Leisure Activities in a Modern Society - Coursework Example

Benefits of Leisure and their feasibility in the modern society Client inserts his/her name Client inserts tutor’s name Name of Institution Course title Date of submission Introduction The modern society is quite aware of the need and the benefits of leisure (Bhatti 2011, par.1). However, despite the fact that the modern society is facing economic recession, people are involving in more and even expensive leisure activities since they are aware of the various benefits derived from them (Zabriskei and McCormick, 2003, p.165). According to Mouton, Calmbach and Dhanda R et al (2000, p.893), in the modern society, people have learnt to balance their work time and leisure time, in order to avoid stress associated with workplace. Due to the various benefits derived from leisure activities especially, on physical and mental health, people in the modern society are engaging themselves in leisure activities more often. Studies have revealed that both private and public employers are allocating more free hours for their employees in order to enable them achieve the various benefits associated with leisure and hence boost their job performance. In line with these observations, this paper aims to discuss the various benefits of leisure and explain the various factors that make them feasible to achieve in the modern society. The Physical Benefits of Leisure According to Tessier et al (2007, p.203), there are various physical benefits associated with leisure. People use their leisure time to engage in a wide range of physical activities such as hiking, boat riding, walking among others. These exercises provide a lot of physical health benefits as discussed below-: Reduces the risk of becoming obese Recent studies have revealed that obesity is one of the major health problems facing many countries especially, the developed ones (Kriska, 1997, p.47). This health problem is associated with physical inactivity. Overweight or obese people are always at a high risk of developing various diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, and hypertension among others (Gorman 2002, P82). The various physical exercises that people engage in during their leisure time can help in curbing obesity. During physical activities such as hiking, people get to burn a lot of calories that reduce the amount of cholesterol in the body hence reducing the chances of becoming obese. Physical activities boost the body’s immune system According to Health and Human Services, U.S. (1996, p.68), people who are physically active have lower risks of developing diseases while on the other hand, physically inactive people have high risks of developing diseases especially those related to excess amounts of cholesterol in the body. When a body is physically active, all its hormones and defense mechanism is always kept active and this boosts its ability to resist diseases. When a body is kept inactive, its defense system also remains inactive and this decreases its ability to fight back diseases. Increases life expectancy According to Mouton, Calmbach and Dhanda et al (2000, p.896), the various physical exercises that people involve themselves in during their leisure time such as walking, playing, dancing and hiking do not only bring enjoyment but also increases their life expectancy. These physical activities reduce the risk of developing diseases such as cardiovascular disease that can cause early death. In the United States, exercise and physical fitness have been found to increase the longevity of life and reduce many causes of mortality (Kriska, 1997, p.53). When a body is active, the immune system keeps on improving its capability to resist diseases, and this is the main reason as to why it results to improved life expectancy. Psychological Benefits of Leisure Recreational activities Reduce Depression Depression is a kind of mental illness which can take various forms (Richardson, et al 2005, p.325). Some of the symptoms that indicate that a person is depressed include loneliness, hopelessness, sadness, and lack of interest in various activities and in some extreme cases, suicide. However, recent studies have reviewed that recreational activities can be helpful in alleviating depression. Through participation in recreational activities, people are able to encounter experiences that they look forward to and benefit from. Leisure activities also help in avoiding loneliness and isolation, major factors that contribute to depression (Fox 2000, p.7). According to Collingwood, Sunderlin, Reynolds and Kohl (2000, p.437), recreational activities are used as a strategy to treat depressed people involved in drug abuse. These authors argue that recreational activities can serve as a better remedy for drug addicts compared to other forms of medications. Leisure activities relieve stress According to Fontaine (2000, p.56), leisure activities promotes mental health as they help in relieving stress. In today’s busy and demanding world, no one is immune to stress and this is why leisure activities are so important in helping people manage stress and lead a healthy psychological life. Recreational activities are enjoyable and are relaxing hence are essential for decreasing levels of stress, emotional pressure and anxiety (Landers 1997, p.42). According to Landers, the human mind has inbuilt hormones that help relieve stress but they are only triggered when a person is exposed to enjoyable and relaxing recreational activities (1997, p.47). When exercising, adrenaline is produced, which forces the heart to beat faster than the normal rate and this force the bronchioles of the lung to open up (Fontaine 2000, p.61). Fontaine points out that it is the opening up of the lungs’ bronchioles that help in releasing the adrenaline that builds up due to everyday stresses hence helping in relieving psychological tension and anxiety. Social Benefits of Leisure Promotes Social Bonds Studies have revealed that recreational activities have helped in creating social bonds by uniting families. Leisure activities give people a chance to build social relations that can last a life time. According to Zabriskei and