PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH 4 NDDU SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL Topic:

Nature and Background of Recreation

Introduction/Review/Content:
“Recreation an activity that refreshment of one’s mind and body or strength and spirit
after work. 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
the stereotypical lifestyle and involves an active participation in some entertaining
activity. Is anything that is stimulating and rejuvenating for an individual. Some people
enjoy nature hikes; others enjoy skiing (or both). The idea behind these activities is to
expand the mind and body in a positive, healthy way.”

In this module, different outdoor recreational activities will be presented and discussed
with the aim of encouraging you to start living a more active lifestyle that will contribute
to your overall wellness. You will examine the definition and nature of recreation, how
recreation came about, and where it all began. You will also discuss the types and
characteristics of recreation to better understand the recreational activities. Moreover,
determining the benefits of recreation and learning how to appreciate and evaluate a
recreational activity will also be covered in this module. Note that the recreational
activities used as examples for the exercises in the succeeding sections are mostly
Outdoor recreation to augment promotion and appreciation of these recreation.
Let us start the module by accomplishing the table below. Write you’re your answer to
the question under the Initial Answer portion of IRF worksheet.
Activity 1: Map of Conceptual Change
IRF Worksheet

Essential Question: How can recreation promote lifelong fitness and health?
 Initial Answer:

Revised Answer:

Final Answer:

How did your classmates answer the question? Is it the same with your answer? As we
move forward in our lesson you will be introduced to several concepts and ideas that
will help you be more confident in your answer to the IRF question.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION - is an integral part of the educational program designed to
promote the optimum development of the individual physically, mentally, socially,
emotionally, and spiritually through total body movement in the performance of properly
selected physical activities.
3 MAJOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES:

1. SPORTS – is an institutionalized competitive activity that involves

vigorous physical exertion and mental skills by individuals whose
participation is motivated by a combination of the intrinsic and extrinsic
satisfaction or reward earned through participation.
2. DANCE – refers to a rhythmic bodily movement that projects ordered
sequence of moving visual patterns of line, solid, shape, and color.
3. RECREATION – refers to activities that take place during an
experience known as leisure.

What is Recreation?
RECREATION – is derived from Latin word recreare which means to be refreshed.
Choices for recreation vary from person to person. What makes one happy may not be
so for others. Therefore, recreational activities depend on one’s interests, pursuits, and
needs which may be reflective of one’s beliefs and level of gratification.
 Refers to activities that take place during an experience known as Leisure.
 Recreational activities done during Leisure time.
 Recreational activities may be classified as either passive or active.
 Passive recreational activity done during leisure but at a sedentary position. 
Active recreational activity requires one to expend energy while performing these
activities.
How would you classify a person who is playing a computer game from his or her room
versus someone who is playing a pick-up game of Football? Which one is passive and
which one is active?
RECREATION – an activity that refreshment of one’s mind and body or strength and
spirit after work.
– 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 the
stereotypical lifestyle and involves an active participation in some entertaining activity.
– is anything that is stimulating and rejuvenating for an individual. Some people enjoy
nature hikes; others enjoy skiing (or both). The idea behind these activities is to expand
the mind and body in a positive, healthy way.
When we hear “free time”, what does it mean to you as a student? “No classes” easily
come to mind and consequently will be able to use the “free time” to do things which
you want to do but have been unable to do so because of the “lack of time,” such as
continuing a project or undone homework, or perhaps, going out with friends to watch
with a movie.
A day can be divided into three parts according to Clayne R. Jensen:
 Existence time – is time spent for biological needs like having meals, sleeping,
and other personal care.
 Subsistence time – refers to the hours spent for economic purposes such as
going to work, chores and for students, hours spent in school, and school work. 
Free time – is all the remaining time after. How one decides to spend free time
varies from person to person.

LEISURE TIME – free from work and chores.

Physical Recreation – Voluntary (Physical) activity done in leisure time.
Play – Activity done for enjoyment and is non-serious.

Sport – competitive, rule-based gave / activity.

