16 December 2008

Americans at Play

Research Shows Recreation Good for Personal Health, Communities

More than 3 million visitors per year go to Yosemite National Park in California for hiking, rock-climbing and sightseeing.

This article is excerpted from the IIP publication Sketchbook USA, a richly illustrated volume that depicts Americans at work, at play, in their communities, and engaging in civic life. View and download the fully formatted Sketchbook.

When colonial Americans were plotting a revolution to overthrow the British crown, they wrote a Declaration of Independence that proclaimed the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Almost two-and-a-half centuries later, Americans are pursuing happiness with zeal and creativity, not only at work and with our families, but also by finding activities likely never imagined by our forefathers. Americans head in countless directions to find what makes us happy in the 21st century. It may be up mountains, down trails, to raucous arenas or to hushed performance halls, or perhaps to pursue a hobby we’ve invented ourselves.

No matter where or how we find it, Americans are pretty well agreed that the recreational activities that bring us happiness are not trivial or frivolous pursuits at all. In fact, research shows that physical activity and recreation are good for the body, the mind, and the soul. Beyond the benefits to the individual alone, recreation advocates say that group recreation activities build closer friendships with others and create greater community bonds.

Brian Johnson learns to surf before hitting the waves.

The health benefits of a physically active lifestyle are widely known, including reduced risks of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and some cancers. Healthy People 2010, one of the U.S. government’s definitive policy documents on public health, says that recreation and physical activity can also improve psychological well-being, reduce the risk of depression, and improve mood.

Physical activity helps to stave off the body’s decline, and medical experts recommend that senior citizens stay active in both body and mind. Mental gymnastics such as games, puzzles, and music may help to prevent the small strokes that occur in the brain and are one cause of dementia.

People frequently report that the social relationships they develop through recreational activities are also an important motivator. Further research indicates that those relationships give an individual a greater feeling of connection to community and a sense that one can rely on those relationships during difficult times.

Recreational activities, both active and passive, are also a significant economic sector. According to the Statistical Abstract of the United States, issued by the U.S. Census Bureau, arts, entertainment, and recreation were a $165 billion business in 2004, the most recent year for which data are available. Data from several earlier years indicate a steady annual growth rate in this sector.

Businesses involved in arts, entertainment, and recreation are also a significant source of employment, with close to 2 million people working in jobs that support play and pastimes.

So a healthy dose of recreation and play in life makes for good health, good business, and good times. Who needs more reason to play on?