PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH 4

OUTDOOR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

I.
INTRODUCTIO

Outdoor recreation can overlap with competitive outdoor activities such as orienteering or ski races. It
can also be done with other activities such as environmental education, for example hiking to study and old
growth forest. Outdoor recreation can also simply be enjoying the peace and quiet in a non-physical way.

In this unit, different outdoor recreational activities will be presented and discussed with the aim of
encouraging you to start living a more active lifestyle that will contribute to your own overall wellness. Outdoor
activities provide a wide range of physical and mental benefits. Additionally outdoor physical activity boost
endorphins and helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression while increasing self-esteem, self-confidence,
and concentration. Keep in mind as well, that there is no age and restriction to begin, all you need is the right
program for your fitness.

II.
 Differentiate outside and indoor recreational activities.
 Identify the different outdoor recreation activities.
 Determine the benefits of outdoor recreation.
 Observe and create a simple drawing of a bird.
 Explain the importance of family bonding.

MOTIVATIO
N
“Time spend with family is worth
every second.”
Based on the quotation above, give an example of a family bonding.

 ______________

IV.

 What is outdoor recreation?

Recreation is derived from the Latin word recrea which means to be refreshed.
Choices for recreation vary from person to person. What makes one happy may not be so
for others. Therefore, recreational activities depend on one’s interests, pursuits, and
needs which may be reflective of one’s beliefs and level of gratification. For example, a
natural park may serve as a bonding place for a family to have a picnic, a great fitness area for a jogger, and a
place to commune with nature or meditate for others.

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 The outdoors in a broad sense is a space outside an enclosed are. Narrowing it down, outdoors, as used
it in this discussion, includes the natural environment and resources which comprises the land, water, wildlife,
vegetation, open space, and scenery. The outdoors may be in their most natural state or “semi-natural” state,
which is a state where it had gone through some human modification, but it has retained its natural features.
Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity refers to recreation engaged in out of doors, most commonly in
natural settings. The activities that encompass outdoor recreation vary depending on the physical environment
they are being carried out in. These activities can include fishing, hunting, backpacking, and horseback
riding — and can be completed individually or collectively. Outdoor recreation is a broad concept that
encompasses a varying range of activities and landscapes.
Outdoor recreation is typically pursued for purposes of physical exercise, general wellbeing, spiritual
renewal, and an opportunity to partake in nature whilst doing so. While a wide variety of outdoor recreational
activities can be classified as sports, they do not all demand that a participant be an athlete. Rather, it is the
collectivist idea [2] that is at the fore in outdoor recreation, as outdoor recreation does not necessarily
encompass the same degree of competitiveness or rivalry that is embodied in sporting matches
or championships. Competition generally is less stressed than in individual or team sports organized into
opposing squads in pursuit of a trophy or championship. When the activity involves exceptional excitement,
physical challenge, or risk, it is sometimes referred to as "adventure recreation" or "adventure training", rather
than an extreme sport.

 BENEFITS OF OUTDOOR RECREATION

 What are the different outdoor recreational activities?

The Philippines is rich in natural resources. Despite being in a relatively small country, Philippines is
surrounded by all kinds of land formations and natural water resources. In fact, it has been listed in The World
Factbook (maps of World, n.d.) as having the fifth longest coastline in the world. Its natural environment has so
much to offer, whether on land, on water, or even in the air. It hosts varied outdoor recreational activities, some
of which are the following:

LAND
Mountaineering

Mountaineering, or alpinism, is the set of outdoor activities that involves ascending

tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional
outdoor climbing, skiing and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport
climbing and bouldering are also considered variants of mountaineering by some.

Trekking/Hiking

Trekking is about enjoying a great walk and can be day hikes, overnight or extended
hikes. An example of a day trek is hiking during the day and returning at night to a lodge for
a hot meal and a comfortable bed. Trekking can be more enjoyable when undertaken while
being generally physically fit. Physical preparation for trekking
includes cycling, swimming, jogging and long walks. To ensure the safest experience possible it is generally a
good idea to have some form of experience with basic survival skills, first aid, and orienteering when going for
extended hikes or staying out overnight. It's also expected that backpackers leave no trace while enjoying the
outdoors.