McCormick (2003, p.171), families that recreate together are able to remain close since they spend most of their time together. Recreational activities do not only strengthen the bond between spouses but also strengthens the parent-child bond. While recreating together, family members are able to elicit love, emotions and teamwork, factors that help in bringing them close. Recreational atmosphere provides the family members with the opportunity to try out new and better social behaviors and lifestyles. Studies have also revealed that it is through leisure activities that parents are able to pass important and valuable social behaviors to their children. By recreating together, families derive other benefits such as family fulfillment, improved level of contact and solidity (Zabriskei and McCormick 2003, p.173). Leisure activities creates cultural diversity and harmony Due to globalization, there are quiet a number of cultures and languages in every community and workplaces. The rapidly growing diversity can create pressure and challenges of adaptation in communities and work environments (Bhatti 2011, par.3). Therefore, there is need for cultural understanding and unity among the various cultures in the modern society. Recreation activities encourage positive interaction among these cultures and allow socialization to take place in a free environment. Through social interaction, people from different cultures get to understand each other better and hence help in breaking down the existing barriers of unfamiliarity. During recreational activities, people are less concerned with their cultural differences and focus on achieving maximum fun. During recreation activities also, people from different cultures are able to share their ethnic differences hence improve cultural understanding. Economic Benefits of Leisure Recreational activities do not only provide enjoyment but also improves the quality of life through its various economical benefits (Estes and Henderson 2003, p.23). Parks and other open reserves preserved for recreational activities add value to the surrounding properties and hence results in increased tax revenue collected from these properties (Bolitzer and Noelwah 2000, p.187). Recreational activities create the need for creation and maintenance of parks and other reserves. These parks and reserves on the other hand attract both local and foreign tourists, who enhance recreational spending. According to Miller (2001, p.98), recreational activities attract foreign investors and highly trained employees, in search of a high quality and enjoyable life. Skilled employees lead to high organizational performance hence boosting the regional economic development and that of the nation at large. Foreign investment has a direct positive impact on a region’s or a country’s economic development since it leads to creation of job opportunities and increases the revenue collected through taxes (Miller 2001, p.101). Some of the physical benefits of leisure outlined earlier in this paper include reduced risk of contracting diseases such as hypertension and heart disease. This implies that recreational activities reduce health costs and hence saves money that could be used in improving people’s economic lives. A part from reducing health costs, recreational activities ensure that people remain physically fit. Physical fitness ensures that people are productive at their workplaces leading to improved organizational performance which results to improved economic development. The recreational sector itself provides employment opportunities for many people hence helping them improve their economic lives. Spiritual Benefits of Leisure Leisure activities offer many spiritual benefits. According to Stringer and McAvoy (1992, p.15), many people use their leisure time in spiritual mediation. Through meditation, people are able to evaluate their spiritual lives, review their spiritual weaknesses and hence come up with strategies to strengthen their spirituality. Recreational places such as parks and reserves offer serene environment that encourage people to practice spiritual tourism. An individual or a group of people may be members of a church can organize to use their leisure time by making spiritual tours to these serene recreational places. The environment allows these people to assess their personal spiritual achievements and hence plan the way forward on how to achieve spiritual satisfaction. According to Tessier et al (2007, p.205), there is a direct connection between mental fitness and spirituality. A relaxed and stress free state of mind enhances one’s spirituality. Therefore, since recreational activities help in relieving stress and reducing oppression, they enhance a person’s spirituality. People can also utilize their leisure time in mediation and prayers. Due to the serenity of some recreational places such as the wilderness, a person is able to mediate without disturbance and hence enrich one’s spirituality. Feasibility of achieving benefits of leisure in the modern society According to Mouton, Calmbach and Dhanda et al (2000, p.897), the 21st century society has come to know the importance of leisure and has therefore embraced the various benefits derived from it. People have learnt to balance the time they spend working and the time spent with their families (Perry-Jemkins, Repetti and Crouter 2000, p.983). Both public and private organizations have learnt the importance of leisure benefits to their employees. As such, they have come up with policies that promote more free time for their employees in order to allow them to relax and hence improve their productivity. Organizations have reduced their week working hours for their employees and are discouraging overworking. This is after various studies have reviewed that overworking does not benefit organizations but actually impacts negatively on their performance since employees are not able to perform well amidst work pressure and psychological fatigue resulting from overworking. Some of the today’s organizations offer their employees holidays and leisure trips as away of rewarding them for their hard work and at the same time, allow their employees to