Chapter 9: Dimension of Development: Recreation, Physical Fitness,

and Wellness
Learning Objectives
At the end of this chapter, the learners are expected to: 1. define recreation,
physical fitness, and wellness;
2. explain how wellness can be achieved; and
3. integrate wellness in mind and body by engaging in physical activities.
Overview
This chapter discusses recreation, physical fitness, and wellness. The
healthier an individual is, the more he/she can enjoy life.
Recreation
Recreation pertains to activities done for leisure to promote a person's well-
being and growth. It brings about a sense of mastery, achievement,
exhilaration, acceptance, satisfaction, success, personal worth, and pleasure.
It enforces a positive self-image. It is also a means to socialize, meet people,
and gain new friends.
Characteristics of Recreation
1. Involves voluntary choice and participation of the individual
2. Includes physical activities that are well organized, date- and time-flexible,
suited to the individual's needs, and controlled by the individual in terms of
location, time, clothing and equipment, and other conditions.
3. Focuses on the individual's participation more than on the results.
4. Accessible and available to all regardless of socio-economic status, age,
sex, and disability.
Physical Fitness
Proper diet, [Link], and ragalan exercise help keep the body bealthy,
Being physically fit enables a person to perform tasks successfully with vigor
and alertness and without feeling tired.
Physical fitness is a measure of the body's ability to function efficiently and
effectively, resist diseases, and confront emergency situations. It is
important not only to athletes but also to everyone. It does not simply mean
exercising regularly. It refers to a person's overall strength, flexibility,
endurance of the heart, lungs and muscles, and body composition. It
includes nutrition and mental health.
Here are some key concepts about physical fitness:
1. When exercising, the lungs take in additional oxygen which is fuel for the
heart and brain.
2. Being fit enables the body to fight off illnesses and diseases.
3. Exercise helps reduce stress and tension. Strenuous exercise stimulates
the body to release endorphins. These endorphins produce a happy feeling in
people.
4. Exercise strengthens the bones, which makes doing the daily tasks easier.
It helps heal major injuries.
5. Exercise helps a person lose weight. When a person is in shape, he/she
has increased muscle mass. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, this
means a person's body uses up more calories and stores less of them as fat.
Lower body fat is also associated with a longer lifespan.
6. Exercise helps strengthen the heart, lungs, and immune system.
7. Regular exercise reduces the risks of high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
diabetes, and some types of cancer.
8. Exercise keeps the mind sharp, even as it improves brain function.
9. Being fit does not mean possessing a muscular build.
10. Regular exercise helps a person sleep faster, better, and longer.
Components of Physical Fitness
In its most general meaning, physical fitness is a state of good physical
health. Physical fitness is to the human body what fine-tuning is to an
engine. It enables people to perform to their maximum potential and helps
them look and feel good. It affects their state of mind and influences, to
some degree, their mental alertness and emotional state.
Physical fitness involves the following components:
1. Cardiovascular endurance-the ability of the body to deliver oxygen and
nutrients to tissues and to remove wastes over sustained periods of time
2. Muscular strength and endurance-the ability of the muscle to exert force
for a brief period of time
3. Muscular endurance-the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to sustain
repeated contractions or continue to apply force against an inert object.
4. Flexibility-the ability of the body to move joints and use the muscles' full
range of motion.
5. Body composition-the body in terms of lean mass (muscles, bones, vital
tissues, and organs) and fat mass. The optimal ratio of fat to lean mass is an
indication of fitness. Performing the right set of exercises can help people get
rid of body fat and increase or maintain muscle mass.
Benefits of Regular Physical Activities
The health benefits of regular exercise or physical activities are hard to
ignore. The following are some ways on how exercise can help improve your
life.
1. Exercise helps control weight.
Exercise helps prevent excess weight gain and maintain weight loss. When
you engage in a physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the
activities, the more calories you burn. If you cannot do an actual workout, be
more active throughout the day in simple ways such as taking the stairs
instead of the elevator or walking the extra two blocks instead of riding the
bus.
