INTRODUCTION TO RECREATION

Learning outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:
A. Define and familiarize the definition of recreation and leisure;
B. Know the history of recreation; and
C. Appreciate the benefits of recreational activities into day-to-day
endeavors.

INTRODUCTION

There are many benefits to enjoying recreational activities well into later life.
The benefits of recreation affect all aspects of life. Participating in recreational
activities help improve physical well-being, emotional health, and cognitive
functioning. It also offers opportunities to socialize with peers.

Leisure and recreation are very important aspects of your life because they
provide an opportunity to refresh your mind, discover and develop your talents, and
make friends. In fact, leisure and recreation are so important that they are included
in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Article 12, also known
as "Leisure, Recreation, and Cultural Activities," says that:
1. State parties shall recognize the right of the child to rest and
leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to
the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the
arts.

2. State parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to fully
participate in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the
provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural,
artistic, recreational and leisure activity.

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HEALTH OPTIMIZING PHYSICAL EDUCATION 4 - RECREATION
 According to Presidential Decree No. 603, s. 1974, also known as "The Child
and Youth Welfare Code," Article 03, No. 7, says that: "Every child has the right
to full opportunities for safe and wholesome recreation and activities,
individual as well as social, for the wholesome use of his leisure hours."

Recreation and leisure have multiple meanings based on the individual

perceptions. Recreation, from an individual perceptive, involves, for example,
watching television, attending an opera, base jumping, mowing the lawn tennis,
taking your children to the zoo, playing checkers, downloading music, writing a book,
an evening on the town or whatever one chooses to make it (Jones and Bartlett
publisher).

BRIEF HISTORY OF RECREATION

Leisure and recreation have always been part of life. In the dark ages (a period
between the 5th and 15th Century), people were subjected to hard labor and bad
weather, and there were many wars. Leisure and recreation were mostly used to
train people in certain skills such as the art of warfare.

Ancient Egypt was very developed regarding leisure and recreation. This is
according to the article “History of Recreation” by the University of Manitoba. There
was a well-developed class system where the upper class liked to be entertained
while the lower class participated in athletics and sports. Children played with
marbles, bouncing balls and other toys.
This is to say that the recreational games that you know and love today were
created a long time ago. Many studies show that most of the games originated from
ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Swimming, running, ball games and board games
were all developed by 641 AD.
With increase in technology, there have been many developments and
additions to the list of recreational activities. For instance, you can now play computer
games and watch movies to relax and entertain yourself.
Physical educators continue to advocate for outdoor and physical recreation.
While computer and phone games might sound cooler than outdoor activities, they
do not provide nearly as many health, physical and social benefits as outdoor leisure
and recreation activities do.

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 RECREATION AS DEFINED

Recreation is the expenditure of time with an intent to gain some refreshment.

It is a break from monotony and a diversion from the daily routine. It is a positive
change from a stereotypical lifestyle and involves an active participation in some
entertaining activity. Furthermore, the word recreation came from the latin word
“creatio” means to refresh, recharge and/or rejuvenate. Recreation is anything that
is stimulating and rejuvenating for an individual.

In other words, recreation means to REFRESH, RECHARGE, REJUVENATE,

or ENERGISE. On the other hand, leisure refers to one’s free time.

When to consider recreation

Recreation refers to all those activities that people choose to do to refresh their
bodies and minds and make their leisure time more interesting and enjoyable.
Examples of recreation activities are walking, swimming, meditation, reading, playing
games and dancing. In the context of physical education, recreation means being
able to enjoy using your body and playing physical games with others.

BENEFITS OF RECREATION

➢ Overall Benefits of Recreation

Physical health benefits

Psychological health benefits
Emotional health benefits
Social health benefits
Spiritual health benefits

➢ Other Benefits of Recreation

Recreational activities give you an opportunity to be creative, to

express your basic needs and to be your real self.
All works and no play make a person not only dull but a sick,
unbalanced, and unhappy individual.
Students who correctly balanced work and play are more productive
and tend to be in better physical and mental, social, and emotional
health.

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HEALTH OPTIMIZING PHYSICAL EDUCATION 4 - RECREATION
 Students who are disciplined, well-organized, and have life goals well
in mind have a great chance of being successful.
Help students build a lifelong habit.
Recreational activities like sports will develop muscular strength,
agility, power, flexibility, and one’s health.
Engaging in social group activities develops social skills that will lead
to the development of proper conduct and behavior and social graces.

