What Are Recreational Activities?

Recreational activities are activities that are mostly done for pleasure. They may help improve
mental and physical health, as well as relieve stress and help you rest. Recreational activities are
typically done away from work, school and day-to-day life duties and by people of all ages. They
can be as passive as reading a book or as active as swimming or hiking.

Mental Benefits of Recreational Activities 

Not only are recreational activities usually fun, but they can benefit your mental health. They
reduce stress, remove anxiety, build self-esteem and improve general mood and
happiness. Studies show that people who participate in recreational activities regularly are more
satisfied with their lives. 

Physical Benefits of Recreational Activities 

Both active and passive recreational activities can help improve physical health too. Active
recreational activities double as exercise. This can help you lose weight and stay in shape. Any
type of recreational activity that's relaxing or reduces stress may help lower blood pressure and
cholesterol levels. Those who participate in recreational activities tend to enjoy higher quality
sleep as well. 

Social Benefits of Recreational Activities 

Recreational activities have social benefits too. Participating in activities that need more than one
person can help build relationships and improve interpersonal skills. Even solo recreational
activities provide you with a passion that you can share with others. Families can grow closer
while participating in such activities together. And recreation can bring communities together
through activities like team sports or gardening.  
Other Benefits of Recreational Activities 

Recreational activities may break down barriers by bringing people from different cultures
together. They can help reduce crime rates in communities by providing children and young
people with a healthy alternative. Because people who participate in recreational activities are
healthier physically and mentally, these activities can help lower health care costs. They can
even be good for the economy. Communities that provide parks and other places where people
can participate in their favorite activities may attract visitors and new residents to towns.  

Indoor Recreational Activities

There are many ways to divide recreational activities into groups, but many people choose to
split them between indoor and outdoor activities. Many activities, like reading, skating, walking,
listening to music and playing basketball, can be done both indoors and outdoors. Some other
popular activities that are often performed indoors include chess, table tennis, cards, boxing,
bowling, board games and squash.  

Outdoor Recreational Activities 

Many recreational activities are performed outdoors. Studies suggest that spending time outdoors
is good for mental and physical health. So, taking part in such an activity can provide an extra
health boost. Some of the most popular outdoor recreational activities include:

 Horseback riding
 Hiking
 Swimming
 Fishing
 Camping
 Kayaking
 Skiing
 Surfing
 Golf
 Tennis
 Team sports 
Most Popular Recreational Activities in the United States 

In the United States, people who participate in recreational activities tend to prefer outdoor
activities. According to a 2019 poll conducted by the National Recreation and Park Association,
getting together with friends at parks for games, barbecues and picnics is the country's favorite
way to spend downtime. Swimming or spending time at a pool and walking or hiking along
nature trails also make the top three. Other popular activities on the list include: 

 Running
 Camping
 Team sports
 Community events
 Racquet sports
 Attending performance arts events

The importance of recreational activities

Even though most people are not aware of it, recreational activities are crucial for good physical and mental
health of individuals. This might sound contradictory, but if you feel your body lacks energy, you need to get
physically active. Physical activity has a very positive impact on the body. But why is everybody talking about
the importance of recreational activities?
Let us answer this question by stating a few positive effects of recreational activities, which apply to people of
all ages, physical abilities and both genders. Even if you are not exercising regularly and are not a sports
enthusiast, you can educate yourself and learn about the purpose and importance of regular exercising and how
much you can gain by being physically active.

Physical activities are perfect for reducing stress. Sports achievements boost our self-esteem and strengthen
our immune system. Recreation in contrast to our general belief decreases the possibility for potential injuries.
It also reduces risk of osteoporosis, improves our brain functions, slows down the aging process and stimulates
the release of happiness hormones. And who does not want to be happy?

Pick an activity that suits you best: Sport is a great way to meet new people, strengthen your social bonds or
simply take time for yourself. It is very important that you choose an activity that you really like and gradually
increase the intensity of your workout. The beginning is always the hardest; this applies to all new activities,
but after two weeks of regular moderate exercise, not necessarily on daily basis, your body will start to feel the
positive effects of the performed physical activity and any potential beginner’s resistance to sport will soon be
history.

The most important thing is that you do not give up! Whatever you do, do not confuse professional sports with
recreational activities. The later are mostly meant for relaxation and fun. So find an activity, which you like
and can perform throughout the year. You might prefer one single sport or change activities according to
season, weather or time period. Perhaps you will have to try out different activities before you find the right
one, which is perfectly fine. As long as you are enjoying yourself and are being active, your physical and
mental health will improve and prosper. Keep in mind that healthy and happy people tend to live longer.

