Introduction
In contemporary society, people live in a world of uncertainty and difficult moments where the aspect of nature and the drive of leisure are more complex compared to decades ago. Like culture and art, leisure and recreation have essential role among diverse societies globally. Normally, both activities include persons, groups of individuals, teams, or the public. They are pertinent to persons of all varied ages, abilities, and skill levels. Nevertheless, the persons tangled in the acts depend on the local setting and reflect the social structure and cultural values. Just as explained in the personal community theory of leisure, participating in leisure and recreational activities is among the few ways people with disability engage community life. The theory holds that doing things together through leisure and recreational activities often deepens human relationships. For instance, Kim & Han (2018) have a family that plays together and usually sticks together. Also, the theory assumes that the peer group often influences an individual’s leisure behavior. Besides promoting the development of inclusive communities for participating in leisure and recreational activities, both concepts have distinctive features and overlapping features. For instance, the critical difference between leisure and recreational is subtler. Leisure is the free time one has, and recreation is when an individual is always involved in the fun in that free time. Therefore, the paper will explore the relationship between leisure and recreation, explaining their overlapping and distinctive characteristics.
According to Paggi et al. (2016), leisure is the free time people happen to have at their disposal, and the time they tend to utilize in their characteristic styles. There are different activities involved where some people, for instance, often opt to sleep, watching movies or television programs, among other activities. Usually, there is nothing to occupy people’s minds during their leisure time, and they are often free to use the time based on their discretion. This explains why most students do not think about their studies when they are out of school as intensively explained by the Aristotelian theory of leisure. According to the theory, Aristotle saw leisure as the goal of all people, the end towards which all activities are directed. Yıldırım Şimşek & Çevik (2020) add that leisure from this perception is a reflection of oneself and one primary requirement since it is the freedom from duties and necessities of life. Aristotle further presumes that the best part of individuals is the reason, which is both a practical and a theoretical function. Henceforth, solitary contemplation might not be enough to achieve leisure since an individual can only be moral by taking action in society.
On the other hand, as explained by Ayhan et al. (2018), recreation is an activity that brings happiness and involves fun and enthusiasm. These activities are often undertaken during free leisure time and are usually outdoor. For instance, engaging in sports activities, climbing hills, fishing, and working out at the gym are critical recreational activities that people undertake to kill tedium and fill their leisure with adventure and excitement. Therefore, Kim & Han (2018) claim that people’s experiences and actions during their leisure time for some delight and pleasure are recreational activities.
Differences Between Leisure and Recreation
According to Ayhan et al. (2018), the main difference between leisure activity and recreation is that while leisure is the free time in the day in day-to-day life where work, studies, or sleep do not occupy an individual, recreation is typically involved in exciting and exhilarating activities, to spring some pleasure and fun in one’s leisure time. Under normal circumstances, work has a solid influence on a person’s personality, and as a result, it often determines the individual’s leisure behavior. Following the spillover theory of leisure, Yıldırım Şimşek & Çevik (2020) states that leisure someway counterparts or results from work activity. The theory explains some parts of the current leisure behavior. Several people are involved in things similar to their occupations in their free time. Some even regard their work as leisure. However, recreation is the same act an individual is often involved in during their leisure time. For instance, based on the Spillover Theory of leisure, teachers might get used to teaching so much that they cannot help continuing it after work. They end up using their leisure time tutoring students.
Besides, while some individuals rest, watch their favorite television programs, sleep, or play video games on the computer during their leisure time, some often like to go out for recreation and participate in activities such as hiking, surfing, swimming, or swimming sailing purposely for fun. Unlike leisure, recreation typically entails taking part in different activities that recharge and freshens up during a free time. Since recreational activities involve activities like swimming, sports, and playing, among other activities, they often help to build discipline. This is because the activities are often grounded on various rules and regulations. Unlike leisure, where most individuals spend time indoors or without being involved in other activities, recreational entail activities that help people, predominantly undergraduates, understand that hard work comes with a price. Also, the different recreation acts often encourage higher standards of achievement (Braaksma et al. 2020). Naturally, it is only commonplace to exert more when the dangers are progressive and less resolve when the outcome is less important. With determination in recreation activities comes more outstanding improvement in several areas such as skills, suitability, cooperation, and theoretically awards.
Unlike leisure, where individuals spend their free time either sleeping, reading, or watching, recreation affords social benefits since it often enables the individual to meet like-minded friends and build a strong relationship with them. Ayhan et al. (2018) argue that like-minded individuals are often likely to develop equally valuable thoughts or activities. This enables others to achieve things they would have never achieved alone in their fortune activities through watching and sleeping. Based on the beneficial aspect, individuals tend to constantly be involved in the activities, proving the Familiarity Theory. The theory aimed to explain why individuals often get back to a similar spot during holidays and do things that have formerly offered a good feeling or fulfilment and gratification. However, the theory assumes that there are some people who, with time, get tired with the activities and seek new challenges.
