Sports Day 2.0: The Adult Playground We’ve All Been Waiting For

Are hybrid fitness events like Hyrox the adult playgrounds we’ve all needed? A chance to relive our beloved childhood sports days or even better, an opportunity for those who hated sports day to discover a love for movement in their 30s, 40s, and 50s?

On a global stage and in every town across the country, there’s now a chance for us adults to have ‘play’. While 10% of any sport might be professional but what I’ve always loved about the hybrid fitness space is its inclusivity for everyone at every level. Yes we can take it seriously and aim to achieve our potential but more importantly, it gives us permission to express ourselves and have fun.

As the saying goes: ‘We don’t stop playing because we grow old, but we grow old because we stop playing.’

From Egg and Spoon to Farmers Carries

Did we just replace the egg and spoon race with farmers carries? Did we swap sack races for walking lunges?

These events all have a competitive aspect, but I believe they’ve bridged the gap between childhood games and our adult desire to compete. There’s a nostalgic factor combined with genuine fitness benefits—it’s a win-win in my opinion.

As kids, we’d say yes to any challenge, yes to any race up and down the garden, and yes to any game. But as adults, we become rigid, boring and stressed, less accepting of fun and games. There’s a concept called the ‘play permission structure’, which describes how we’ve put psychological barriers around fun and games, requiring justification or a way to make activities feel productive.

The Four Permissions Adults Need to Play

This is where hybrid fitness events have triggered the four big ‘permissions’ we look for as adults:

Fitness Permission – “I’m not playing, I’m training. I’m getting healthier and fitter, therefore I’m allowed to do this.”

Competition Permission – “I’m not playing. This is sport, this is competitive, and I have a chance to win or improve—it’s not child’s play.”

Community Permission – “I’m not playing, I’m interacting with the community, networking, supporting my friends, competing alongside them.”

Challenge Permission – “I’m not playing, I’m learning new skills, pushing my boundaries to new levels, getting better.”

Permission Granted

Adult play often feels like a waste of time, we have to give ourselves permission. But the benefits are through the roof, and we can trick our minds into letting us play while satisfying our need for activities to feel worthwhile.

It’s fun, it’s competitive, it’s creative, it’s fantastic for stress management, and it’s essential for mental health.

We now have permission to play again.

Sports day for the win.