Republic of the Philippines

UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES

University Town, Northern Samar
Web: uep.edu.ph email: uepnsofficial@gmail.com

UEP SENIOR HIGH LABORATORY SCHOOL

2ND Semester SY 2023-2024

MODULE
IN
PHYSICAL EDUCATION &
HEALTH
Week 1 - Lesson 1
STEM-12b

Prepared by:
JOVELL J. LABENIA, LPT
Subject teacher
LESSON 1: NATURE AND BACKGROUND OF OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Learning Competencies:
At the end of the chapter, you as the learner should be able to:
a. Discusses the nature of different recreational activities
b. Explains how to optimize the energy systems for safe and improved performance
c. Explains relationship of health behaviors (eating habits, sleep and stress management) to health risks
factors and physical activity assessment performance

➢ Overview
Holidays, long weekends, school breaks, and summer vacations are the most awaited days for people who have
been very busy with work and school. These are the days they can take a break from the routine or perhaps from
the "stress" of life, as often said and heard. In recent years, if one observes the social media, more and more
Filipinos head to the countryside and enjoy what nature Offers. Ecotourism activities in the Philippines have been
gaining popularity as well. From north to south, our country can never run out of natural scenery to visit and
outdoor activities to participate in—be it in water, on land, or in the air. One can go trekking to Mt. Pulag,
whitewater rafting at Chico River, surfing at Siargao, or birdwatching at Candaba Marsh. All of these are what we
call outdoor recreation. In the next chapters, one will get to know and understand various outdoor recreational
activities that we can do in the different parts of our country. One will also get to know and appreciate the different
outdoor recreational spots that our country offers.

EXPLORE

Did you know that Cloud Nine in Siargao, a teardrop

- shaped island in Surigao Del Norte,
is home to theth9Best Surf Spot in the world, according to a list released by the travel
website of the Cable News Network (CNN) .

What is outdoor recreation?

Consider the following activities: birdwatching, caving or spelunking, camping, and snorkeling. When and why
do people engage in the mentioned activities? What is a common them? Answering these questions will lead to
answering what outdoor recreation all about is. Were your answers the same or close to the following?

✓ Done during vacation or school break

✓ They want to have fun
✓ Done outdoors with nature
 Let us break down the ideas to have a common understanding of the terms. When we hear “free time,"
what does it mean to you as a student? "No classes" easily come to mind and consequently will be able to use
the "free time" to do things which you want to do but have been unable to do so because of the "lack of time,"
such as continuing a project or undone homework, or perhaps, going out with friends to watch a movie. A day can
be divided into three parts according to Clayne R. Jensen (2006): the existence time, subsistence time, and free
time. Existence time is time spent for biological needs like having a meal, sleeping, and other personal care.
Subsistence time refers to the hours spent for economic purposes such as going to work, chores, and for
Students, hours spent in school, and schoolwork. Free time, therefore, is all the remaining time after. How one
decides to spend free time varies from person to person. Perhaps, to those who have been very busy with
workload or schoolwork, this is the best time to do recreational activities, to relax, and to rejuvenate.

Recreation is derived from the Latin word recreare which means to be refreshed. Choices for recreation
vary from person to person. What makes one happy may not be so for others. Therefore, recreational activities
depend on one's interests, pursuits, and needs which may be reflective of one's beliefs and level of gratification.
For example, a natural park may serve as a bonding place for a family to have a picnic, a great fitness area for a
jogger, and a place to commune with nature or meditate for others.

People engage in outdoor recreational activities for varied reasons. Some do it for personal satisfaction and
enjoyment. Perhaps, it is a time away from the day-to-day routine. Others do it to be in touch with nature which
they rarely have the chance to do, especially for those who reside in highly urbanized areas. Many do it for
personal pursuit such as photography, collecting seashells, reaching the top of Mt. APO, conquering the rapids of
Cagayan River, or attaining a certain fitness level. Some individuals or groups do it as part of outdoor or
environmental education, such as birdwatching, plant naming, etc. Whatever reason there may be, people
engage in outdoor recreational activity for their own sake and pleasure, voluntarily, and of their own choice.

In this lesson, different outdoor recreational activities will be presented and discussed with the aim of
encouraging you to start living a more active lifestyle that will contribute to your overall wellness.

BENEFITS OF OUTDOOR RECREATION

What are the different outdoor recreational activities?

The Philippines is rich in natural resources. Despite being in a relatively small country, Philippines is
surrounded by all kinds of land formations and natural water resources. In fact, it has been listed in The World
Factbook (Maps of World, n.d.) as having the fifth longest coastline in the world. Its natural environment has so
much to offer, whether on land, on water, or even in the air. It hosts varied outdoor recreational activities, some of
which are the following:
 LAND WATER AIR
Mountaineering Swimming Parasailing
Trekking/ Hiking Snorkeling Skydiving
Camping Diving Paragliding
Backpacking Surfing
Picnic Canoeing
Birdwatching Kayaking
Mountain Biking Whitewater Rafting
Orienteering Sailing
Canyoneering Fishing
Rock Climbing Bamboo Rafting

What are the benefits of outdoor recreation?

