PHYSICAL EDUCATION

AND HEALTH
Volume II
 UNIT III
Introduction to
Outdoor
Recreation
CHAPTER 7:
Nature and
Background of
Outdoor Recreation
Learning Objectives
To define outdoor recreation
To understand the reasons why
people engage in outdoor recreation
To enumerate the common outdoor
recreational activities
To recognize the benefits of
engaging in outdoor recreation
To be acquainted with the process
of assessing physical fitness
To recognize the significance of
adhering to the “Leave No Trace
Seven Principles” while engaging in
outdoor recreation
What Is Outdoor Recreation?
Outdoor recreation is organized activities done
during one’s free time for his/her own personal
reasons, where an interaction between man and an
element of nature is present.
 Reasons People Engage in
Outdoor Recreational Activity
• 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
Whatever reason there
have the chance to do,may be, people
especially engage
for those whoinreside
outdoor
in
recreation for their
highly urbanized own sake and pleasure, voluntarily,
areas.
• and
Manyof their
do itownfor choice.
personal pursuit such as photography,
collecting sea shells, 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 birdwatching, plant
naming, etc.
 Some Popular Outdoor
Recreational Activities
LAND WATER AIR
• Mountaineering • Swimming • Parasailing
• Trekking/Hiking • Snorkeling • Skydiving
• Camping • Diving • Paragliding
• Backpacking • Surfing
• Picnic • Canoeing
• Bird-watching • Kayaking
• Mountain • Whitewater Rafting
Biking • Sailing
• Orienteering • Fishing
• Canyoneering • Bamboo Rafting
• Rock Climbing
 Benefits of Outdoor Recreation
1. Physical Benefits
• Being outdoors prevents a person from having a
sedentary life.
 It allows people to move, whether by walking,
running, swimming, biking, paddling, etc.
 Since the surge of electronic gadgets pushed
many people, young and old alike, into a
sedentary life, outdoor recreation creates a great
distraction from these gadgets and helps them to
be on the move.
• Movements expend energy, promote cardiovascular
and muscular fitness, and improve the function of the
immune system.
2. Psycho-Emotional Benefits
• Engaging in outdoor recreational activities helps
people to rest, relax, de-stress or unwind, and feel
revitalized.
• Being outdoors also improves self-esteem,
confidence, and creativity.
• Outdoor recreational activities contribute to a person’s
personal and spiritual growth.
3. Social Benefits
• Outdoor activities are ways for families to become
closer through family-bonding activities.
• Spending time outdoors also allows a person to meet
and interact with others who share the same passion
for outdoor recreation, helping form lasting friendships
and a sense of community.
• Outdoor recreation also promotes stewardship.
Activities done outdoors help in making people realize
the great things that nature provides mankind with.
Increased knowledge and appreciation helps them
understand how personal actions can strongly affect
the environment. Thus, people’s feelings and
connection with nature are the greatest motivation for
them to care for the natural environment and advocate
for its preservation.
4. Economic Benefits
• People who have a relaxed body and mind tend to be
more productive at work, translating into efficiency at
the workplace.
• Ecotourism creates jobs and other economic activities
which can, one way or another, contribute to
economic growth.
5. Spiritual Benefits
Positive outdoor experiences can stir up spiritual values.
 Being one with nature brings certain calmness
within a person.
 Being one with nature strengthens an individual as
it heals, rejuvenates, and soothes the body and
soul.
Do You Need to Be Athletic to Be Able
to Participate in Outdoor Activities?

No. Outdoor recreation involves a lot of physical

activity, but it does not require you to have athletic
level of skills to be able to participate. However,
you need to be physically fit to be able to carry
out the activity.

Are you PHYSICALLY FIT?

Questions That Can Help
Assess Your Physical Fitness
Are you able to carry out your day-to-day tasks as a
student with alertness and vigor without undue fatigue?
If not, then perhaps you need to rethink.
• Have you been spending too much time with your
gadgets?
• Has your body been getting enough rest and sleep?
• What about your nutrition and eating habits, have
you been dependent on fast food, chips, and sodas?
• Are you eating on time?
• Have you been heavily stressed with school work?
Considerations in Assessing How
One Has Been Eating
What Is the “Leave No Trace
Seven Principles”?

It is a set of universal outdoor ethics that

guides one in the activities to do with nature.

It also provides the framework for making

decisions in outdoor recreation.
 The “Leave No Trace Seven
Principles” Principles Are…
Principle 1: Plan Ahead and Prepare
• Before going to a place, check if your planned activity is permitted.
Make sure to know the rules, guidelines, and safety procedures they
have set. Some places require certain permits or clearances.
• Make sure you have the needed equipment for your activity and the
skills needed to undertake the activity.
• Plan how to cope in case emergency arises.
• Check the weather forecast and be prepared for changing weather
conditions.
• Learn when areas are most crowded and try to avoid those times.
• To minimize environmental impact and for safety reasons, keep group
numbers small.
• Repack food to minimize waste.
• When trekking, maps and compass must be used to avoid markings or
leaving of marks on rocks and the like.
Principle 2: Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
• Walk, run, bike, or camp on durable surfaces like established tracks,
rocks, gravel, and dry grasses.
• Avoid walking on soft surfaces like soft plants. You might be trampling
on a young tree or pasture and this will cause vegetation damage.
• Use existing trails or campsites; no need to build a new campsite that
will alter the environment.
• To avoid erosion, walk in single file in the middle of the trail.
• Avoid places where impacts are just beginning to show.
• When camping, keep the campsite small and discreet.
• Camp at least 200 feet from lakes and rivers to protect the waters.
Principle 3: Dispose of Waste Properly
• “Pack it in, pack it out” means everything you brought should be
brought back with you including left-over food or fruit peel. Nothing
should be left.
• When camping, cat holes are dug (6–8 inches deep) for human waste
and covered just the same with soil and weeds or leaves on top.
• Dishes should be washed 200 feet away from lakes or rivers.
Biodegradable soap must be used. Scatter strained dishwater.
Principle 4: Leave What You Find
• Examine archeological structures, old walls, and other heritage artifacts
but do not touch nor leave marks on them.
• Leave nature as you found them. Do not take any plant, rock, or marine
animal with you.
• Avoid introducing non-native plants and animals.
• Do not build structures or furniture, or dig trenches.
Principle 5: Minimize Campfire Impacts
• Use lightweight stove for cooking; campfires can cause lasting impacts.
• If fires are permitted, use fire rings or mound fires that are already set-
up.
• Keep fires small and use only sticks from the ground than can be
broken by hand.
• Never burn plastics or other substances that emit toxic fumes.
• Burn all wood to ash and make sure fires are completely out. Scatter
the cool ash.
Principle 6: Respect Wildlife
• Observe wild animals from a distance and they should be avoided
during sensitive times such as mating, nesting, or raising the young.
• Do not feed wild animals or birds as it is not their natural food. The food
might damage their health or alter their natural behaviors and even
expose them to predators.
• Protect wildlife and protect your food as well by storing and securing
the trash well.
• In case you decide to bring your pets along, make sure it is allowed
and you can control them. Otherwise, do not bring them with you.
Principle 7: Be Considerate of Other Visitors
• Respect people who live and work in the countryside.
• Respect other visitors and let them have a momentous experience as
well.
• Allow the sound of nature to prevail, not your noise or your radio.
• Be courteous; yield to others on a trail.
• Camp away from trails and other visitors.