No list of outdoor sports activities is ever complete without hiking recreational activities. As the saying
goes, to achieve greater results, you’d have to take greater heights. Same goes when it comes to traveling.
When in the mountains, you are guaranteed to see beautiful sights of nature from the trees to exotic birds and
more. Even if it’s challenging, all the sweat is worth it once you have reached the top. That is why many people
are into hiking recreational activities these days. And aside from the workout, hiking gives other benefits such
as reducing negative thinking and stress levels.

Camping

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 Mention camping and a few things will automatically come to mind—long travel times, bug bites, the
endless list of things to bring, figuring out how to pitch a tent, building your own fire, and maybe catching fish in
the lake. It’s a lot like the Survivor show. But despite these, nothing beats the kind of private time you get by
pitching a tent in the middle of nowhere. Imagine waking up feeling like you have your own private corner in the
world. Camping may not be everyone’s cup of tea but hey, it doesn’t mean it’s not fun and worthy of trying,
right? So make sure to try camping as it is one of the top 5 outdoor recreational activities.

Backpacking
Backpacking is a form of low-cost, independent travel, which often includes staying in
inexpensive lodgings and carrying all necessary possessions in a backpack. Once seen as a
marginal form of travel undertaken only through necessity, it has become a mainstream form
of tourism.

Picnic

Go on an al-fresco dining (but in style) by having a picnic at the park. Bring a mat, a
basket full of goods, a bottle of wine or soda, and enjoy dining with a view with your family,
friends, or significant other. This is one of the outdoor activities in land that will really take
your stress away from the hustle and bustle of the metro.

Bird-watching

Bird-watching, the observation of live birds in their natural habitat, a popular pastime
and scientific sport that developed almost entirely in the 20th century. In the 19th century
almost all students of birds used guns and could identify an unfamiliar species only when its
corpse was in their hands. Modern bird-watching was made possible largely by the
development of optical aids, particularly binoculars, which enabled people to see and study
wild birds, without harming them, better than ever before.

Mountain Biking

Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually
using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes
but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain,
such as air or coil-sprung shocks used as suspension, larger and wider wheels and tires,
stronger frame materials, and mechanically or hydraulically actuated disc brakes.

Orienteering
Orienteering is a group of sports that require navigational skills using
a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain
whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially
prepared orienteering map, which they use to find control points.[1] Originally a training
exercise in land navigation for military officers, orienteering has developed many variations.
Among these, the oldest and the most popular is foot orienteering. For the purposes of this article, foot
orienteering serves as a point of departure for discussion of all other variations, but almost any sport that
involves racing against a clock and requires navigation with a map is a type of orienteering

Canyoneering
Canyoneering is the exploration of a canyon from point A to point B using a range of
techniques that include hiking, scrambling, sliding, stemming, chimneying and
rappelling. Imagine extreme hiking with a harness, a helmet and appropriate rope systems.
Think reverse climbing and scrambling with a little butt-sliding. Maybe even a lot of butt-
sliding. It is recess for adults where muscles you forgot existed get sore. Canyoneering is the intimate
exploration of forgotten Earth. It is poetry in movement.

Rock climbing
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 Rock climbing is the sport or activity of climbing rock faces, especially with the aid of
ropes and special equipment. The concept is to reach an end point, or a summit, of a rock
face or structure. This can be done with specific equipment, depending on the difficulty and
severity of the climb.
It is a physically demanding sport that combines fitness and agility with the mental
fortitude required to conquer an ascension or traverse. It can be perilous, but that is often
considered a positive aspect of the adventure.

WATER
Swimming
Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of
one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open
water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most
popular Olympic sports,[1] with varied distance events
in butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, and individual medley. In addition
to these individual events, four swimmers can take part in either a freestyle or
medley relay. A medley relay consists of four swimmers who will each swim a
different stroke, ordered as backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle. [2]
Swimming each stroke requires a set of specific techniques; in competition, there are distinct regulations
concerning the acceptable form for each individual stroke. [3] There are also regulations on what types of swimsuits,
caps, jewelry and injury tape that are allowed at competitions. [4] Although it is possible for competitive swimmers to
incur several injuries from the sport, such as tendinitis in the shoulders or knees, there are also multiple health
benefits associated with the sport.