CHARACTIRISTICS OF RECREATION

1. Involves activity. Recreational activities involve different forms of activities,

such as indoor recreation, outdoor recreation, and aquatic recreation.

Indoor recreation. Are activities that you do for fun and

enjoyment in the comfort of your home, the gym, or any other
covered area. Some examples are going to the gym, playing
board games, doing indoor yoga, going to art museums etc.

Outdoor recreation. Are activities that you do for fun and

enjoyment in an open area. Some examples are jogging, fishing,
camping, skydiving etc.

Aquatic recreation. Some recreational activities take place in or

on the water, such as swimming, boating, fishing, whitewater
rafting, and surfing.

2. No single form. There is so much flexibility on the part of the person on his
choices from the wide range of activities. The only guiding factor of the
individual is the motivational desire in his choices and the enjoyment he gets.
Good recreational activities provide satisfaction to the participants. For group
activity to be effective, it must not target single participants; holistically
speaking, it involves all members of the group. On the other hand, recreational
activities don’t have any hidden agendas.

3. Determined by motivation. The individual determines his activity largely by

a desire, motive, or incentive. His goal remains as enjoyment and satisfaction.
Performances done without any intention of doing so cannot be considered
recreation. Someone must be mentally and physically prepared and interested
in doing the activity.

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HEALTH OPTIMIZING PHYSICAL EDUCATION 4 - RECREATION
 Types of Motivation:

Extrinsic motivation: Performance of an activity because of an

external force or reward. For example, a professional athlete
receives compensation for playing for his or her team. This
compensation is an external reward and is most likely one of the
driving factors behind the athlete’s participation. Another
example of an extrinsic motivator is that of the golfer who plays
with a regular foursome and bets $5 per hole with her friends. If
she plays because of the money involved, this is an extrinsic
motivator. However, when a recreational activity involves money,
for example gambling and cockfighting, it is not recreation.

Intrinsic motivation: Performance of an activity for the

behavior itself and the feelings that result from the activity. For
example, completing a half-marathon for the first time could lead
to a sense of accomplishment and pride in the fact that a goal
was reached. These feelings are intrinsic motivators. The half-
marathon was done because of the benefits of the activity and
not because an external reward was dictating or influencing the
person’s behavior. The rewards are internal to the person, and
the activity is done for its own sake.

4. Occurs in unobligated time. Recreational activities are done during

someone’s leisure time or free time.

5. Voluntary participated. Recreational activities are done voluntarily and not

by force.

6. Universally sought and practiced. Activities for recreation is extensive that

they encompass the total human being regardless of sex, race, and nationality.

7. Recreation is Flexible. Recreational activities can be organized or

unorganized. Systematic recreations are found among recreational institutions
or leisure education while unorganized activities may be done through self or
of no specific program.

8. By-products. The best motivation for an individual to do recreation activities

is “Reward” after an activity either physical health, emotional stability, or social
fitness.

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References

Buhungiro, E. (2017). Origins of ordinary things: Leisure and recreation. The new
times, Rwanda’s leading daily. https://www.newtimes.co.rw/

Benefits of recreation (nd). https://townofwindsorct.com/recreation/benefits-

of-recreation/

Community-based Rehabilitation (nd). National library of medicine. National

center for biotechnology information.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books

Jones and Bartlett Publisher (nd). Recreation and leisure in modern society.
https://samples.jblearning.com/0763749591/49591_ch03_mclean.pdf

African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. (nd). Retrieved (January 07,
2023), https://www.achpr.org/public/Document/file/English/achpr_instr_
charterchild_eng.pdf

Presidential Decree No. 203, s. 1974, the child and youth welfare code.
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/ 1974/12/10/presidential-decree-no-603-
s-1974

United States Environment Protection Agency (August 30, 2022). Recreational

waters. https://www.epa.gov/report-environment/recreational-
waters#:~:text=Some%20recreational%20activities%20take%20place,natur
e%20 viewing%2C%20and%20hunting%20waterfowl

https://brainly.ph/question/1433242

HEALTH OPTIMIZING PHYSICAL EDUCATION 4 - RECREATION