful of public swimming pools have popped up across the country that would grant you access from a small fee.
Aqua running and aqua exercises
If you can’t swim, still love running and want to workout in the pool instead of merely sipping cocktails lounging by one, why not try aqua running? It is an excellent way of maintaining and improving your endurance without really overloading your joints as is wont with running. Jump into a pool and wade up to the point where the water is at least waist deep. At that point start doing breadthwise laps of the pool on foot complete with swinging arms and all. Just 30 minutes of this makes for a good full body workout. A lot of professional athletes returning from a leg injury start out with aqua running before progressively loading their lower bodies. Aqua running is also a functional exercise in case you have to cross one of the many several roads and streets across India during the monsoon.
You could even do some aqua exercises if the pool rules allow you to take kettlebells and dumbbells into the water. The buoyancy adds a new dimension to the challenge. Try farmers carry, deadlift, weighted lunges and more. Just don’t let the weights slip and crush your toes.
Padel and pickleball
In 2026, it is impossible to make a list of sports that people can play without mentioning pickleball and padel. Pickleball is the more popular, cheaper and significantly easier of the two. Often pejoratively called the sport for the ageing, unathletic, unskilled and unfit, pickleball is a sport that people of all mobility and racquet skills can play. It requires a lot less movement than most other racquet sports and is played at a rather easy pace too. Despite all that, it’s a decent workout and has got hundreds of thousands, who wouldn’t normally have done anything physical, playing a sport.
The other racquet sport that is trending these days is padel. A cross between tennis and squash, it is easier than both but significantly harder and faster than pickleball. It attracts people with better fitness levels and racquet skills. An hour of padel is a demanding workout as it requires much more running around and quicker reflexes. It is commonplace for padel courts to double up as places where singles in search for a date mingle.
However, neither of these will be free. Typically, pickleball courts charge between ₹500-1,500 an hour while padel courts range between ₹1,500-2,500 per hour.
Rowing
Kolkata has a healthy rowing culture with at least three clubs on the banks of the Rabindra Sarobar lake fighting it out in various boat races in an annual contest and Kerala’s traditional boat race is spectacle that is in a league of its own. If you want to row in a boat or canoe, you will likely have to join a local rowing club or contact an adventure tour operator. However, rowing is back in vogue thanks to the rise of Hyrox. Also, chances are you prefer to hop into your next door gym and hog the Concept2 rowing machine simply for the convenience and proximity. Rowing is a gruelling cardio workout that also engages your core and entire upper body. This means that rowing will not only work your heart but also leave you stronger. The best part, like swimming and aqua running, rowing is a low impact exercise.
Farmer’s walk in the park
Farmer’s carry or farmer’s walk is another extremely effective alternative to running comes from the world of Hyrox. It is a much better and effective exercise for your abs than crunches or sit-ups, a great workout for your heart and also develops shoulder, back and forearm strength. All you need to do is get your two dumbbells, kettlebells or 5-litre bottles of water weighing between 3kg to 10kg each to your building compound or the nearest park, carry one in each hand and start walking. Just 30 minutes of this will be an effective full body workout. Added advantage: easy on your knees and ankles. However, if you go heavy it can be hard on your forearms and lower back.