Snorkelling

Snorkeling (British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice

of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped
breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, a wetsuit may also
be worn. Use of this equipment allows the snorkeler to observe underwater attractions for
extended periods with relatively little effort and to breathe while face-down at the surface.
Snorkeling is a popular recreational activity, particularly at tropical resort locations. It provides the opportunity
to observe underwater life in a natural setting without the complicated equipment and training required
for scuba diving. It appeals to all ages because of how little effort is involved and is the basis of the two surface
disciplines of the underwater sport of finswimming.[1]
Snorkeling is also used by scuba divers when on the surface, in underwater sports such as underwater
hockey and underwater rugby, and as part of water-based searches conducted by search and rescue teams.

Scuba diving

Scuba diving is an underwater, fun activity which gives you the opportunity to merge
in the amazing underwater life. Scuba diving adventures require: at least a minimum level of
fitness and health; the use of good (perfect!) equipment (underwater breathing apparatus)
and hiring an experienced and qualified scuba instructor who will allow you to freely enjoy
your diving without troubling too much with the safety and equipment issues.

Surfing

Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two

in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a
moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore.
Waves suitable for surfing are primarily found on ocean shores, but can also
be found in standing waves in the open ocean, in lakes, in rivers in the form of
a tidal bore, or in wave pools.

Canoeing
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 A recreational still water activity with a narrow boat in which you kneel and propel
yourself with a single-bladed paddle, that’s why people say: “paddle your own canoe and
manage independently”.

Kayaking

Kayaking is a white water paddling activity that takes place from active
and moving water to demanding and extreme whitewater. White water
kayaking adventures require the instructions of a professional
kayaking instructor who knows the certain river conditions; good equipment (a
kayak, a row, a helmet and a life jacket), and last but not least, it requires
some bravery.
Whitewater rafting

Rafting and white water rafting is a great teamwork outdoor activity. It

is both considered a leisure activity and an extreme sport, all depending on
the river water conditions. To do rafting you need a boat, oars, a life jacket
and a helmet (don’t forget it) and of course, a good company to have fun with.

Sailing

Sailing is a recreational water adventure activity, also known as

yachting. For a good sailing adventure you need a boat, wind and an
experienced captain! It can be done as a daily activity or a few-day offshore
cruising trip.

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught in the wild but may
also be caught from stocked bodies of water. Techniques for catching fish include hand
gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping. "Fishing" may include catching aquatic
animals other than fish, such as molluscs, cephalopods, crustaceans, and echinoderms. The
term is not normally applied to catching farmed fish, or to aquatic mammals, such as whales
where the term whaling is more appropriate. In addition to being caught to be eaten, fish are caught
as recreational pastimes. Fishing tournaments are held, and caught fish are sometimes kept
as preserved or living trophies. When bioblitzes occur, fish are typically caught, identified, and then released.

Bamboo rafting
Bamboo rafting is an environmentally friendly activity. At most places, they bring back
the raft to the starting point to use it again for the next trip.

A bamboo raft is a flat bottomed basic water craft made of bamboo stakes that are
lashed together with vines or rope. Bamboo rafts are designed to be used as a basic means
of transportation, for fishing activities, recreational activities, and have even been utilized in
survival situations

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 AIR

Parasailing

Parasailing, also known as parascending, paraskiing or parakiting, is a

recreational kiting activity where a person is towed behind a vehicle while attached to a
specially designed canopy wing that resembles a parachute, known as a parasail wing.
The manned kite's moving anchor may be a car, truck, or boat. The harness attaches the
occupant to the parasail, which is connected to the boat, or land vehicle, by the tow rope.
The vehicle then drives off, carrying the parascender (or wing) and person into the air. If the boat is powerful
enough, two or three people can parasail behind it at the same time. The parascender has little or no control
over the parachute. The activity is primarily a fun ride, not to be confused with the sport of paragliding.

