Recreation and Leisure Today

Recreation and leisure refers to activities that people do outside of work for pleasure. That means they are fun activities done for enjoyment. With a growing focus on health and wellness, more people are getting outside and becoming active. In a 2019 report by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), they identified five demographic changes for the recreation industry:

Increasing older population
Growing diversity
Declining youth participation in outdoor activities
Declining involvement in recreational activities for low-income people
Increasing knowledge of the health benefits for increased physical activity(Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, 2019)

OPRD’s survey results indicated that 95% of Oregon residents had participated in at least one outdoor activity in 2016 (Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, 2019). The largest demographic to participate in outdoor activities was families with children, whereas the lowest was those between 75-84 and low income (<$25,000/year). The research also indicated that the energy expended for those activities in 2016 would be equal to 144 million pounds of body fat, which, they mentioned, would fill 30 Olympic swimming pools and save approximately $1.416 billion in illness costs for the year (Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, 2019).

Top 10 activities for Oregonians in 2017

Top 10 activities for Oregonians in 2017.JPG
Source: Oregon Parks and Recreation (Oregon Parks and
Recreation Department, 2019)

Recreation and leisure activities include (in alphabetical order):

Attending Concerts, festivals, and fairs
Backpacking and camping
Beach-combing and other beach activities
Bicycling
Biking or skateboarding
Driving/motorcycling for pleasure
Fishing and hunting
Hiking and walking on trails and paths
Jogging and running
Participating in fitness activities (i.e., aerobics, dance, yoga, etc.)
Participating in sporting events
Participating in water activities
Picnicking
Riding horseback
Sightseeing
Skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing
Snowmobiling or riding ATV/UTVs
Visiting amusement parks, museums, or exhibitions
Visiting historical sites
Walking on sidewalks and streets

It may come as no surprise that the venues where most recreation and leisure activities are conducted is within local, county, state, and national parks, forests, and recreation areas. People who incorporate outdoor recreational activities into their lives will likely see physical benefits such as lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, and lower body fat. Additionally, physical activity can help reduce stress and improve sleep. The Mayo Clinic lists the following health problems that can be prevented or managed with physical activity:

“Stroke
“Metabolic syndrome
“High blood pressure
“Type 2 diabetes
“Depression
“Anxiety
“Many types of cancer
“Arthritis
“Falls” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2019)

In a 2019 report on the state of the recreation industry, Recreation Management found that there was a trend towards organizations serving all ages (44.7%) with the second largest group being young children (18.8%) (Tipping, 2019). By serving people of all ages, it allows the organization to have multiple revenue streams rather than relying on one source of revenue.

Recreation Management - Ages Served.JPG
Source: Recreation Management (Tipping, 2019)

Another interesting finding in the Recreation Management report is about the changes, or initiatives that the organizations were pursuing. Wellness initiatives were at the top of the list with over 50%. Their findings are summarized below.

Initiative	Percentage
Wellness	56.6%
Inclusive activities for those with physical disabilities	45%
Outreach to those who are economically disadvantaged	42.1%
Outreach the under-served populations	41.4%
Inclusive activities for those with developmental disabilities	40.9%
Outreach to those in minority populations	36.2%
Green and conservation measures	32.8%
Connect people with nature	32%
Reduce hunger or improve nutrition	18.7%
Disaster recovery efforts	13.2%

Source: Recreation Management (Tipping, 2019)

Looking to the Future

Based on the national initiatives mentioned previously, a focus on wellness and health will continue, especially as the older generations live longer. With so many Baby Boomers retiring, they will have more time (and money) for leisure activities. There are, however, some global issues that are impacting recreation and leisure activities in the United States. The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) identified the dominant top trends they saw in 2019.

Waste Disposal and Recycling

For over 40 years, the recreational agencies have been recycling; however, with fewer countries willing to take trash and recycle materials, U.S. organizations are challenged with how to properly dispose of their waste. For example, in New York City, it costs $18 more per ton to recycle materials than it costs to dump them into a landfill (Dolesh, 2019). This leaves organizations with the dilemma about whether to abandon the green approach or to pay more to be environmentally friendly.

Drug Use in Public Spaces

For the third year, opioid use has make the NRPA’s top trends list. According to NRPA’s newsletter, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported opioid use increased again in 2017, and it was the highest cause of death for adults aged 50 and under (70,000 deaths that year) (Dolesh, 2019). Employees must be trained on how to deal with deaths and overdoses (naloxone hydrochloride injections) as well has how to keep the grounds safe for children. That means they must be vigilant at all times looking for needles and drug paraphernalia. Gone are the days of assumed safety in the public outdoors (Dolesh, 2019).

Technology Advancements

Because of the availability and low cost for modern technology, more people have smart phones and gadgets, such as drones. Companies often use geofences to identify people and market items to them, but geofences may also be used to monitor usage of outdoor recreation areas which would provide information about numbers of visitors, most popular days, and frequency of times during the day.

Many people do not like drones and find them disruptive, but drones can help in parks by improving safety and security. NRPA stated that some companies are using drones to pollinate crops, and there could be similar use in large outdoor areas (Dolesh, 2019).

Future Recreation and Leisure in Oregon

In Oregon, survey respondents saw different priorities than in the NRPA’s report. The main priorities, both inside and outside their local communities were cleaner bathrooms and improving paths and walking trails (Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, 2019). In the charts below, the first one lists the priorities for inside respondents’ local communities, and the second lists priorities outside their local communities. Many items are the same; however, they are prioritized differently.

Oregon Recreational Priorities Inside Communities

Oregon recreation priorities inside communities.JPG
Source: Oregon Parks and Recreation (Oregon Parks and
Recreation Department, 2019)

Oregon Recreational Priorities Outside Communities

Oregon recreation priorities outside communities.JPG
Source: Oregon Parks and Recreation (Oregon Parks and
Recreation Department, 2019)

In 2016, Oregon developed a statewide trail plan that included both non-motorized and motorized (snowmobile, ATV, and water) plans. Those plans will continue forward to expand and maintain trails. The Oregon Outdoor Recreation Initiative (OORI) was a collaborative effort of businesses, agencies, land managers, conservation-minded organizations, and recreation groups to expand access to outdoor recreation and increase the economic impact to local communities (Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, 2019).

OORI’s plan has progressed, and the plan continues to move forward. In 2018, OORI became the Oregon Outdoor Recreation Network, and it remains a collaborative effort to expand access to Oregon’s outdoors. To learn more, watch the video below.

Source: Travel Oregon (Travel Oregon, 2018)

For More Information

National Recreation and Park Association
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s 2019 Recreation Reports
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
Oregon Statewide Recreation Trails Plan

References

Dolesh, R. J. (2019, January 7). Top Trends in Parks and Recreation for 2019. Retrieved from National Recreation and Park Association: https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2019/january/top-trends-in-parks-and-recreation-for-2019/

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2019, May 11). Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. (2019, April). 2019-2023 Oregon Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan. Retrieved from Oregon Parks and Recreation Departmnet: https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/PLANS/docs/scorp/2019-2023SCORP/2019-2023FinalOregonSCORP.pdf

Tipping, E. (2019). 2019 State of the Managed Recreation Industry. Palatine, IL: Recreation Management.

Travel Oregon. (2018, June 11). Oregon Outdoor Recreation Initiative. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfkUEd7VMfQ

Source: Velda Arnaud, Blue Mountain Community College, Pendleton, Oregon