HEALTH-OPTIMIZING PHYSICAL EDUCATION

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Lesson 1
HEALTH-ENHANCING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that
results in energy expenditure above resting levels . Exercise and physical activity had been
used interchangeably . Physical activity provides long term health benefits and should be
incorporated in once daily life. These include exercise sports in physical activities done as
part of daily living occupation leisure and active transportation. This lesson introduces
you to the lifestyle related activities and active recreational activities that aim to improve
your help

Recreation
Recreation refers to activities that takes place during an experience known as leisure.
Recreational activities may be classified as either passive or active. Passive recreational
refers to activities done during leisure but at a sedentary position while active recreational
activity requires one to expend energy while performing this activity.
Two External factors influence our participation in physical activity:
Social and Environmental
1. Social – Studies have shown that when your peers or your family are engaged in
physical activity there are greater chances that you will participate in physical
activity as well. If your friends are out playing basketball or biking, there is a great
chance you will be playing with them. Having a supportive family also plays an
important role, if your family is sedentary then you will probably be less motivated
to participate in physical activity. In addition families and peers provide you with
social support that can either discourage or encourage you to participate in physical
activity. Using the family physical activity assessment, evaluate your family’s
physical activity habits.
2. Environmental – Look at your surroundings. Your surroundings dictate how you
participate in physical activity. How close is your school to your house? If it is within
walking distance from your house, chances are you will be walking the school
instead of taking public transportation.

These two factors go hand in hand. One factor may influence the other, for example
parents may be reluctant to let their children play outdoors if they feel that the
environment may be unsafe. In addition, if you live in the neighborhood where you are
located far away from your friend you might not be as motivated to participate in physical
activity, what is important to recognize other means of participation.
Leisure time physical activities usually involve a great deal of fun. What sets this
activities apart from traditional exercise routines is that they are intrinsically motivated
and are enjoyable. These activities may differ from person to person; What may be
Content adapted from the Book written by Mangubat, Tolitol, Urbiztondo, Vergara – VIBAL
enjoyable for you may not be the same for others. This activity can be performed in either
indoor or outdoor venues. For example, After school hours, Your friend might be interested
in playing a pick up game a football or volleyball while you would choose to go for a run.
But activities can be classified as leisure time physical activity. Later on, We will discuss
how are living environment plays an important role in influencing the type of activities we
participating.

Outdoor recreation is any activity that is pursued outdoors during leisure time. It can be
defined further as any physical activity that contributes to achieving the recommended
amounts each day. This can range from simple activities search is jogging in the park with
our family, to the more extremes such as mountain biking, caving, or camping overnight
in the mountains. The outdoors provides us with a whole new range activities present for
us that we are unable to do indoors. These activities include a sense of thrill and danger
that we would otherwise be unable to experience indoors. It opens up our mind to new
possibilities and allows us to appreciate nature.
Outdoor recreation activities require social interaction. It is dangerous to participate
in some outdoor activities by yourself. You are more exposed to risk and danger if you do
these activities on your own. Because of team building nature of outdoor re creational
activities you will learn how to place your trust on your teammates and together you come
up with solutions defies possible dangers you will also learn how to make good decisions.
ACTIVITY PROS CONS
WALKING Most popular Not active enough for some
No age limit – a lifetime Takes longer to get the same
activity benefits as running or more
Easily incorporated into intense aerobic exercises
lifestyle
Little skill involved
No cost
Less injuries than running
or jogging
JOGGING / RUNNING Convenient Can cause lower body
Higher levels of injuries especially if not
cardiorespiratory warmed up properly,
endurance in short boults excessive distances, impact
Few skills needed of feet to the ground,
Promotes bone strength wearing improper footwear
Content adapted from the Book written by Mangubat, Tolitol, Urbiztondo, Vergara – VIBAL
 Euphoric feeling or Exposure to pollution and
“runner’s high” traffic when done in
Low Cost urbanized areas
BICYCLING (Road or No age limit - a lifetime Trails for mountain biking
Mountain activity may not be readily
Less injuries than running accessible
because less impact on Injuries include painful
lower body knees, feet, back, and
Allows you to appreciate saddle soreness
nature Crashing can cause injuries
and may be life- threatening
May be expensive (cost for
bike, helmet, gloves, etc.)

Independent Activity 1: Family Physical Activity Assessment

Put a check.
Questions YES NO
1. Do any of your parents lead an active lifestyle?
2. Does your family engage in structured (such as team or
individual sports) or non-structured (such as active games,
family walks) physical activity together?
3. Does any member of your family take you to places where you
can be active such as public parks or basketball courts?
4. Does your family support and encourage you when you are
interested in participating in a new activity?
5. Does your family encourage you to participate in physical
activity instead of watching TV or playing passive video games?

Process Questions:
1. How do you think your family’s activities affect your own?
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2. Why is family support important in participating in physical activity?
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3. What are the ways that can you think of that can encourage your family to engage
in physical activities?
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Independent Activity II: Active Transportation Assessment

Content adapted from the Book written by Mangubat, Tolitol, Urbiztondo, Vergara – VIBAL
Our communities need to provide us with services for our needs. Identify the closest
location of the following. In the second column, write the specific location or address. On
the third column, indicate how long it would take you to get there (use number of hours,
minutes and seconds, it could be an estimated time). On the fourth column, write down
the modality (whether you went via walking, riding a bike, riding a tricycle, etc.)
SERVICE LOCATION DURATION MODE
School
Park
Post office
Public
transportation stop
Bank (write here the
name of the nearest
bank in your area)
_______________
Place of worship /
Church
Shopping center

Evaluation:
1. Are any of these services accessible by walking? ________________
2. If YES, how many minutes does it take you to access these services? (indicate the
longer and the shorter)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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3. If NO, can you access these services using mixed modes of transportation (such as
walk and ride a jeep)?
_________________________________________________________________________________
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4. How long does it take to get there?
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Independent Activity III: Active Neighborhood

Go for a walk around your neighborhood and see how it supports active, healthy living.
Check the following that apply.
o The walking route is attractive and pleasant
o Sidewalks are present on both sides of the streets
o Sidewalks are well-maintained
o Sidewalks are wide enough for two or three people to walk side by side
o Public transportation is frequent
o Public transportation is within walking distance from homes

Content adapted from the Book written by Mangubat, Tolitol, Urbiztondo, Vergara – VIBAL
 o Homes are within walking distance of shopping centers, grocery stores, services,
schools, parks, and playgrounds, recreation facilities and workplaces.
Evaluation:
1. How would you evaluate your neighborhood? Does it support active, healthy
living?
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2. Is there room for improvement? How can your neighborhood be improved?
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Process Questions:
Write down your answers below.
1. How does a healthy, active neighborhood help you in achieving optimal fitness?
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2. How can you promote an active healthy lifestyle in your neighborhood? List down
some ways below.
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Independent Activity IV: Recreational Activities in the Philippines

Name the places in the Philippines where you can participate in the following
recreational activities:
ACTIVITY LOCATION
Walking/jogging
Public parks/spaces
Swimming
Day-hike destinations
Multi-day hike destinations
Land-based extreme sports
(mountain biking, wall/rock
climbing, skate-parks)
Water-based extreme sports
(surfing, wakeboarding,
snorkeling)

1. What other recreational activities can you think of that can be done outdoors?
List at least 10.
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Content adapted from the Book written by Mangubat, Tolitol, Urbiztondo, Vergara – VIBAL