relax psychologically and physically in order to enhance their job performance. There has been increased awareness on the importance of recreational activities in keeping physically fit and avoiding health problems related to inactivity in today’s society (Welk and Blair 2000, p.78). People have become enlightened on the importance of involving themselves in recreational activities such as charity walks, hiking, biking among others in order to avoid diseases such as obesity and hypertension. According to Zabriskei and McCormick, (2003, p.181), people in today’s society ate utilizing their leisure time as a major tool of relieving work stress. Due to cultural diversity, globalization and competitions in today’s workplaces, there has been increased work stress. In order to relieve this stress and tension, people are engaging in recreational activities more often. In the 21st century, there has been increased concern about natural environment protection. Due to the increased damage done to the natural environment through increased rate of urbanization and industrialization, many governments have formulated policies that support recreational activities as they lead to environmental protection and conservation. Recreational activities create a need for preservation and protection of national parks and other reserves which form part of the natural environment. Another factor that has made it possible for the today’s society to achieve benefits of leisure is technological influence. Due to technological improvement, more exciting and diverse recreational activities have been created, hence the modern society has the opportunity to engage in many and diverse recreational activities. Technological advancement has also made it possible for agencies that deliver leisure services to deliver and manage recreation programs in a better way compared to the past. Technology has invented recreational devices such as television, motion pictures, radio among others, which have expanded the leisure lives of today’s society and hence have made it possible for this society to enjoy the various benefits of leisure. Conclusion From the paper, it is evident enough that there are various benefits of leisure. Some of the physical benefits of leisure include reduction of risks of becoming obese hence avoiding various diseases such as heart disease and hypertension that are associated with obesity. Leisure activities are beneficial psychologically as they relieve stress and reduce depression. Socially, recreational activities help people build stronger family bonds and enhance cultural diversity and harmony in the society. Recreational activities help in cutting health cost through prevention of diseases such as hypertension, heart diseases among others. The recreational sector also creates employment for many people and earns country revenue through foreign exchange and payment of tax hence leading to nation’s economic development. Leisure activities also allow people to mediate and mediate hence helping them improve their spirituality. In the modern society, the benefits derived from leisure are feasible to achieve due to various factors such as increased free time hours for public and private employees, technological influence, better management of agencies that offer recreational services due to technological advancement and diversity in recreational activities available in the modern society. Bibliography Bhatti S. (2011). Benefits of Leisure and Recreation. Retrieved from: viewed on: 2nd November 2012, Bolitzer, B. and Noelwah N. N. (2000). The Impact of Open Spaces on Property Values in Portland, Oregon. Journal of Environmental Management 59:185-193. Collingwood, T., Sunderlin, J., Reynolds, R. & Kohl, H. (2000). Physical training as a substance abuse prevention intervention. Youth Journal of Drug Education, 30(4), 435-451. Estes, C. & Henderson, K. (2003). Enjoyment and the Good Life. Parks and Recreation Magazine, 38(2), 22-31. Fontaine, K. R. (2000). Physical activity improves mental health. The Physician and Sport Medicine, 28(10). Fox, D (2000), Physical activity and mental health promotion: the natural partnership. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 2(1) 4-12. Gorman, C. (2002). Walk, Don’t Run: It’s Simple, it’s cheap, and studies show that walking may be the best exercise for reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes [Electronic version]. Time, 159(3), p82. Health and Human Services, U.S. (HHS). (1996). Physical activity and health: A report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Kriska, A. (1997). Physical Activity and the Prevention of Type II (Non-Insulin Dependent) Diabetes. Presidents Council for Physical Fitness & Sports Research Digest, 2(10). Landers, D.M. (1997). The influence of exercise on mental health. President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Research Digest, 2(12). Miller, A. (2001). Valuing Open Space: Land Economics and Neighborhood Parks. Thesis, MIT Real Estate Development. Mouton C.P., Calmbach W.L. and Dhanda R et al (2000). Barriers and benefits to leisure time physical activity among older Mexican Americans. Arch Fam Med; 9:892–897. Perry-Jemkins, M., Repetti, R.L., & Crouter, A.C., (2000). Work and family in the 1990s. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62, 981-998. Richardson, et al (2005). Integrating physical activity into mental health services for persons with serious mental illness. Psychiatric Services, 56(3), 324-331. Stringer, L.A. and McAvoy, L.H. (1992). The need for something different: Spirituality and wilderness adventure. Journal of Experiential Education, 15(1), 13-20. Tessier S et al (2007). Association between leisure-time physical activity and health-related quality of life changes over time. Prev Med, 44(3):202-208. Welk, G., & Blair, S. (2000). Physical Activity Protects against the Health Risks of Obesity. President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sport Research Digest 3(12). Zabriskei, R.B., & McCormick, B.P. (2003). Parent and child perspectives of family leisure involvement and satisfaction with family life. Journal of Leisure Research, 35(2), 163-189. Read More

