Hiking and jogging
Hiking and jogging are self-interactions that a Sim can do in order to gain fitness, first introduced in The Sims 2: FreeTime. In The Sims 2: FreeTime, hiking and jogging are unlocked by gaining enthusiasm in the nature and fitness hobbies, respectively. In The Sims 3 and The Sims 4, jogging is available to anyone and is a good way to gain levels in the athletic[TS3] and fitness[TS4] skills.
The player can tell a Sim to "Go Hiking" or "Go Jogging" by clicking on that Sim. In The Sims 2: FreeTime, the player can also send up to three other Sims in the household along with that Sim, regardless of their enthusiasm in nature or fitness. Pets can also go along on a hike or jog, but they count as Sims when deciding how many will go. In The Sims 2: University, if the Sim is a young adult living in a college dormitory, the player may be able to send dormies along on the hike or jog, even though they are not considered household members. The Sims who are going hiking or jogging will leave the lot for about one Sim hour.
Hiking[edit | edit source]
In The Sims 2: FreeTime, hiking is unlocked through the nature hobby. Sims who have a high enthusiasm level in nature will want to go hiking. Before Sims leave the lot for a hike, they will normally change into everyday clothes. If The Sims 2: Seasons is installed and the temperature is low enough, they will change into outerwear. Also, hiking may raise a Sim's temperature if Seasons is installed.
On a hike, a number of things can happen. A hiking Sim might find a nice bit of something, get a bug to put in his or her collection, or meet a new Sim or pet. On the other hand, a hiking Sim might get into poison ivy, be followed home by a skunk, or even be attacked by bees.
Children cannot go hiking on their own; however, an older Sim who is going hiking can bring any children in the household along with them.[TS2:FT]
In The Sims 4: Outdoor Retreat and The Sims 4: Snowy Escape, Sims who are children or older can go hiking in Granite Falls or Mt. Komorebi, but only in those worlds. While Sims are hiking, they will walk around the neighborhood and gain a happy moodlet. Sims can also gain either a focused, energized, or an inspired moodlet as well, which can be helpful for building skills. If Sims hike in Mt. Komorebi, they may potentially encounter forest spirits or be attacked by wildlife.
Jogging[edit | edit source]
In The Sims 2 and The Sims 4, walkbys are sometimes seen jogging in the front of the house. If the walkby is a neighbor who owns a dog, the dog will jog along.[TS2:P][TS4:C&D] Werewolves will be seen jogging only at midnight.[TS2:P]
In The Sims 2: FreeTime, jogging is unlocked by having enough enthusiasm in the fitness hobby. Sims who have a high enthusiasm level in fitness will want to go jogging. Before Sims leave the lot for a jog, they will change into athletic wear and do stretching exercises. Sims can build the body skill and gain fitness by jogging. If The Sims 2: Seasons is installed, jogging will raise a Sim's temperature. Sims can get sunburned if they go jogging when it's very hot.
Like hiking, children cannot go for a jog on their own, but they can be brought along if an older Sim goes jogging.
Jogging is also in The Sims 3 and The Sims 4. However, unlike The Sims 2: FreeTime, Sims will not do any stretching exercises before jogging, the player can choose where to jog to, and the Sim will not jog off-screen. In The Sims 3 and The Sims 4, only teens and older can go jogging. Stretching exercises are present in The Sims 4, but as a separate interaction.