2. Exercise helps prevent heart diseases.
No matter what your current weight is, being physically active helps boost
high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or good cholesterol and decrease low-density
lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol which can form plaque that can narrow
the arteries and eventually lead to heart attack or stroke.
3. Exercise helps improve mood. Regular exercise helps make you feel good;
when you feel good, you feel
confident and happy.
4. Exercise helps boost energy.
Regular physical activity helps improve muscle strength and endurance and
the cardio-respiratory system. When your heart and lungs work more
efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores.
5. Exercise helps enhance learning.
Exercise helps increase the level of brain chemicals that aid you in learning.
As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day.
Remember to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program,
especially if you have any health conditions.
Wellness
According to the American Heritage Medical Dictionary, wellness is "the
condition of good physical, mental, and emotional health, especially when
maintained by an appropriate diet, exercise, and other lifestyle
modifications." It is further defined by the Mosby's Medical Dictionary as "a
dynamic state of health in which an individual progresses toward a higher
level of functioning, achieving an optimum balance between
internal and external environments." Wellness is an expanded idea of health
and both health and wellness are terms that mean the ability to live life fully
with vitality and
meaning.
Six Dimensions of Wellness
Wellness is a dynamic process of change and growth. Fahey et. al (2001) give
the following dimensions of wellness:
1. Physical wellness is developed through the combination of beneficial
physical activity/exercise and healthy eating habits and lifestyle. It builds up
muscular strength and endurance, cardiovascular strength and endurance,
and flexibility.
Physical wellness is also concerned with developing personal responsibility
for your own health such as caring for minor illnesses and knowing when
professional medical attention is needed, monitoring your own vital signs
and understanding your body's warning signs, and recognizing the effects of
nutrition on how your body performs. The physical benefits of looking and
feeling good most often lead to the psychological benefits of enhanced self-
esteem, self-control, determination, and a sense of direction.
2. Emotional wellness is rooted in how you accept and manage your feelings,
understand your limitations, navigate through stressful situations, and
maintain healthy relationships. This includes the degree to which you feel
positive and enthusiastic about yourself and your life. It is better to be aware
of and accept your feelings than to deny them. It is better to be optimistic
than to be pessimistic in your approach to life.
An emotionally well person is able to express feelings freely and effectively.
form and sustain satisfying interdependent relationships with others based
on mutual commitment, trust, and respect, and take on challenges, risks,
and conflict. As he/she manages his/her life in personally rewarding ways and
takes responsibility for his/her actions, he/she sees life as an exciting,
hopeful adventure.
3. Intellectual wellness emanates from one's creative, stimulating, growth-
oriented activities that lead to learning new skills and sharing them with
others.
It is better to stretch and challenge your mind with intellectual and creative
pursuits than to become self-satisfied and unproductive. It is better to
identify potential problems and choose appropriate courses of action based
on available.
An intellectually well person cherishes intellectual growth and stimulation
through a myriad of educational resources, keeps abreast of current issues
and trends, and pursues personal interests that enhance creativity and
learning.
Intellectual wellness allows you to explore and expand the gifts that are
uniquely yours, bringing a richness to your life and the lives of those around
you.
4. Spiritual wellness is rooted in the understanding that humans are spiritual
beings. Spirituality is not the same as religion. Some people can belong to a
religion and not have a very well-developed spirituality. Spirituality pertains
to the ultimate meaning and purpose of life that each individual needs to find
and thus define a value system to operate within. Spiritual wellness is
achieved as each person's actions become more consistent with his/her
values and belief systems. It is better to live each day in a way that is
consistent with your values and beliefs than to do otherwise and feel untrue
to yourself.
As you explore your spiritual path, you may experience feelings of doubt,
despair, fear, disappointment, and dislocation as well as feelings of pleasure,
joy, happiness, and discovery. You will know you are becoming spiritually well
when your actions become more consistent with your beliefs and values and
you can respect and tolerate the beliefs and values of others.
