People participating in summer
luge as a form of recreation, in the
Vosges.
or
fun is the expenditure of time in a manner designed for therapeutic refreshment of one's
body or
mind. While
leisure is more likely a form of
entertainment or sleep, recreation is active for the participant but in a refreshing and diverting manner. As people in the world's wealthier regions lead increasingly
sedentary lifestyles, the need for recreation has increased. The rise of so called
active vacations exemplifies this.
Health
A few individuals view recreation as largely non-productive, even trivial. Excessive recreation is not considered healthy, and may be labeled as
escapism. However, research has shown that recreation contributes to satisfaction, and that the
stress management aspects of it contribute to quality of life, health and wellness, happiness, and that the use of recreation as a diversion may have clinical applications to individuals with chronic pain and other health impairments. In some cultures and religions, recreation is encouraged on certain days and discouraged on others. For example, in
Judaism,
Shabbat is a day for recreation, study, and relaxation; many
Christian churches also have
Sabbath. However, others interpret Sabbath to be a day of worship without self-absorbed recreation.
According to research cited in
Time magazine, stress is a major factor in many of the leading causes of death in the United States.
Organized recreation
Recreation during weekend along riverbanks in Japan
Recreation can become an organized activity of
local governments and for-profit
enterprises. Local governments often create parks boards and/or community centers. Growing interest and funding via grants and taxation can result in an official parks and recreation department, which provides venues and staffing for organised sports, at-risk-youth activities,
arts and
crafts, and
senior citizen activities. Several
U.S. state governments operate recreation programs for their
prison populations. Though controversial, these programs are intended to provide inmates with constructive use of their time through access to music, hobbies, crafts and
exercise equipment. Other possible benefits include reduced
healthcare costs and a lower
recidivism rate. Private organised recreation is usually focused on a specific type of
sport such as river
rafting or
mountaineering.
Recreation as a career
Becoming a recreation specialist often requires a
bachelor of arts degree in recreation management. A recreation specialist would be expected to meet the recreational needs of a community or assigned interest group. People with such degrees often work in parks and recreation centers in towns, on community projects and activities. Networking with instructors,
budgeting, and evaluation of continuing programs are common job duties. Most U.S. states have a professional organization for
continuing education and
certification in recreation management. The
National Recreation and Park Association administers an examination called the CPRP (Certified Park and Recreation Professional) that is considered a national standard for professional recreation specialist practices.
Examples
Attending sporting events, like
baseball games in the
United States is an example of a recreational activity.
In recent years, more exciting forms of recreation have received more attention, such as
skiing,
snowboarding,
bungee jumping,
sky diving,
hang gliding,
paintball,
rock climbing,
backpacking,
canyoning,
caving,
BASE jumping,
adventure
tourism and
motor sport.
See also
