Recreation and leisure activities may be one of our best methods for curbing our rising medicalcosts. They may be one of our best investments in health and a satisfying lifestyle. In an era inwhich medical costs continue to escalate and our ability to provide medical care for all segmentsof the population has lessened, money spent on maintaining good health pays dividends.

According to the U.S. Health Care Financing Administration, the projected health care cost of$5,500 per citizen could be reduced significantly if more attention were placed on health andhealthy living than on the treatment of illness. The Health Research Institute of Walnut Creek,California, says that costs can be reduced as much as 22% through effective wellness and fitnessprograms. Researchers in Australia and Canada estimate that modest levels of active recreationfor adults may reduce their national health insurance costs by 10%.

The significance of recreation, physical activity and leisure to one's well being was first observedby scholars in ancient Egypt and Greece. The Egyptians believed recreation was essential to one'srecovery from illness and trauma. The Greeks viewed it as critical to learning and good health intheir ideal: "sound mind, sound body."

The value of recreation and physical activity to health and welfare for the young helped bring theplayground movement to fruition in the earlier years of this century. The fresh air camps of theearly 1900s were promoted by the New York press. Scores of organizations solicited funds tosend children to areas where they could exercise and enjoy the benefits of being out-of-doors.Today's needs are no less.

Perhaps we have been expecting too much from the medical professions, seeing them as the basichealth care providers when, in reality, they tend to be concerned mostly with treating illness, notwith developing and maintaining good health. That is the view of social researchers RobertOrnstein and Paul Erlich, who argued that most of our gains in healthy living and longevity haveresulted from better sanitation, cleaner water, better nutrition, safer food supplies, less hazardousworkplaces, etc., not the activities of medical specialists. They believe that life expectancy is moreaffected by good nutrition, exercise and illness prevention than through the treatment of disease.Good health results from living in healthy environments and having good health habits, one ofwhich is to enjoy leisure -- to recreate.

There are data which suggest that regular participation in active forms of recreation is one of thebest guarantees to fitness and health, that physically fit people are better able to enjoy life to itsfullest, are less prone to injury and have lower rates of heart disease. A 30-minute workout everyother day lowers one's blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Regular exercise also aids in theprevention and management of osteoporosis and reduces depression.

According to industrial experts, based upon studies in Cincinnati, Los Angeles and Canada, fitnessand wellness programs increase productivity (7%) while decreasing absenteeism (20%).Recreation and exercise are positive forces in managing stress which reduce the need formedication, doctor's office visits and psychiatric counseling. It is no wonder that industries whichhave wellness and fitness programs for their employees are able to reduce the cost of their medicalcare insurance.

For those who dislike regimented programs of exercise, there is much to be said for recreation,for doing things for their own sake. This was the view of Dr. Paul Dudley White, the notedcardiologist who treated President Dwight Eisenhower after his heart attack. He encouragedEisenhower to play golf for his health but not as a prescribed activity. He wanted him to do itbecause the President enjoyed it. White felt that some of the physiological benefits of the activitymight be diminished if Eisenhower felt compelled to play the game, since the obligatory elementmight set in motion the same body chemistry processes associated with stress. Contemporaryresearch has validated his observations. No living organism can exist in a stressed or flexed stateindefinitely. Periods of relaxation are necessary and the recreative experience often provides thatrelaxation. It is one of the best means of breaking out of routines.

Leisure and successful aging are also interrelated. Researchers tell us that senior citizens livelonger, remain in their homes longer and participate more fully in community life when they havesatisfying hobbies, various recreation pursuits and a positive leisure ethic. The economic benefitsof these conditions are obvious; they reduce health costs as they increase the vitality and theindependence of the individual.

When communities invest in parks and recreation, they invest in the health of their citizens. Parksare more than esthetic environments; they are places for relaxing, socializing and escaping theconfinements of tenement houses and high-rise apartments. Industries and the military haveembraced the concepts of recreation and exercise as critical elements in keeping fit, as a means ofmaintaining morale and increasing productivity. Recreation activities enable us to be in control ofsomething which provides us with meaning and satisfaction. They enhance self-esteem andreinforce self confidence.

Some environments are more conducive to the recreative experience than others. Parks happen tobe one of those settings in which the more positive feelings of elation and satisfaction occur,where the restorative processes associated with leisure are enhanced. Roger Ulrich, Ulf Dinbergand B.L. Driver reported that after four to six minutes of exposure to natural environments,compared to the urban experience, significantly greater recuperation was evident on allphysiological measures. They argue that even short leisure contact with nature is important tomany urbanites in their ability to cope with annoyances and daily responsibilities. Theseexperiences also seem to restore their physical energy.

A similar finding was reported by Michael Blazey and Geoffrey Godbey. In observing andinterviewing over 700 urban park users 55 years of age and older in 25 major parks in 5 majorcities, they found that the mood or state of mind of the older resident was positively changed as aresult of their park visits. Since these older citizens tended to walk to and from their homes to thepark, there were also exercise benefits.

The bottom line, then, is that recreation, leisure and health are interrelated. Investments in parks,recreation and leisure services pay handsome health dividends. They contribute to our well beingwhile reducing our need for medical care and treatment. The state of our health is largelydetermined by how we live each day. Incorporating recreation as a part of one's daily routines notonly adds pleasure to life but also helps ensure it.

For further information, contact:

• Geoffrey C. Godbey, Recreation and Parks, 203 Henderson Building South, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802. Phone: (814) 865-1851.

• Thomas L. Goodale, Department of Health, Sports and Leisure Studies, Physical Education Building, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030-4444. Phone: (703) 993-2056; Fax: (703) 764-6716.

• Jean Mundy, Department of Human Services and Studies, Room 215, Stone Building, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306. Phone: (904) 644-3061.

• Peter Witt, Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Sciences, Texas A&M University, 107 Francis Hall, College Station, TX 77843-2261. Phone: (409) 845-7324.

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