Recreational places such as parks and reserves offer serene environment that encourage people to practice spiritual tourism. An individual or a group of people may be members of a church can organize to use their leisure time by making spiritual tours to these serene recreational places. The environment allows these people to assess their personal spiritual achievements and hence plan the way forward on how to achieve spiritual satisfaction. According to Tessier et al (2007, p.205), there is a direct connection between mental fitness and spirituality.

A relaxed and stress free state of mind enhances one’s spirituality. Therefore, since recreational activities help in relieving stress and reducing oppression, they enhance a person’s spirituality. People can also utilize their leisure time in mediation and prayers. Due to the serenity of some recreational places such as the wilderness, a person is able to mediate without disturbance and hence enrich one’s spirituality. Feasibility of achieving benefits of leisure in the modern society According to Mouton, Calmbach and Dhanda et al (2000, p.897), the 21st century society has come to know the importance of leisure and has therefore embraced the various benefits derived from it.

People have learnt to balance the time they spend working and the time spent with their families (Perry-Jemkins, Repetti and Crouter 2000, p.983). Both public and private organizations have learnt the importance of leisure benefits to their employees. As such, they have come up with policies that promote more free time for their employees in order to allow them to relax and hence improve their productivity. Organizations have reduced their week working hours for their employees and are discouraging overworking.

This is after various studies have reviewed that overworking does not benefit organizations but actually impacts negatively on their performance since employees are not able to perform well amidst work pressure and psychological fatigue resulting from overworking. Some of the today’s organizations offer their employees holidays and leisure trips as away of rewarding them for their hard work and at the same time, allow their employees to relax psychologically and physically in order to enhance their job performance.

There has been increased awareness on the importance of recreational activities in keeping physically fit and avoiding health problems related to inactivity in today’s society (Welk and Blair 2000, p.78). People have become enlightened on the importance of involving themselves in recreational activities such as charity walks, hiking, biking among others in order to avoid diseases such as obesity and hypertension. According to Zabriskei and McCormick, (2003, p.181), people in today’s society ate utilizing their leisure time as a major tool of relieving work stress.

Due to cultural diversity, globalization and competitions in today’s workplaces, there has been increased work stress. In order to relieve this stress and tension, people are engaging in recreational activities more often. In the 21st century, there has been increased concern about natural environment protection. Due to the increased damage done to the natural environment through increased rate of urbanization and industrialization, many governments have formulated policies that support recreational activities as they lead to environmental protection and conservation.

Recreational activities create a need for preservation and protection of national parks and other reserves which form part of the natural environment. Another factor that has made it possible for the today’s society to achieve benefits of leisure is technological influence. Due to technological improvement, more exciting and diverse recreational activities have been created, hence the modern society has the opportunity to engage in many and diverse recreational activities. Technological advancement has also made it possible for agencies that deliver leisure services to deliver and manage recreation programs in a better way compared to the past.

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