Skydiving
Skydiving, also called parachuting, use of a parachute—for either recreational or
competitive purposes—to slow a diver’s descent to the ground after jumping from an
airplane or other high place. The sport traces its beginnings to the descents made from a
hot-air balloon by the French aeronaut André-Jacques Garnerin in 1797, but modern
skydiving is usually performed from a propeller-driven airplane. At events such as the annual
World Free Fall Convention in Quincy, Illinois, however, parachutists are afforded the opportunity to jump from
such diverse craft as hot-air balloons, helicopters, and a Boeing 727.

Paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders:
lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure.[1] The pilot
sits in a harness or lies supine in a cocoon-like 'speed bag' suspended below a fabric wing.
Wing shape is maintained by the suspension lines, the pressure of air entering vents in the
front of the wing, and the aerodynamic forces of the air flowing over the outside.
Despite not using an engine, paraglider flights can last many hours and cover many
hundreds of kilometres, though flights of one to two hours and covering some tens of kilometres are more the
norm. By skillful exploitation of sources of lift, the pilot may gain height, often climbing to altitudes of a few
thousand metres.

 What are the benefits of outdoor recreation?

Fun and pleasure are perhaps the immediate answers of the majority who have experienced outdoor
activities. However, there is more to it than just the fun. Studies have shown that being close to natural
environment is healthy. Aside from the fresh air and the amazing sight of nature, the outdoors have positive
effects on the general wellness of an individual most especially if it is done with regularity. Wellness
encompasses the general state of a person (physical, social, psycho-emotional, and spiritual) and in the end
contributes to a better quality of life.

 Physical Health Benefits

Being outdoors prevents a person from having a sedentary lifestyle. It allows people to move, whether by
walking, running, swimming, biking, paddling, etc. With the surge of electronic gadgets, more and more people
(children and adults alike) are unconsciously getting stuck with a sedentary life, contented with playing with
their computer games, tablets, or cellphones, or watching television for hours. Green space is now called
“screen space.” Unknowingly, a great part of their day was spent sitting or lying down with gadgets in their
hands. The outdoors is a great distraction from these gadgets. It helps people to be on the move. It gets their
hearts pumping and their bigger muscle at work. Such movements expend energy, promotes cardiovascular
and muscular fitness, and improves the function of the immune system. In fact, the physical activities done in
outdoor recreation may range from average to vigorous levels of intensity. Many people have documented the
benefits of staying active that include reduced obesity, reduced risk disease, enhanced immune system, and
increased life expectancy. The following is a guideline taken from the Center for Disease control and
Prevention (CDC) and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
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 General Physical Activities Define by Level of Intensity
Moderate activity 3.0 to 6.0 METs* Vigorous activity Greater than 6.0 METs*
(3.5 to 7 kcal/min) (more than 7 kcal/min)
 Walking at a brisk pace of 3-4.5 mph  Walking – 5 mph or faster
 Hiking  Jogging or running
 Biking with level terrain of few hill (5-9 mph)  Climbing briskly up a hill
 Recreational swimming  Backpacking
 Snorkeling  Mountain climbing
 Aquatic aerobics  Rock climbing
 Water skiing  Rappelling
 Canoeing (at less than 4 mph)  Mountain biking
 Surfing (board and body)
 Sailing
 Kayaking on lakes or calm water
 Fishing while walking along the riverbank
 Horseback riding

 Psycho-emotional Benefits

Engaging in outdoor recreational activities helps people to rest, relax, de-stress or unwind, and feel
revitalized. In fact, some research showed that too much artificial stimulation and time spent in purely human
environments can cause exhaustion and loss of vitality and health (Katcher & Baeck, 1987; Stilgo,2001).

Nature has its own way of positively distracting a stressed mind and calming it down. As Kuo and Sullivan
(2001) explained it, “natural setting and stimuli such as landscape and animals seem to effortlessly engage our
attention, allowing us to attend without paying attention.” This alone helps reduce stress and prevents come
cases of depression and anxiety.

Being outdoors also improves our self-esteem, confidence, and creativity. There is a sense of “feeling
good” whenever one achieves the goal in particular activity such as reaching the peak of a mountain or
learning a skill of paddling in canoeing.