5. Social wellness involves contributing to one's environment and community.
It emphasizes the interdependence between others and nature and an
awareness of your importance in society as well as your impact on multiple
environments. It is better to contribute to the common welfare of the
community than to think only of yourself. It is better to live in harmony with
others and your environment than to live in conflict with them.
In this dimension of wellness, you take an active part in improving the world
by encouraging healthier living, initiating better communication with those
around you, and making willful choices to enhance personal relationships
and to build a better living space and community.
6. Environmental wellness encompasses how you care for the environment,
create environments that are free from violence and the threat of violence,
and live in an environment that is safe for you physically and emotionally.
In this dimension of wellness, you actively take responsibility for your
personal well-being and that of the environment.
Behaviors that Contribute to Wellness
The lifestyle of an individual is a personal choice that influences the quality
of life. A healthy lifestyle helps avoid diseases and hence keep you strong
and fit. The most important behaviors and habits that contribute to a healthy
lifestyle are the following.
1. Be physically active. The human body is designed to work best when it is
active. When you care more for your body, bones, heart, and lungs, the
stronger and more fit they become.
2. Choose a healthy diet. A common person's daily food intake is usually too
high in calories, unhealthy fats, and added sugars, and too low in fiber,
complex carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables. This kind of diet is linked to a
number of major diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, type
2 diabetes, and certain kinds of cancer. A healthy diet promotes wellness and
provides necessary nutrients and sufficient energy.
3. Maintain a healthy body weight. Obesity is associated with a number of
disabling and potentially fatal conditions and diseases like heart disease,
cancer, and diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic and debilitating disease that
affects how the body turns food into energy. Normally, the food is converted
into glucose and stored and used by the body. The circulating insulin
hormone stimulates the uptake of sugar by the body's cells. With diabetes
something goes awry. The pancreas either stops producing insulin
completely for the type 1 diabetes or the body develops insulin resistance, a
condition wherein the body's cells do not respond to insulin for the type 2
diabetes. Either way, concentration of sugar in the blood shoots up.
According to the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, four out of 100
adults aged 20 years old and above have diabetes with an increasing
prevalence
of the disease after the age of 40. Advancing age is cited as a risk factor for
diabetes. The Philippine Diabetes Association reveals that the blood sugar
level among Filipinos
increases after the age of 40.
In the Philippines, diabetes is ranked among the top 10 killer diseases due to
its many complications. People with diabetes face the risk of having a heart
attack or stroke.
A healthy body weight is an important part of wellness. Keep in mind,
however, that short-term dieting is not part of fitness or wellness.
Maintaining a healthy body weight requires a lifelong commitment to regular
exercise, healthy diet, and effective stress management.
4. Manage stress effectively. Many people cope with stress by eating,
drinking or smoking too much. Others do not deal with it at all. In the short-
term, inappropriate stress management can lead to fatigue, sleep
disturbances, and other unpleasant symptoms. Over longer periods of time,
poor management of stress can lead to less efficient functioning of the
immune system and increased susceptibility to disease. There are effective
ways to handle stress and they should form an important part of a healthy
lifestyle.
5. Prevent drug abuse through the following means:
a. Maintain good physical and mental health.
b. Use drugs as directed by the physician. Most drugs are beneficial when
used under medical advice or supervision.
c. Understand, accept, and respect your individual capacity or ability. d.
Develop your potential. Engage in wholesome, productive, and fulfilling
activities.
e. Learn to relate effectively to those who can communicate their problems
freely.
f. Learn to cope with problems and other stresses without resorting to drug
abuse.
g. Seek professional help if you feel that you cannot cope with the problems
that you encounter. h. Develop strong moral and spiritual foundation.
6. Protect yourself from disease and injury through lifestyle modification and
management.
Conclusion
Changing an unhealthy habit is harder than it looks. When you embark on a
behavior change plan, it may seem like too much work at first. But as you
make progress you will gain confidence in your ability to take charge of your
life. You will also experience the benefits of wellness-more energy, greater
vitality, deeper feelings appreciation and curiosity, and a higher and better
quality of life.