Recreational Therapy
Recreational therapy uses games, movement, art, time in nature, and other positive activities to relieve mental suffering and aid the recovery process.
A lot of authors have written books that talk about the healing quality and importance of nature. So many fictional characters head to the seaside for fresh air. There seems to be a certain healing that can be found in walking, exercising, or just existing outside for a little bit.
The truth is, these authors were on to something. Evidence has proven that nature offers mental health benefits. This has been utilized by therapists to create helpful healing programs called recreational therapy.
In this complete guide we’ll talk about:
- What recreational therapy is
- Examples of recreational therapy
- Benefits of recreational therapy
- How to get involved in recreational therapy
What Is Recreational Therapy?
Recreational therapy is the process that utilizes recreation and different outdoor activities as a way to address mental illness or other disabilities. This can be achieved in several ways, but some of the most common forms of recreational therapy are hiking and yoga.
These acts of recreation help bring people to a greater sense of mindfulness and can decrease the distressing symptoms of mental health illnesses.
History of Recreational Therapy
Therapy through recreation is something that has been practiced for a long time. In ancient Greece, healing temples were offered to give people a relaxing atmosphere where they could exercise, bathe, and receive entertainment. These temples were used to help people with mental ailments.
In more recent history, figures like Florence Nightingale, advocated the use of recreation to help wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. Nightingale recognized the importance of enjoyment of life and medical practice to create a program that helped the body and the mind.
Types of Recreational Therapy
An interesting aspect of recreational therapy is how broad this therapy can be. There is a wide range of activities that can be considered therapeutic. Recreational therapy can be a lot of things, but it should be conducted by a professional therapist.
Because there are so many options for recreational therapy activities, it’s a wonderful practice for anyone of any ability.
Walking & Hiking
Hiking or going for walks is a beneficial activity that has many benefits. Those being, physical and mental wellness. To get the most out of hiking and walking, you should remove distractions. Use the time of hiking to really perceive your surroundings and your thoughts.
While in nature, or wherever you walk, think about the sensations of walking, the scents, and your thoughts.
Cycling
A common thread of recreational therapy is the mindfulness the activity creates. The benefits of cycling are similar. While going on a bike ride, people are forced to only think about the activity of cycling—like knowing what’s on the ground that may affect your ride, or what gear is most appropriate. This helps clear the mind and create a higher state of mindfulness.
This activity has been considered therapeutic for a long time. The author Conan Doyle is credited with the quote,
“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.”
Yoga & Tai Chi
Mindfulness exercises are one way to improve mental wellness. It’s known from studies that daily mindfulness activities improve attention span and productivity. It can also be a preventative measure against negative emotions.
Yoga and Tai Chi are both exercises that involve mindful movement. The slow movement and stretches of yoga and tai chi helps relax the mind and engage the body.
Related Articles: Mindfulness Movement Exercises, Mindfulness Breathing Exercises
Rock Climbing
Climbing is becoming a more recognized form of recreational therapy. The mental benefits of climbing are already well documented by those who are in the climbing community.
Climbing requires mindfulness. You need to be focused on what is happening, where your body is, and where you’re going. This exercise in mindfulness ripples throughout all of life and can benefit those with depression and other mental health issues.
The biggest downside of climbing is the physical intensity of the activity. It does require a certain kind of training and can be dangerous if not conducted with a trained professional.
Creativity
There’s another category of recreation that revolves around creative endeavors. These activities help broaden perspective, and can help people understand their own thoughts, feelings, and emotions. The kinds of creative therapy often used is:
- Painting
- Crafts
- Cooking
- Music
These creative exercises work alongside movement focused therapy in that it helps increase mindfulness. Creativity is also an exploratory process to help explore thoughts and feelings.
Sport
Recreational therapy doesn’t have to be methodical or focused on mindfulness. Sometimes it’s just nice to kick a ball. There are mental health benefits to being on a team and working together to beat the opposing team.
Sports are considered a form of recreation and are often used in recreational therapy. One of the most common sports used in this way is pickleball. It’s easy to pick up and helps improve team building and social connections.
Benefits of Recreational Therapy
There’s a good reason we take P.E. and creative classes while in school—it’s healthy to play! Could you imagine trying to focus on algebra, history, or science for eight hours without time to get your adolescent energy out?
Those movements and creative exercises helped prep your brain and body for sitting through lectures. These benefits don’t stop once you graduate. Exercise and creative activities benefit even adults.
Boosts Cognitive Function
Brain fog is a common issue that can be traced to mental health issues like depression. However, it’s also common for brain fog to arise while being bored at work, dealing with sickness, or just experiencing common malaise.
Recreational therapy is a natural way to address brain fog and boost cognitive function. Physical movement pumps blood throughout your body. This doesn’t have to be an intensive exercise. Even going for a walk outside for 15 minutes a day can improve your brain function.
Engaging with activities like board games, sudoku, or memory games will also keep you mentally sharp and help your recall and ability to remember and stay engaged.
Building Healthy Community
Humans thrive within social bonds. A support group gives us support, relief, and general enjoyment of life—there’s nothing quite like sharing a meal with good friends. The hard part is finding and building a healthy community.
Recreational therapy is conducted within a group setting. While you engage in recreational therapy you’ll meet new people and create a community within a positive space. You don’t have to hang out with fellow patients outside of therapy time, but you will feel a greater sense of community.
Replace Negative Habits
Negative or destructive behaviors like substance abuse, indulging in inactivity, and isolation are each addressed and challenged in recreational therapy.
Recreational activities help replace negative habits with healthy recreational activities.
Related Articles: Habits Vs Addiction
Can Improve Physical Health
Spending time outside to walk, cycle, climb, and engage in thoughtful movement will benefit your physical health. For example, yoga reduces inflammation, improves posture, builds strength, and improves flexibility. However, this form of therapy isn’t an intensive exercise plan to increase strength or achieve a certain body type.
While these additional benefits are helpful, recreational therapy's prominent benefit is its mental health benefits.
Improves Mental Health Symptoms
For people experiencing anxiety, depression, and distressing symptoms of other mental health conditions, recreational therapy can help alleviate symptoms. There is evidence that movement and creative practices improves self-esteem while also creating a sense of calm.
How to Begin Recreational Therapy
Going on a walk everyday will help you. However, attending recreational therapy with a group of peers and a trained therapist will help you achieve all the benefits.
Finding a recreational therapy group near you isn’t the easiest thing. Typically, recreational therapy is a part of a larger treatment plan. Therefore, if you want to get involved in a group, consider attending mental health treatment or therapy.
Receive Holistic Treatment At Sequoia Behavioral Health
At Sequoia Behavioral Health, we take a holistic approach to mental health treatment. That means we address issues of the whole body. We employ scientifically proven techniques to offer our patients a treatment plan that’s made just for them.
Our treatment plans include medication management, talk therapies, experiential therapies, as well as recreational therapy. Reach out today to begin the enrollment process and begin healing.