As you can see there are more than enough reasons for you to start exercising. If you are, however, limited by
pain in your joints, listen to your body, adjust your activities and pick exercises, which are suitable for your
condition. Many people tend to break off their sports activities and rest when they start experiencing pain.
This, however, is not always necessary. You can simply start using Flexovitalis products and improve your
condition. With our products you will soon be able to move freely.
What Is the Importance of
Recreational Activities?
Recreational activities are important for the physical and psychological wellbeing of
people. If a person does not take time out from work, stress and other health problems are more
apt to arise.

Recreation is an important process that helps refresh and reinvigorate both the body and mind.
Most recreational activities take place in what is known as discretionary time, or time that a
person has when he does not have any responsibilities to attend to at the moment.

Recreational activities can range from physical actions such as team sports to playing in the park
or taking a hike in nature. They can also refer to exercise such as visiting the gym or running on
a trail. These activities allow people to use their bodies and increase their levels of personal
fitness for health-related reasons.

Some forms of recreational activities do not need to be physical at all. These activities can help
improve cognitive function and take stress off of a person who thinks about work all of the time.
Some non-physical recreational activities include trivia nights, card games, board games and
even video games.

Recreational activities also offer people a great way to socialize and meet others they would
normally not have contact with in their daily lives.
 Characteristics of recreational activities?
 Recreation occurs during leisure
 Recreation is as different as people are different; it is extremely
wide and varied
 Recreation is activity; it is some sort of action as distinguished from
rest
 Recreation must be voluntary; it cannot be ordered, imposed, or
forced
 Recreation has no single form; it offers a variety of choices with
endless possibilities
 Recreation is flexible; it can be organized or unorganized; it can be
enjoyed in a group or alone
 Recreation to one individual may be work to another
 Recreation involves an individual's attitude, motive, and incentive
 Recreation may occur or not occur; a specific activity may be
recreation for an individual at one time, but not at another time
 Recreation is necessary in order for an individual to have balanced
growth
 Recreation and work are not the same thing; although an individual
may be very happy in his job, it is not possible for that individual's
work to be his recreation,
The Importance and Impact of Recreational
Activities in the Educational Curriculum
by ADMIN 0
“All Work and no Play make Jack a dull boy” goes a popular saying.

The significance of this saying has increased manifold in today’s fast-paced and competitive
world where students are forced by both their guardians and the conglomerate of society and
situations as a whole to devote increasing hours in academic learning , whether theoretical or
practical and knowledge enhancing activities so that they can stay ahead in the rat race. Add to
that the present way of life where people mostly stay in small nuclear families and with parents
working, the viability of our own home as a place where we can have recreational time has
diminished.

What is recreation?

Recreation consists of activities or experiences carried on within leisure, usually chosen

voluntarily by the participant – either because of satisfaction, pleasure or creative enrichment
derived, or because he perceives certain personal or social values to be gained from them. It may,
also be perceived as the process of participation, or as the emotional state derived from
involvement.

Students, especially in higher education, now spend most of their time with college friends and
outside of home for various purposes and work. Hence, in the current scenario, the best place to
include recreational activities in one’s life is one’s place of education rather than at home. This
not only provides a chance to include recreations in one’s life, but also helps students to socialize
and become less dependent on one’s parents.

Before analyzing the effect of recreations in educational curriculum, it is important to know the
impacts and necessity of recreations in one’s life as a whole. Due to the intricacies in present day
society and the way of living, students nowadays are weaker than their older generations, both
physically and emotionally. This gets reflected in their physical, emotional and mental health as
well as their behavior and development which all the more calls for bestowing on recreations the
importance that it deserves. Various studies have shown the importance of recreations on one’s
life specifically in three aspects- physical health, mental health and improving quality of life.