Similarities Between Leisure and Recreation
In their study, Braaksma et al. (2020) claim that both leisure and recreational events always offer individuals-both with and those disabled-a logic of drive for caring. The events typically allow the development of competencies for a certain actions and other events helpful in other facets of life. In addition, leisure events enable individuality and progress. Normally, leisure and recreation events are always spontaneous, and persons take part in activities they love during their leisure time. This often improves the persons to progress in given areas. For example, one can often opt to utilize his leisure reading. If the individual is an author, he can become efficient in his skills because of reading other publications. On the other hand, as explained in the spillover theory of leisure, teachers can use their free time tutoring students and, as a result, improve their teaching skills.
Besides, since leisure and recreation activities offer individuals the liberty of choice, they often experience a sagacity of capability in a certain event. It impacts persons’ perception of themselves and permits them to elucidate their morals and found what is important to do in life. Hence, Paggi et al. (2016) advise individuals to always reflect on what they do over their leisure time. The activities typically enhance personal development, which brings in the concept of the self-development theory of leisure. The theory is grounded on Dumazedier’s tripartite theory of leisure, comprising of three critical functions of leisure and recreation. These functions include relaxation, personal development, and entertainment. The theory presumes that there is always a time when personal growth, not working for a living, will be a life’s significant motivator. From this perspective, relaxation is a requirement for leisure as people often need to overwhelm exhaustion from their daily tasks.
According to World Health Organization, physical activities were undertaken during leisure time regularly progress an individual’s mood and eliminate viewpoints of concern and misery (Ayhan et al. 2018). Leisure and recreation might make an individual feel better off since they have been revealed to rally their disposition and reduce spirits of grief, concern, and pressure. It always gives differences in the sections of the brain that control anxiety and nervousness. The recreational activities can also increase brain pensiveness for the serotonin and norepinephrine hormones, which discharge stances of grief. Besides, exercise recovers the confidence and self-esteem of an individual. The activities can upsurge self-confidence and increase positive self-respect. Regardless of mass, size, or gender, the activities can rapidly increase an individual’s understanding into their attractiveness.
Both leisure and recreation have an impact on the economy. During this free time, most people are involved in different activities such as tourism and visiting enjoyment parks and restaurants. According to Braaksma et al. (2020), this often helps build the economy through the charges and costs acquired since more dealings denote more incomes to the government and, thus, growth in economy. For instance, in the United Kingdom, studies show that leisure and recreation are fast-growing industries. Besides, when leisure groups meet and start investments teams, it increases both the individual and the national economy. Furthermore, both leisure and recreation activities impact the culture in the logic that they offer a stage for cultural connections and learning. For instance, while visiting different places and meeting with people from different backgrounds, individuals often learn a lot from the host communities and exchange their cultures. Some people have even remained in their tourist destinations and accepted the local cultures, as explained by Paggi et al. (2016).
Finally, Kim & Han (2018) claim that both recreation and leisure time affords people to catch up and take part in the political sphere of life. Usually, this often takes place through group gatherings where members seek to inform others or get information from others about their views. Usually, it is similarly ordinary for most governments to announce public holidays on days people are supposed to cast their votes. This is often seen as leisure time that often enables individuals to undertake the general duty of choosing their public official. Therefore, it is evident that leisure and recreational activities significantly influence political movements since, in their free time, the individuals share views and outlooks on their leaders. When the elections are done, the individuals often have a clear idea and understanding of the appropriate leader to elect.
Conclusion
Conclusively, leisure and recreation are two distinct aspects that share various similarities and differences. Comparable to culture and art, the paper clearly shows that leisure and recreation have significant roles they play within societies globally. As leisure is the free time an individual has from work and utilizes the time in acts like reading, watching, or playing video games, among other activities, recreation is the activities individuals involve in during their leisure time, particularly for fun. The paper provides various ways in which leisure and recreation are distinctive. For instance, unlike leisure, recreation typically involves different activities that recharge and freshen up during the free time. Unlike leisure, where individuals use their free time either sleeping, reading, or watching, recreation affords social benefits since it often enables the individual to encounter like-minded friends and build a healthy relationship. However, there are several other ways in which both concepts overlap: both impact the economy and political moves and influence people’s perception of themselves.
References
Ayhan, C., Ekinci, N. E., Yalçın, I., & Yiğit, Ş. (2018). Investigation of constraints that occur during participation in leisure activities by high school students: A sample of Turkey. Education Sciences, 8(2), 86. https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/201805.0069/v3
Braaksma, P., Stuive, I., Eibrink, J. W., Snoeren, L., Postuma, E. M., Dekker, R., … & Schoemaker, M. M. (2020). Participation in recreational and leisure activities of 4-12-year-old children with developmental coordination disorder: A systematic review. Moving matters for children with developmental coordination disorder, 155. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0031512520931639
Kim, M., & Han, A. (2018). Exploring the relationship between types of leisure activities and life satisfaction, health perception, and social support among Korean individuals with physical disabilities. American Journal of Health Behavior, 42(4), 34-44. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29973309/
Paggi, M. E., Jopp, D., & Hertzog, C. (2016). The Importance of Leisure Activities in the Relationship between Physical Health and Well-Being in a Life Span Sample. Gerontology, 62(4), 450–458. https://doi.org/10.1159/000444415 (https://www.karger.com/Article/Pdf/444415)
Yıldırım Şimşek, K., & Çevik, H. (2020). Development of the Leisure Activity Participation Scale (LAPS). Society and Leisure, 43(1), 98–115. https://doi.org/10.1080/07053436.2020.1727661
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