Types of Recreation and Leisure

Recreation and its Types

• Recreation was first used in the 14th century, meaning "refreshment or curing of a sick person".
• It comes from Latin "re," meaning "again," and "create," meaning "to create."
• Play is a term for children's activities, derived from Anglo-Saxon "plega," meaning "game, sport, skirmish, or fight."
• Physical recreation involves activities like basketball and volleyball, helping maintain physical fitness and social bonding.
• Leisure is freedom from commitments, whether physiological or social.

Leisure Defined

• Leisure is viewed as related to social class, stemming from Thorstein Veblen's work.
• Ruling classes historically displayed their status through leisure activities.
• Leisure is also defined as unobligated time, excluding work and personal maintenance.
• It can be considered an activity, a state of freedom, or even spiritual expression.

Outdoor Recreational Activities

• River rafting is a popular adventure tourism activity, with the Cagayan de Oro River being a prime destination.
• SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) was primarily invented for military purposes.
• Skiing, both Nordic and Alpine, is another popular outdoor sport with roots in hunting.
• Snow surfing (dune bashing) is a way to experience desert landscapes, particularly in the Middle East.

Benefits of Recreational Activities

• Recreational activities improve physical fitness through sports like basketball, volleyball, and cricket.
• Adventure-based activities like biking, skiing, and bungee jumping offer nature experiences.
• Amusement activities, such as video games, internet surfing, and visiting parks, contribute to leisure enjoyment.
• Club-based activities promote social interaction and teamwork.
• Entertainment such as singing, music, dancing, and movies provide a diversion.

Water-Based Leisure Activities

• Aquatic recreation involves water activities in various forms.
• Competitive water sports include rowing, synchronized diving, sailing, and synchronized swimming.
• Individual water sports include kayaking, canoeing, power boating, and yachting.
• Additional activities involve swimming, surfing, windsurfing, jet skiing, wakeboarding, water skiing, and kite surfing.
• Other recreational water activities like skimboarding, body boarding, cliff diving, fishing (angling), snorkeling, spear fishing, underwater photography, water aerobics, free diving, parasailing, scuba diving, and barefoot skiing are also part of the diverse group of water sports.

Team Building and Water Aerobics

• Team building activities create a sense of camaraderie and understanding within an organization.
• Bonding through these exercises fosters trust and collaborative skills.
• Confidence in individual abilities is essential in undertaking any activity.