MARY JOYCE B.

SAPUSAO

Hiking
H i k i n g , w a l k
is a natural exercise that promotes physical fitness, is
economical and convenient, and requires no special
equipment. Because hikers can walk as far as they want,
there is no physical strain unless they walk among hills
or mountains.
H i k i n g i s u s e d a s
for boys and girls, and in Sweden and the Netherlands.
In Sweden it was made a national fitness test in the early
1930s, and by the 1970s more than three million
Swedish men, women, and boys possessed the time
qualification badge. The Nijmegen marches in the Netherlands, organized by the Dutch League of Physical
Culture, are open to the world in both civilian and military categories. The test comprises four separate days’
consecutive walking over distances up to 35 miles (56 km) each day, with about 12,000 persons taking part.

Scuba Diving
Scuba diving is mainly done for the
attraction of the unattainable undersea world. It is
one area of nature that mankind has not been able
to fully control, we simply are not able to breathe
underwater. Hence, scuba diving gives us an
opportunity to be in that underwater world, even if
it is just for a limited amount of time.
Of course, the underwater world is
beautiful as well, with many people opting for
scuba diving in Asia or scuba diving in the Red Sea
or the Great Barrier Reef, said to be some of the world’s best scuba diving locations. The different colors and
marine wildlife are so impressive in all these locations that people find themselves returning over and over
again.
The air that is in the tanks is compressed air as we know it outside, so parts nitrogen, parts oxygen, and
some other gases as well. Many people mistakenly believe that the air is pure oxygen, but that would actually
poison the divers! Because of the nitrogen in the compressed air, divers need to be very careful when diving to
greater depths, as nitrogen narcosis can occur, which has the same effect as excessive alcohol. This is easily
solved by going back up to shallower waters.
MARY JOYCE B. SAPUSAO

Canoeing and Kayaking

C a n o e i n g – r e c r e
closed-decked canoe, and propel yourself with a single-
bladed paddle, under your own power.
K a y a k i n g – u s e o
the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A
kayak is a boat where the paddler faces forward, legs in
front, using a double-bladed paddle. Most kayaks have
closed decks.
B o t h c a n o e i n g
can improve your aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility.
Canoeing and kayaking can be done as a hobby, a competitive sport or as a fun activity on holidays. You can
paddle on rivers, lakes and the sea.

Snorkeling
Snorkeling is the practice of swimming on or through a
body of water while equipped with a diving mask,
a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and
usually swim fins. In cooler waters, a wetsuit
may also be worn. Use of this equipment allows
the snorkeler to observe underwater attractions
for extended periods with relatively little effort
and to breathe while face-down at the surface.
Snorkeling is a popular recreational activity, particularly at tropical resort locations. It
provides the opportunity to observe underwater life in a natural setting without the complicated equipment and
training required for scuba diving. It appeals to all ages because of how little effort is involved and is the basis
of the two surface disciplines of the underwater sport of fin swimming.
Snorkeling is also used by scuba divers when on the surface, in underwater sports such as underwater hockey
and underwater rugby, and as part of water-based searches conducted by search and rescue teams.
MARY JOYCE B. SAPUSAO

Camping
Camping, recreational activity in which participants
take up temporary residence in the outdoors, usually
using tents or specially designed or adapted vehicles
for shelter. Camping was at one time only a rough,
back-to-nature pastime for hardy open-air lovers, but
it later became the standard holiday for vast numbers
of ordinary families.
The founder of modern recreational camping was
Thomas Hiram Holding, who wrote the first edition
of The Camper’s Handbook in 1908. His urge to
camp derived from his experiences as a boy: in 1853
he crossed the prairies of the United States in a wagon train, covering some 1,200 miles (1,900 km) with a
company of 300. In 1877 he camped with a canoe on a cruise in the Highlands of Scotland, and he made a
similar trip the next year. He wrote two books on these ventures. Later he used a bicycle as his camping vehicle
and wrote Cycle and Camp (1898).
All forms of camping, from primitive to motorized, continue to grow in popularity, particularly in the United
States, Canada, and western Europe. Much of this growth is the result of the proliferation of campsites for
recreational vehicles (RVs). In particular, many public and commercial campsites cater to RVs by setting aside
paved parking regions in picturesque locations. Camping on public land is especially popular in the United
States and Canada, where federal and regional government agencies strive to meet the burgeoning public
demand. Commercial RV campgrounds typically have electrical and water hookups that provide most of the
conveniences of home in an outdoor setting.