Which Factors influence Recreational Activities?
Age, Interests, Social Circumstances, Family interests, Facilities
Available ex. 50 m pool, where you live Urban or Rural?
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY – is “any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that
results in a substantive increase over the resting energy expenditure.”
EXERCISE – is “a form of leisure-time physical activity that is usually performed on a
repeated basis over an extended period of time (exercise training) with a specific
external objective such as the improvement of fitness, physical performance, or health”
(ACSM, 2009).
Exercise and physical activity have been used interchangeably. Exercise is more
structured and emphasizes goal setting and being fit. Physical activity provides long
term health benefits and should be incorporated in one’s daily life. These include
exercise, sports, and physical activities done as part of daily living, occupation, leisure,
and active transportation.
Recreational physical activities, or what we will refer to as recreational activities are
less structured and less planned than exercise. If performed at a moderately vigorous
intensity for a prolonged period of time, they can give you the same health benefits.
Because these activities are done on a daily basis or part of your lifestyle, they are
more likely to be carried over when you become older. Recreational activities typically
take place during three settings: during leisure-time, at work or school, at home, and
during active transportation.
Leisure-time physical activities usually involve a great deal of fun. What sets
these 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 enjoyable for you may not be the same for others. These activities can be
performed in either indoor or outdoor venues. For example, after school hours, your
friends might be interested in playing a pick-up game of volleyball, while you would
choose to go for a run. Both activities can be classified as leisure-time physical activity.
Later on, we will discuss how our living environment plays an important role in
influencing the type of activities we participate in.
We have learned about recreational activities done during leisure time. What
about other activities done on a daily basis, such as commuting, lifting a heavy bag to
school, doing household chores, and other similar activities? These activities may be
classified as active living exercises and can be performed in the workplace, school, or
at your own home. Active living exercises consist of activities that raise your heart rate
as if you were exercising. These activities may also be called lifestyle-related activities.
A key component for achieving the recommended levels of physical activity is
through active transportation. This is especially appropriate for those living in highly
urbanized areas or rural areas where schools are located far from homes. Active
transportation has been promoted to address physical inactivity. Active transportation,
or “non-motorized transport” refers to walking or cycling to get to school, the mall, work,
house, etc. This can be done in conjunction with taking motorized transport. People who
take part in active transportation show lower levels of physical inactivity and obesity
compared to those who take their own cars.
In addition to improving your health, active transportation helps reduce carbon
dioxide emissions, thus contributing to the health of the environment.
Enhancing physical environment also means indoor and outdoor space are safe,
clean, and spacious. It includes controlling traffic and reducing car use, supporting easy
access to local destinations, green areas and spaces and providing streets and
neighborhoods that are well-concerned.
Social environments must place emphasis on special population groups, such as
children and older adults. Children should have designated play areas that are safe and
accessible.
Safety Considerations:
1. Jogging / Running
 Run in the counter-flow direction so that motorists always see you.
 At night, stay along lit paths and avoid empty streets.
2. Bicycling
 Always wear a helmet and bike at slow speeds.
 Do not attempt to race with motorized vehicles.
 Avoid cycling at night, but if you must, wear a reflective vest and attach blinkers
to your bike to increase visibility to other motorists and pedestrians.  Always carry
personal identification, emergency money, and a cellular phone with you.

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 such as jogging in the park
with our family, to the more extreme such as mountain biking, caving, or camping
overnight in the mountains. The outdoors provides us with a whole new range of
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 is an experiential activity. We use all our senses to fully understand
our natural environment. We keep an eye out of danger, listen to new or different
sounds and smell new and peculiar aromas. We must always remain engaged as some
outdoor activities pose a certain degree of risk and danger that is not present when
participating in lifestyle related physical activities and sport activities. Allow you to
experience 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 the team building nature of
outdoor recreation activities, you will learn how to place your trust on your teammates
and together, you come up with solutions to face possible dangers. You will also learn
how to make good decisions in the outdoors.
FYI: Cycling in the City
It is a common misconception that people cycle because they are poor. Rather, people
cycle because it is fun, enjoyable, and is the easiest way to get around. Anyone can
participate in cycling as it is easy to learn and can be done with friends and family.
In China, Cycling is a common means of transportation.

The outdoors in a broad sense is a space outside an enclosed area. Narrowing it down,
outdoors, as used it in this discussion, includes the natural environment and resources
which comprises the land, water, wildlife, vegetation, open space, and scenery. The
outdoors may be in their most natural state or “semi-natural” state, which is a state
where it has gone through some human modification but has retained its natural
features.

On a summary note:
People engage in outdoor recreational activities for varied reasons. Some do it
for personal satisfaction and enjoyment. Perhaps, it is a time away from the day-to-day
routine. Others do it to be in touch with nature, which they rarely have the chance to do,
especially for those who reside in highly urbanized areas. Many do it for personal
pursuit such as photography, collecting sea shells, and reaching the top of Mt. Apo,
conquering the rapids of Cagayan River, or attaining a certain fitness level. Some
individuals or groups do it as part of outdoor or environmental education, such as bird
watching, plant naming, etc. Whatever reason there may be, people engage in outdoor
recreational activity for their own sake as pleasure, voluntarily, and of their own choice.
In this unit, different outdoor recreational activities will be presented and discussed with
the aim of encouraging you to start living a more active lifestyle that will contribute to
your overall wellness.