 Physical Health: Recreational activities, especially outdoor ones improve one’s health like
maintaining lower body fat percentages, lowering blood and cholesterol levels, increasing muscular
strength, flexibility, muscular endurance, body composition and cardiovascular endurance. Overall it
increases one’s stamina and energy level resulting in more focus for academic activities besides also
 having an impact on one’s class attendance and attention thus leading to more learning. And as we all
know “health is wealth”.
 Mental Health: Mental health is essential for overall physical health. Recreational activities help
manage stress. It provides a chance to nurture oneself and provides a sense of balance and self-esteem,
which can directly reduce anxiety and depression. There is also an increased motivation to learn as it
can serve as a laboratory for application of contents learnt in classrooms teaching. It provides a
channel for releasing tension and anxiety thus facilitating emotional stability and resilience. Such
activities help students to become more self-reliant, emphatic and self-disciplined.
 Improved Quality of Life: People who make recreation a priority are more likely to feel satisfied
with their lives overall, according to an American Recreation Coalition Study, 2000. Recreational
activities help create a balance between academic pressures with physical and mental well-being. The
effects of recreation are multifold. It enriches self-expression, self-fulfillment ability, interpersonal
skills, techniques and methods of using leisure, physical strength, creative expression, and aesthetic
sense. Such attributes have a favorable effect on human beings who have limits in everyday life.
Therefore, recreation is allowed to be used as a tool of therapy (Lee, 2000). Physical activity-based
recreation helps participants recover from the deteriorated physical strength, caused by the lack of
exercise, and develops the latent ability to achieve self-realization. This also helps people to deal with
common day to day problems more effectively as it makes people more optimists and with a positive
outlook to life.

Coming to the point of including recreational activities in educational curriculum, it can be said
that the present generation spends less of their time in natural surroundings leading to a
weakening of senses both physiologically and psychologically. Guardians, academic institutions
as well as the government should find out every possible opportunity to include recreations in a
student’s life for an overall holistic development of mind and body. If such opportunities are
lessening in a home set up, then it should be part of the educational curriculum where a student
spends majority of his/her time. In fact, recreational activities in an educational set up will be
academically more enriching for the student in many ways:

 Students are more enthusiastic to learn in outdoor learning activities as compared to traditional indoor
setting and also more motivated. They also develop a better attitude towards the environment and
more responsible behavior
 It helps in building communication skills and team building as students have to work in groups to
solve problems. There will be more discussions of ideas and feedbacks and helps students to resolve
conflict among themselves
 It also helps in boosting memory as there is more practical experience and the information can be
soaked up wholly by the brain in a more fresh and fascinating environment
 It also helps in moral development as students get the opportunity to undertake leadership, question
actions and regulations and accept responsibility for their own behavior.
 Enhances peer relationships and interpersonal skills. Students can also excel in areas other than
academics where they have an interest. Recreational activities can give a chance to discover talents
other than academic excellence which can later help one in the career and life as a whole.

Overall it can be said that, recreational activities help in overall development of a student’s
physically, mentally, and emotionally. It not only helps to gather knowledge but to use it
ethically to lead a healthy and better life. It teaches one to think with reason and live with a more
practical approach to life. It also enhances ones all round development, thus helping to achieve
success in ones endeavors.

About the Author

Ms. Rituparna Devi is currently working as Junior Batch-in-Charge in Pune Institute of

Business Management. Prior to this, she has worked as an Assistant Project Engineer in IIT
Guwahati for 1.5 years. She holds Bachelors of Engineering Degree in Electronics &
Communication from Tezpur Central University, Assam and MBA in Finance from National
Institute of technology, Silchar.

What Are The Four Classification Of Recreation?

1 Answers

Tim Cook  answered

Recreational activities can be classified into four different categories as to who or what
has organized those activities: 

public institutions, voluntary groups, private groups and the commercial sector.

Public institutions are those areas set aside and funded by the government through
taxation. National Recreation Areas are looked after, depending on
the circumstances of their creation, by the Dept of the Interior, the Dept of Agriculture,
the National Parks Service or the US forest service. They are often set around areas of
natural beauty, such as forests or beaches.
Voluntary groups are funded by fees (for one-off lessons or extended
training courses), membership charges, grants from charities or foundations, legacies or
donations, or corporate sponsorship. Such groups often center around hostels, physical
exercise and improving communities through individual self-improvement.   

The recreational private groups are often civic, professional or fraternal non-profits

organizations, hoping to improve the life of citizens along a preordained agenda.
Examples include Rotary International, the Marine Corps Foundations (an example of a
services private group, Knights of Columbus and college honor societies such as Phi
Theta Kappa.