Fun and pleasure are perhaps the immediate answers of the majority who have experienced outdoor
activities. However, there is more to it than just the fun. Studies have shown that being close to natural
environment is healthy. Aside from the fresh air and the amazing sight of nature, the outdoors has positive effects
on the general wellness of an individual most especially if it is done with regularity. Wellness encompasses the
general state of a person (physical, social, psychoemotional, and spiritual) and in the end contributes to a better
quality of life.

PHYSICAL HEALTH BENEFITS

Being outdoors prevents a person from having a sedentary life. It allows people to move, whether by
walking, running, swimming, biking, paddling, etc. With the surge of electronic gadgets, more and more people
(children and adults alike) are unconsciously getting stuck with a sedentary life, contented with playing with their
computer games, tablets, or cellphones, or watching television for hours. Green space is now called "screen
space," Unknowingly, a great part of their day was spent sitting or lying down with gadgets in their hands. The
outdoors is a great distraction from these gadgets. It helps people to be on the move. It gets their hearts pumping
and their bigger muscles at work. Such movements expend energy, promote cardiovascular and muscular fitness,
and improve the function of the immune system. In fact, the physical activities done in outdoor recreation may
range from average to vigorous levels of intensity (refer to Figure 7. I). Many people have documented the
benefits of staying active that include reduced obesity, reduced risk of disease, enhanced immune system, and
increased life expectancy. The following is a guideline taken from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM):
 Moderate activity 3.0 to 6.0 (3.5 to 7 kcal/min) Vigorous activity Greater than 9.0 METs*
(more than 7 kcal/min)
• Walking at a brisk pace of 3—4.5 mph • Walking — 5 mph or faster
• Hiking • Jogging or running
• Biking with level terrain or few hills • Climbing briskly up a hill
(5—9 mph) • Backpacking
• Recreational swimming • Mountain climbing
• Snorkeling • Rock climbing
• Aquatic aerobics • Rappelling
• Mountain biking
• Water skiing
• Canoeing (at less than 4 mph)
• Surfing (board and body)
• Sailing
• Kayaking on lakes or calm water
• Fishing while walking along the riverbank
• Horseback riding

PSYCHO- EMOTIONAL BENEFITS

Engaging in outdoor recreational activities helps people to rest, relax, de-stress or unwind, and feel revitalized. In
fact, some research showed that too much artificial stimulation and time spent in purely human environments can
cause exhaustion and loss of vitality and health (Katcher & Baeck, 1987; Stilgoe, 2001).
Nature has its own way of positively distracting a stressed mind and calming it down, As Kuo and Sullivan
(2001) explained it, natural setting and stimuli such as landscape and animals seem to effortlessly engage our
attention, allowing us to attend without paying attention." This alone helps reduce stress and prevents some
cases of depression and anxiety.
Being outdoors also improves our self-esteem, confidence, and creativity. There is a sense of "feeling
good" whenever one achieves the goal in a particular activity such as reaching the peak mountain or learning a
skill of paddling in canoeing.
Lastly, outdoor recreational activities contribute to one's personal and spiritual growth. It allows an individual
to discover his/her inner spirit and sense of self, creating new behaviors and identity. A person identifies with the
activities that he/she does such that he/she becomes "biker," "diver," and "mountaineer. “Then, that individual
identifies more with who he/she is at work. In the end, engaging in these activities contributes to satisfaction in life
and makes life happier.

SOCIAL BENEFITS

Outdoor activities are ways for families to become closer. They can be a "family-bonding activity" as each
family member participates in an activity, achieves a common goal, and goes through the same experience.
 Spending time outdoors also allows one to meet and interact with others who share the same passion for
outdoor recreation. Participating in a team will help form lasting friendship and develop a community.

Outdoor recreation also promotes stewardship. Activities done outdoors in the natural setting help in
making people realize the great things that nature provides mankind. Increased knowledge and appreciation help
them understand how personal actions can strongly affect the environment. Thus, people's feelings and
connection with nature are the greatest motivation for them to care for the natural environment and advocate for
its preservation.

ECONOMIC BENEFITS

People who have a relaxed body and mind tend to be more productive at work. This translates into
efficiency at the workplace.
"It's more fun in the Philippines!" as the Department of Tourism slogan goes. Indeed, it is more fun as well
for everyone involved in ecotourism activities in the Philippines. It has been rewarding for the local folks as
ecotourism in the country created jobs and other economic activities which have, one way or another, contributed
to our economic growth.

SPIRITUAL BENEFITS

Positive outdoor experiences can stir up spiritual values. Being one with nature brings certain calmness
within a person. It strengthens an individual as it heals, rejuvenates, and soothes the body and soul.

