PEH3

Lesson 2: Recreation and Non-Communicable Diseases

 Greeks long believed in the mental benefits one can get from physical activity
o They understood that a healthy and fit body was positively related to mental and emotional
wellness.
 Juvenal- a Roman poet, best exemplifies this with the phrase “Mens sana in corpore sano” which
translates to “a sound mind in a sound body”
 Health (according to WHO)- a state of physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence
of disease and immunity
 Regular physical activity- helps people to feel good about themselves
 Major Categories of Mental Illness
o Anxiety disorders (panic, post-traumatic stress disorders)
o Mood disorder (depression, bipolar disease)
o Impulse control disorder (attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder)
o Substance abuse
 Anxiety
 Normal response when a fear- eliciting situation arises
 These fearful situations may be real and imagined and our natural response would be to “fight”
or “flight”
 Fight or flight mechanism- we have a “prewired” function for dealing with dangerous situations.
When placed in stressful situations or situations that cause us to be anxious. This system kicks
into gear
 Stress
 Substantial imbalance between demand and response capability, under conditions where failure
to meet this demand has consequences (McGrath in Weinberg & Gould, 2007)
 Response that includes both a mental reaction (stressor) and a physical reaction (stress response)
 Four stages of Stress (Weinberg and Gould, 2007)
o Environmental demand
o Perception of demand
o Stress response
o Behavioral consequences
 Depression
 Mental disorder notable for negative alteration in the mood
 Can accompany other anxiety disorders and may vary in severity and duration
 Has become common among adolescents
 A person suffering from major depression my be unable to function and may contemplate
suicide
 Safety Considerations from Physical Activity
 Improved intellectual functioning, academic performance and moods
 Higher scores on self-esteem, self-concept, self-wort, body image and cognitive functioning
 Effective in treating people who report anxiety, depression and stress
 There is no consensus on how much physical activity is recommended in order to achieve the benefits for
mental health
 Excessive physical activity or participating to early in competitive activities may lead to negative effects
 Cognitive and memory function decline when we age
 These mental illnesses can affect our overall well-being
 Behavioral therapy, such as counseling and clinical treatments- has been used in the intervention
methods and is effective in treating mental illnesses
 Physical activity is also a key treatment for addressing mental health problems
 Clinical populations have also benefited from physical activity
 Exercise has been proven to be more effective than behavioral therapy sessions
 Physical activity is not only used as a treatment but can be used as a preventive measure against mental
illnesses and for achieving a positive mental state
o Creates a sense of calm and provides an improvement in mood, whereas withdrawal of physical
activity provides feelings of irritation, slumps in mood, restlessness, nervousness and frustration
 We are more sedentary than ever
 Playtime is rarely maximized because children spend less time outdoors
 As we are exposed to nature through outdoor recreation activities, we must understand how our
actions affect the environment
 Living in a highly urbanized city can have adverse effects on our physical and mental health
 Green environments are needed for a healthy, human habitat
 City engineers decided that placing parks in the middle of urban areas could help address the
problem
 Parks play an essential role in providing venues for physical activity participation and are the most
readily available source of nature for those who live in highly urbanized areas
 Eco-cities worldwide share basic characteristics related to healthy ecosystems and living organisms
such as fostering biodiversity and giving residents access to nature for recreation
 The outdoors gives us the opportunity to take a break from our hectic lives
 The outdoor addresses several aspects of our health such as the six components of wellness:
physical, social, environmental, spiritual, mental and emotional
 Outdoor recreation activities contribute to your mental health
 Exposure to natural environments has shown positive effects on mood and can lower negative
emotions such as anger and sadness
 Exposure to natural environments can have a healing effect on the mind
 Natural settings also help you to make more social connection
 Recreation and outdoor activities help promote social bonds by uniting families, encouraging cultural
sensitivity and supporting seniors and individuals with disabilities
 Green Spaces- places found in cities that gives opportunity to one to connect with the nature. (Bowler et.
Al, 2010)
 Green exercise-physical activity done in the presence of nature