Finally, commercial sector recreational activities organized by those not covered

above - in short, profit-making concerns who charge people a fee to use their services,
anything from a video game arcade to amusement parks like Disney World.
 Benefits of Recreation
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 General Information
 » Benefits of Recreation

PARKS AND RECREATION

THE BENEFITS ARE ENDLESS...
BE HAPPIER - FEEL GREAT!
Practiced in clinical, residential and community settings, the profession of therapeutic recreation
uses treatment, education, and recreation services to help people with illnesses, disabilities and
other conditions to develop and use their leisure to enhance their health, independence and well
being.
Outdoor adventure activities for people with limited physical ability give participants feelings of
success and improved feelings of confidence. 
There is no greater opportunity for people to experience self-actualization and the spiritual renewal,
creative expression, discovery and stimulation than leisure offers.
BUILD FAMILY UNITY
Family bonds are improved by the sharing of leisure time. Families that recreate together tend to be
closer, more cohesive and improve their chances of staying together. This is true with both parent-
child relationships and married couples.  Families are the cornerstone in promoting well-being and
healthy development in children.
TAKE CARE OF LATCH KEY CHILDREN - EDUCATE CHILDREN AND ADULTS - PROVIDE
CHILD CARE
Recent studies show disturbing trends about children who regularly come home to an empty house:
higher than average drop out rate, drug abuse, truancy and depression.
Good news for working parents! Many communities' parks and recreation agencies provide after
school and summer child care.
In Fort Myers, Florida, 80% of the adolescents who enrolled and participated in the STARS (Success
Through Academics and Recreational Support) program improved their grades.
CONTROL WEIGHT, LOOK BETTER, BUILD STRONG BODIES
Sports participants had significantly lower body mass index values, lower blood pressures, and lower
resting pulse rates.
The physically fit person is less prone to injury, and is less likely to experience depression.
DIMINISH CHANCE OF DISEASE - DECREASE INSURANCE PREMIUMS - LIVE LONGER!
Childhood participation in organized fitness and sports programs helps attain higher bone density
establishing a strong health base to combat osteoporosis in later life.
An estimated 66,000 U.S. deaths from coronary heart disease, colon cancer and diabetes could be
prevented annually if one half of the sedentary people became active on a regular basis.
BUILD SELF-ESTEEM
When young people feel good about themselves they operate more effectively and productively in
our communities, families and schools. Adventure programs teach the importance of trust,
appropriate risk taking, supportive social interaction and personal challenge while creating valuable
life long memories.
Leaders are trained, developed and nurtured through leisure organizations such as teen clubs,
camps and programs.
REDUCE STRESS - RELAX!
In Nationwide polls, 89% of all Americans report that they often experience high levels of stress and
59% claimed that they feel great stress at least once a week. Positive and enjoyable recreation
experiences can decrease stress and psychological tensions. Leisure activities provide people with
the opportunity to expel energy and emotion not being released in other aspects of their lives.
Psychologists found that activities such as a walk in the woods gave a boost to the immune system
that lasted two or three days. Each additional mile walked or run by a sedentary person would give
him or her an extra 21 minutes of life. According to the Gallup Poll for American Health, Americans
who exercised regularly were 2.5 times more likely to report that they were happier than Americans
who didn’t exercise at all.
PROMOTE SENSITIVITY TO CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Social interaction through recreation breaks down unfamiliarity, fear and isolation, factors associated
with racism; and promotes positive contact between different ethnic groups and the broader
community. The strength of a community is increased through recreation activities that allow people
to share cultural and ethnic differences.
ELIMINATE LONELINESS - CONQUER BOREDOM!
Land and water parks enhance the quality of life and contribute positively to the mental health of its
citizens. Both mild and clinical depression can be reduced with activities such as water aerobics and
swimming. "Active Living" is a concept that connects the mind, body and spirit in physical activity.
INCREASE COMMUNITY PRIDE - STRENGTHEN NEIGHBORHOOD INVOLVEMENT
Community pride is generated through leisure and park facilities. When communities compare
themselves to one another, eager to improve, they almost always evaluate their levels of open
space, recreation facilities, and leisure program development.
REDUCE CRIME, DIMINISH GANG VIOLENCE, PROVIDE SAFE PLACES TO PLAY
Juvenile criminal activity dropped 24% in Cincinnati, Ohio during the first 13 weeks of their late night
basketball program. Summer late night weekend recreation activities costing only 74 cents per
person reduced juvenile crime by 52% in Phoenix, Arizona where it costs almost $40,000 to jail one
teen for one year. The bottom line: it costs 100 times as much to incarcerate than to recreate.
MEET FRIENDS - CREATE MEMORIES!
A child develops social skills, problem solving and creativity through early play experiences. The