Lastly, outdoor recreational activities contribute to one’s personal and spiritual growth. It allows an
individual to discover his/her inner spirit and sense of self, creating new behaviors and identity. A person
identifies with the activities that he/she does such he/she becomes “biker,” “diver,” and “mountaineer.” Then,
 Socialidentifies
that individual Benefitsmore with who he/she is at work. In the end, engaging in these activities contributes to
satisfaction in life and makes life happier.

Outdoor activities are ways for families to become closer. They can be a “family-bonding activity” as each
family member participates in an activity, achieves a common goal, and goes through the same experience.

Spending time outdoors also allows one to meet and interact with others who share the same passion for
outdoor recreation. Participating in a team will help from lasting friendship and develop a community.

Outdoor recreation also promotes stewardship. Activities done outdoors in the natural setting help in
making people realize the great things that nature provides mankind. 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.

 Economic Benefits

People who have a relaxed body and mind tend to be more productive at work. This translates into
efficiency at the workplace.

“It’s more fun in the Philippines!” as the Department of Tourism slogan goes. Indeed, it is more fun as well
for everyone involved in ecotourism activities in the Philippines. It has been rewarding for the local folks as
ecotourism in the country created jobs and other economic activities which have, one way or another,
contributed to our economic growth.

 Spiritual Benefits
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 Positive outdoor experiences can stir up spiritual values. Being one with the nature brings certain calmness
within a person. It 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?

Outdoor recreation involves a lot of physical activity, but it does not require one to have athletic level of
skills to be able to participate. However, one needs to be physically fit to be able to carry out the activity. For
instance, bird-watching requires walking to be able to go to the birds’ natural habitat and watch the birds.

Physical fitness tests are not new to students. It is usually done in lower grades or at the start of the school
year in a P.E. class. Maybe, some can remember having the 3-minute step test, squats, sit and reach, and
were asked to compute their body mass index (BMI). All of these tests were to determine one’s health and
fitness level which includes learning about cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance,
flexibility, and body composition. If the last test one has taken was a long time ago, take it again. If one has the
result of his/her last fitness test, compare the result and see if one progressed or even regressed through time.
Do not just take this aside as a requirement but rather look at it as data that tells a person about his/her
lifestyle. For example, a male student with a good cardiovascular endurance can finish one mile in under 11
minutes.

Reflect back on the activities for the past weeks or months and lifestyle as a student. Were you able to
carry out your day-to-day tasks as a students 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?

Some students love to cram school works leaving them with lesser hours of sleep. However, one must
remember that sleep has the essential purpose to rest the body and mind for one to be able to function well the
next day. Moreover, the lack of sleep also affects eating behaviour as the hormonal system controlling the
appetite is also affected, making a sleep deprived person feel hungrier than usual. According to the National
Sleep Foundation (2015), a recommended number of sleeping hours for young adults (18-25 years old) is 7-9
hours of sleep. However, 6 hours or 10-11 hours are just appropriate as well, but lesser than 6 hours or over
11 hours are not appropriate for one to carry out a task the next day. Moreover, sticking to a regular sleeping
schedule, whether during weekdays or weekends, helps establish a good sleeping habit.

Aside from sleep, the food that the body takes in is equally vital for a person to be fit. You have already
learned in the previous grades what a balanced diet is all about. However, good eating does not just end on
the plate. It also includes the correct eating habit, behaviour, or pattern that one has established. Have an
honest assessment of how you have been eating the following considerations:

 TIME: When do you eat? Is it done at a certain time of the day? Do you skip meals? Perhaps do you
“eat mindlessly,” meaning, you eat even if you are not hungry?
 AMOUNT and KIND of FOOD: Are you conscious if the amount of food that you eat? Do you follow
a balanced diet? Do you lose control when your favourite food is served on the table? Do you crave
for carbohydrates or sweets at certain times of the day?
 PLACE: Where do you eat your meals? Do you eat on the dining table with family or friends? Do
you have a preferred place such as your study area, computer table, or the family room or sala?
 FEELINGS or EMOTIONS: Do you associate eating with certain moods or feelings such as eating
when bored, sad, depressed, angry, or happy?
 ACTIVITIES: Do you associated eating while doing something else such as watching television,
reading a book or newspaper, or using the computer? Do you feel the need to eat in order to enjoy
watching a movie or sports event?

