NATURE AND BACKGROUND OF OUTDOOR RECREATION
Recreation
● Refers to activities that take place during an experience known as leisure.
Recreational activities
● Can be classified as either active or passive, and either indoor or outdoor.
Outdoor recreation or Outdoor activity (Wikipedia)
● Refers to recreation engaged in out of doors, most commonly in natural settings. The
activities that encompass outdoor recreation vary depending on the physical
environment they are being carried out in.
● Outdoor recreation is a broad concept that encompasses a varying range of activities
and landscapes.
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park or Puerto Princesa Underground River
● Was officially recorded on January 28, 2012, as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
● It is one of the protected areas of our country located about 80 kilometers (50 mi) north
of the city center of Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
● It is the longest navigable subterranean river in the Philippines. Before this, it has also
been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Outdoor recreation
● An organized activity done during one’s free time for his/her reasons, where an
interaction between man and an element of nature is present.
A day can be divided into three (3) parts (Clayne R. Jensen, 2006):
Existence time
● Tme spent for biological needs like having a meal, sleeping, and other personal care.
Subsistence time
● The hours spent for economic purposes such as going to work, chores, and for students,
hours spent in school, and school work.
Free time
● All the remaining time after. How one decides to spend free time varies from person to
person.
Recreation
● Derived from the 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.
Outdoors
● In a broad sense is a space outside an enclosed area.
● Narrowing it down, outdoors, as used 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 its most natural state or “semi-natural state”, which is a state
where it had gone through some human modification but has retained its natural
features.
The Philippines is rich in natural resources. Despite being in a relatively small country
Philippines is surrounded by all kinds of land formations and natural water resources.
Health Benefits of Outdoor Recreation:
● Physical and Psychoemotional benefits
1. Improves your mental wellbeing
2. Best way to get Vitamin D: Your bones and blood cells need a lot of calcium,
phosphorus, and vitamin D for them to be healthy.
3. Boosts self-esteem
4. Promotes memory: Nature walks have shown a significant relevance in memory
retention among humans. Walking around trees, for example, promotes your
memory by more than 20%.
5. Stress-reduction effects:
Cortisol – The hormone that indicates the level of stress in humans- reduces
greatly when you spend time in the forest, say, watching birds and taking part in
low-intensity outdoor activities.
6. Reduces Anxiety
7. Boosts your immunity: The more the Vitamin your body gets, the stronger its
immune system becomes. On top of that, being within outdoor plants helps you
leverage the health benefits of the phytoncides and other organic compounds
that plants produce.
8. Helps burn some unwanted fat: When you play outside – say, while out doing
water activities, you burn tons of calories and unwanted fats. And because being
outdoor during the day helps you to sleep better, coupled with the fact that better
sleep facilitates faster weight loss, the role of outdoor time in your physical
fitness can never be overemphasized.
● Social Benefits of Outdoor Recreation
- Spending time outdoors also allows one to meet and interact with others who
share the same passion for outdoor recreation. Participating in a team will help
form lasting friendship and develop a community.
- Outdoor recreation also promotes stewardship. Activities done outdoors in the
natural setting help in making people realize great things that nature provides
mankind.
● Economic Benefits of Outdoor Recreation
- People who have a relaxed body and mind tend to be more productive atwork.
This translates into efficiency at the workplace.
- “It’s more fun in the Philippines!” as the Department of Tourism slogan goes.
Indeed, it is more fun as well for everyone involved in ecotourism activities in the
Philippines.
- It has been rewarding for the local folks as ecotourism in our country created jobs
and other economic activities which have, one way or another, contributed to our
economic growth.
● Spiritual Benefits of Outdoor Recreation
- Positive outdoor experiences can stir up spiritual values.
- Being one with nature brings certain calmness within a person. It strengthens an
individual as it heals, rejuvenates, and soothes the body and soul.
Green Spaces
● Are place found in cities that gives opportunity to one to connect with nature.
Green Exercise
● A physical activity done in the presence of nature.
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THE 7 PRINCIPLES OF LEAVE NO TRACE
1. Plan ahead and prepare
Avoid large group sizes that are noisy and crowd out other visitors.
- Displacement of others at popular sites
- Noise
- Crowding
- Conflicts
- Heavy size impacts
- Waste concentration
2. Travel and camp on dutable surfaces
Avoid widening trails by
- Hiking two or more abreast
- Creating new trails
- Cutting switchbacks
Avoid creating new campsites or enlarging existing sites by trampling surrounding
vegetation.
3. Dispose of waste properly
4. Leave what you find
- Leave flowers for others to see. Picking them prevents formation of seeds vital to
their production and survival.