best opportunities are those that are planned and supervised. Physical activity is intellectually
stimulating and enhances the learning process and the development of cognitive skills.
GENERATE REVENUE
Upon opening a National Bowling Stadium, Reno Nevada generated $238 million in the first 6
months. The 1995 Monet exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago generated $389 million with visitors
spending $31 million on hotels, $31 million on shopping, $22 million in restaurants and $18 million
for transportation. One adult softball tournament is estimated to generate $50,000, when 50 teams
outside the city participate. Under these circumstances, the capital costs of building a one million
dollar softball complex could be repaid after only 20 tournaments. Every tournament after that is
profit that could be reinvested into other community needs. Golf was responsible for creating over
12,000 full and part time jobs in Phoenix, Arizona.
LOWER HEALTH CARE COSTS
Physically active older people typically benefit from lower blood pressure, increased muscle
strength, joint flexibility, and lower total cholesterol levels than do less active people. Leisure
activities can provide for the creation of new social relationships for Seniors after the loss of a loved
one. Someone turns 50 every 8.4 seconds. By 2005, it is estimated one in five Americans will be 65
and older.
BOOST ECONOMY - REDUCE UNEMPLOYMENT!
When choosing business sites, employers strongly consider the quality of life provided by an area’s
Parks, Recreation and Cultural programs.
CURB EMPLOYEE ABSENTEEISM - BOOST EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY
General Electric found that employees who exercised were absent from work 45% fewer days than
those who didn’t. Union Pacific Railroad found that their exercise programs helped employees to be
more productive at work and achieve higher levels of concentration.
Firms that provide for employee fitness and health programs experience decreased employee
turnover.
INCREASE TOURISM
Two of the fastest growing segments of tourism are festival and event driven tourism. A recent study
indicates the fondest memories people have of their past tend to involve family outings and
vacations.
INCREASE PROPERTY VALUE - ATTRACT NEW BUSINESS
In Salem, Oregon, urban land next to a greenbelt was worth $1,200 more per acre than urban land
1,000 feet away. Cities such as Baltimore, San Francisco, Seattle, New Orleans and Spokane have
proven that investments in waterfront and other open space development have succeeded in
attracting new business and boosting tourism with subsequent increase in tax revenue.
Location of a business on the San Antonio Texas Riverwalk is considered very desirable. It provides
a retreat for employees at lunch and offers a valuable greenspace in the central business district.
PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
Trees help deal with the serious pollution problem caused by the use of fossil fuels. Clean water is
essential for the protection of humans and animals.
American rank clean air and clean water number one and two when choosing qualities for "The Best
Places to Live" - Money magazine 1995.
PROVIDE SPACE TO ENJOY NATURE - CLEAN AIR AND WATER
Membership in environmental groups is soaring and a trend toward natural environment based
recreation activities indicates strong emphasis and learning.
Gardening is at an all time high in popularity. Working with living plants, and seeing them grow and
mature brings personal satisfaction and relaxation.
Without increased amounts of natural habitat, forest lands, wetlands, cultural sites and recreation
lands, the continued degradation of habitat will continue and undoubtedly lead to additional
Endangered Species listings.
"We should exercise foresight in conserving and wisely using the property which contains the
assurance of well-being for us and our children." -Theodore Roosevelt, 1908.
ENHANCE RELATIONSHIP SKILLS - TEACH VITAL LIFE SKILLS
After school sports, as well as Arts and Craft classes enlighten children about the concept of team
play: Together Everyone Achieves More.
Positive conflict resolution is a skill which can be applied all life long. Appropriate risk taking, and a
healthy sense of competition and sportsmanship can substitute for violent confrontation related to
gang activity.
OFFER PLACE FOR SOCIAL INTERACTION
The social need for recreation has been identified as a men’s for community involvement and an
expression of citizenship. A sense of community and social contact is fostered in order to combat
urban social problems like loneliness and isolation. Our National Parks attract 88% more people
than Disney World and Disney Land. Visits to state, regional and local parks exceed on billion
annually.
A quote that appeared in the NRPA Review in January 2003:
Take him swimming twice a week for 24 weeks, and give him four hours at the zoo plus lunch, and
enroll him in 50 community center programs, and visit the nature center twice , and let him play
league softball for a season, and tour the gardens at the park twice, and give him two weeks of
tennis lessons, and enroll him in two weeks of day camp, and let him play three rounds of golf and
act in one play, and participate in one fishing clinic, and take a four-week pottery class, and play
basketball eight hours a week for 40 weeks...
After which, we could return to you $29,125 and one much happier kid.

*Benefits of Recreation taken from http://www.nrpa.org/