The right amount and kind of food certainly will fuel the mind and body to carry out the day-to-day tasks.
However, eating pattern and behaviour matter as well. This starts with having a regular eating time throughout
the day. In a study done by Laksa et al. (2014), it showed that among the young adults, meal regularity such as
routine breakfast and dinner had strong association with healthy dietary pattern. Eating regularly helps prevent
too much hunger, which often results in overeating the next meal. Eating in some places other than the dining
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table allows you to do other things while eating. For instance, if one eats if one eats in front of the television,
then, most likely, the focus will be on the TV show and not on the meal, leaving the person unaware of how
much food was consumed. Studies made by Robinson et al. (2013) have shown that distracted eaters actually
consume 10% more calories while sitting than those who are not distracted. Further, they will also consume
25% more calories on a later meal.

Some people also crave and, thus, do not eat for hunger but for pleasure. Fluctuation of blood sugar level is
one cause of food craving. Therefore, one way to avoid food craving is by controlling the blood sugar level
through avoiding or limiting the consumption of sugar and processed foods and by regular exercise. Food also
serves as a comfort to some who are going through emotional problems. The best way to break food craving
and emotional eating is to look for alternative activities one loves to do, such as talking with friends, making
crafts, or doing sports.

After the re-evaluation of your eating pattern, the quality of food your body has been getting, and the
number of hours of sleep you have been having, it is now time to think of ways to become more active and live
a healthier life. You may start engaging in outdoor recreational activity as this is a great way to de-stress and
feel invigorated.

 What are the important things that should be remembered when participating in an outdoor
recreational activity?

It has been established earlier that outdoor recreation is an interaction between man and
nature. The interaction should come with care and respect. It is important that in using and
enjoying what nature offers, an equal responsibility in conserving and preserving it must
be consciously employed to people. This way, everyone can continue to go back and have
future generations experience the great things in nature that the current generation has.
The “Lave No Trace Seven Principles” is a set of universal outdoor ethics that guides one
in the activities to do with nature. It also provides framework for making decisions in
outdoor recreation. Taken from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics official website
(https//lnt.org/learn/7-priciples accessed June 15, 2015) the principles are as follows:

 THE LEAVE NO TRACE SEVEN PRINCIPLES

 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.
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  Camp at least 200 feet from lakes and rivers to protect the waters.

 Principle 3: Dispose the 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
the soil and weeds or leaves on top.
 Dishes should be washed 200 feet away from lakes or rivers and use biodegradable soap. Scatter
strained dishwater.

 Principle 4: Leave What You Find

 Examined archaeological 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 plants, rock, plants, or marine animal with you.
 Avoid introducing non-native plants and animals.
 Do not build structures, 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.
 No burning of 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 behaviours 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.

GENERALIZATIO
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Outdoor recreation are organized activities done during one’s free-time for
individual reasons, needs, or interests, where a certain interaction between man and an
element of nature takes place. These activities are done either in the natural or semi-
natural environment. The Philippines is rich in natural resources with all the kinds of land
formations and natural water resources. These natural resources are host to varied outdoor activities that
maybe done on water, land, or air. Snorkelling, scuba diving, kayaking and canoeing are just few among others
that can be done on water. Trekking, hiking, camping and orienteering, on the other hand, are some of the
outdoor activities that can be done on land or in mountains.

Outdoor recreational activities contribute to the general wellness of an individual especially if done
regularly. The physical movements expend energy, promoting cardiovascular and muscular fitness, and in
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improving the functioning of the immune system. Outdoor recreation also helps in the psycho-emotional, social,
economic development and spiritual well-being of people and consequently to a better quality of life.

Nature is the main setting of all these outdoor recreational activities. It is therefore important that the
interaction of man with nature should come with care and respect. The Leave No Trace Seven Principles
guides every participant of outdoor activities in how one becomes part in the preservation and conservations of
natural resources.

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