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[MeNeedsSomeHelp]

My daughter, 11, and I, 48, have done Aikido for over a year. She is often the only kid, but at most there are 2 others that show up at class.

Aikido isn't the best for self defense, but there are a lot of great benefits.
Daddy daughter time
My daughter has autism and trouble with touch. In class she follows Sensei.
Social interaction (before, after, and parties)
See how adults interact
Conformity/structure
Dojo chores
See adults get corrected
Tests
Clear goals
Exercise
Need to be early
Learning a different language and culture
Stretching
Mind body connection


The problem is with injuries, myself, not my daughter.
I've had several, mostly self induced injuries. The latest required surgery.
After insurance I'm at $7k, but who knows if that is all the bills.
It will be several weeks while I heal before I'd even consider returning.
Money is less of a concern, than a more serious injury.


My question, if I was going to pick another daddy daughter activity, what could be some good options?

Thank you

[jrhampt]

Pickleball?  I play with my nephews, about the same age gap between us as you and your daughter.  Can also lead to injuries, though.

[nereo]

Rock climbing comes to mind (recommend starting indoors at a rock climbing gym).
There’s no one there to “beat” you - it’s just you and the wall. Takes physical strength, sure, but also a lot of discipline and focus (why routes are called “problems”). With a few courses you could be their spotter (trust) and kids naturally take to it faster than adults so it might be good for your kids to be “better” than you at something early in the process.

[GuitarStv]

How exactly are you injuring yourself in Aikido?  Typically classes in this martial art that I've seen are taught in a very relaxed and low intensity manner with little to no non-choreographed randori.

There aren't too many sports I can think of that would be lower risk for injury than Aikido.  Maybe something like swimming classes - swimming is one of the lowest risk for injury things that I can think of.  In the martial arts realm, Tai Chi would be the only one I can think of that's (slightly) lower in impact and injury risk.

[sjlp]

Love that you two spend time together in this way! Good ideas already in the thread. Some more ideas: Yoga, zumba, boxing/kick-boxing (the non-contact type).... Really any exercise classes where you follow along with the instructor. If you commit to the same day/time there is a good chance of building community. Also not sure of the source of injuries, but a well-run functional fitness class should offer scaling options for both of you and perhaps prevent future injury if muscle weakness/imbalance is a problem.

Outside the gym, maybe a hiking or nature group where you learn about the environment? An active volunteer gig, like trail maintenance or taking care of animals? Maybe there is something else that one of you has shown interest in.