- Do not remodel trails, pile rocks, or take them home.
5. Minimize campfire impacts
- Proliferation and migration of campfire sites
- Scorch ground at pristine sites so so it loses its “wildness”
- Use minimal amount of wood or camping stove
6. Respect wildlife
Feeding wildlife (intentional or unintentional), attracting them to people and developed
areas.
- Damages their health
- Alters natural behaviors
- Exposes them to predators
7. Be considerate of other visitors
- Respect different users (birders, bikers, climbers)
- Be quiet
- Be polite
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AQUATICS
Water or aqua
● Has a certain unique attraction to people of all ages.
● The Philippines having more than 7000 islands is bound with natural water forms which
can host numerous aquatic activities.
● Provides environments that are beneficial to you. An array of recreational activities can
be done in rivers, beaches, swimming pools and the like.
Aquatics
● Has a unique place in a balanced physical education program.
● It provides us with a water-based learning experience through participation in a broad
range of structured activities.
● It provides opportunities for physical, psychological, and social development of each
student.
Benefits of Aquatics
Physical Benefits
● We can develop a range of skills in the water.
● We can improve stamina, functional capacity, and local muscular
endurance without undue strain on the joints
● We will have the opportunity to develop a range of skills which can
be used throughout their lives
Social Benefits
Aquatics provides an opportunity to participate in physical activity which can:
● Be enjoyed with family and friends
● Develop an awareness of safety in or near water
● Provide opportunities to share responsibilities and cooperate with others
● Become involved in competition at appropriate levels
● Assume different roles and responsibilities i.e., personal safety, co-operation, care of
others.
Psychological Benefits
We can experience:
● An appreciation of personal success
● An improved self-image and sense of independence
● An enhanced feeling of well being
● An opportunity to experience risk and challenge.
It aims to provide students with the opportunity to develop personally, socially,
and physically through participation in aquatics in a safe and enjoyable
environment.
Common Water Activities
Swimming
● Is a form of water activity that provides endless pleasure.
● It is both a recreational and competitive activity. It is the art propelling the body through
water.
● There are basic styles in swimming;
- freestyle
- backstroke
- breaststroke
- sidestroke
- butterfly stroke
Diving
● The act of plunging into water, usually off a diving “Springboard” usually while
performing acrobatics.
● Underwater diving, as a human activity, is the practice of descending below the water's
surface to interact with the environment.
Surfing
● The act of riding on waves.
● Traditionally, people surf by lying , kneeling or standing on a surfboard; however, they
may also surf with just their body (body surfing), or with a sail attached to the board
(wind surfing).
Waterskiing
● An activity in which people are pulled behind a motorized boat with skis attached to their
feet.
● The types of competition skiing includes
- Slalom (skier passes buoys )
- Trick (skier performs tricks)
- Jump (skier is propelled off ramp to maximize distance in air)
- Race (powerboat with skier behind).
Canoeing and Kayaking
Shape:
● Canoes are wider and have an open deck.
● Kayaks often, though not always, have a narrower hull and can come with either a
closed or open deck.
Open decks offer more room, while closed decks offer a more secure seat.
Rowing
● A method of moving a boat through water by using oars.
● One of the world’s most honored rowing competitions is the Henley Regatta that is held
annually on the Thames River near Oxford, England.
Fishing
● The act of catching fish for sport or food.
Sailing
● The act of moving across water in a vessel powered by wind.
Commonly used life-saving equipment in Aquatic Activities:
1. Lifejackets - These can be of help to the person wearing it from drowning.
2. Safety helmets - They are used mostly for water sports involving a higher risk factor,
like water skiing and kayaking activities.
3. Safety harnesses - They should be tied tightly enough to allow free movement in the
boat or deck, but not so loose so the person so the person may fall overboard, leading to
a lot of injuries.
4. Lifebuoys - These are ring-like flotation devices that prevent people from drowning.
5. First aid kits - It is the first requirement for medical assistance in case of an emergency.
6. Maps - It is important to navigate rightly and follow the basic safety rules while taking
any vessel out in the water, be it for rafting or boating.
7. Distress signals - These include light-emitting beacons and flares that are important to
gain the attention of passers-by for help during an emergency.
8. Radios - It will enable the person in need to get in touch with the control center and get
assistance in case of an emergency.
9. Weather gauge - Carrying a weather gauge at all times helps one stay updated about
the climate and any potential weather change.
10. Personal locator - The beacon is an electronic transmitter that sends out a signal
alerting the rescuers of the location. People regularly use this device for crew saving in
lifeboats and shipping.