FIRM UP

Does one need to be athletic to be able to participate in outdoor activities?

Outdoor recreation involves a lot of physical activity, but it does not require one to have athletic level of
skills to be able to participate. However, one needs to be physically fit to be able to carry out the activity. For
instance, birdwatching requires walking to be able to go to the birds' natural habitat and watch the birds.
Physical fitness tests are not new to students. It is usually done in lower grades or at the start of the school
year in a PE class. Maybe, some can remember having the 3-minute step test, squats, sit and reach test, and
were asked to compute their body mass index (BMI). All of these tests were to determine one's health and fitness
level which includes learning about cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and
body composition. If the last test one has taken was a long time ago, take it again. If one has the result of his/her
last fitness test, compare the result and see if one progressed or even regressed through time. Do not just take
this aside as a requirement but rather look at it as data that tells a person about his/her lifestyle. For example, a
male student with a good cardiovascular endurance can finish one mile in under 1 1 minutes.
Reflect back on the activities for the past weeks or months and lifestyle as a student. Were you able to
carry out your day-to-day tasks as a student with alertness and vigor without undue fatigue?
If not, then perhaps you need to rethink. Have you been spending too much time with your gadgets? Has your body
been getting enough rest and sleep? What about your nutrition and eating habits, have you been dependent on fast
food, chips, and sodas? Are you eating on time? Have you been heavily stressed with schoolwork?
Some students love to cram schoolwork’s leaving them with lesser hours of sleep. However, one must
remember that sleep has the essential purpose to rest the body and mind for one to be able to function well the
next day. Moreover, the lack of sleep also affects eating behavior as the hormonal system controlling the appetite
is also affected, making a sleep- deprived person feel hungrier than usual. According to the National Sleep
Foundation (2015), a recommended number of sleeping hours for young adults (18—25 years old) is 7—9 hours
of sleep. However, 6 hours or 10—1 1 hours are just appropriate as well, but lesser than 6 hours or over 1 1
hours are not appropriate for one to carry out a task the next day. Moreover, sticking to a regular sleeping
schedule, whether during weekdays or weekends, helps establish a good sleeping habit.
Aside from sleep, the food that the body takes in is equally vital for a person to be fit. You have already
learned in the previous grades what a balanced diet is all about. However, good eating does not just end on the
plate. It also includes the correct eating habit, behavior, or pattern that one has established. Have an honest
assessment of how you have been eating with the following considerations:

✓ TIME: When do you eat? Is it done at a certain time of the day? Do you skip meals?
Perhaps do you "eat mindlessly," meaning, you eat even if you are not hungry?

✓ AMOUNT and KIND of FOOD: Are you conscious of the amount of food that you eat? Do you follow a
balanced diet? Do you lose control when your favorite food is served on the table? Do you crave for
carbohydrates or sweets at certain times of the day?
✓ PLACE: Where do you eat your meals? Do you eat on the dining table with family or friends? Do you
have a preferred place such as your study area, computer table, or the family room or sala?
✓ FEELINGS or EMOTIONS: Do you associate eating with certain moods or feelings such as eating
when bored, sad, depressed, angry, or happy?
✓ ACTIVITIES: Do you associate eating while doing something else such as watching television, reading
a book or newspaper, OF using the computer? Do you feel the need to eat in order to enjoy watching a
movie or sports event?

The right amount and kind of food certainly will fuel the mind and body to carry out the day to-day tasks.
However, eating pattern and behavior matter as well. This starts with having a regular
eating time throughout the day. In a study done by Laksa et al. (2014), it showed that among the young adults,
meal regularity such as routine breakfast and dinner had strong association with healthy dietary pattern. Eating
regularly helps prevent too much hunger, which often results in overeating the next meal. Eating in some places
other than the dining table allows you to do other things while eating. For instance, if one eats in front of the
television, then, most likely, the focus will be on the TV show and not on the meal, leaving the person unaware of
how much food was consumed. Studies made by Robinson et al. (2013) have shown that distracted eaters
actually consume 10% more calories while sitting than those who are not distracted. Further, they will also
consume 25% more calories on a later meal.
Some people also crave and, thus, do not eat for hunger but for pleasure. Fluctuation of blood sugar level
is one cause of food craving. Therefore, one way to avoid food craving is by controlling the blood sugar level
through avoiding or limiting the consumption of sugar and processed foods and by regular exercise. Food also
serves as a comfort to some who are going through emotional problems. The best way to break food craving and
emotional eating is to look for alternative activities one loves to do, such as talking with friends, making crafts, or
doing sports.

After the re-evaluation of your eating pattern, the quality of food your body has been getting, and the
number of hours of sleep you have been having, it is now time to think of ways to become more active and live a
healthier life. You may start engaging in outdoor recreational activity as this is a great way to de stress and feel
invigorated.

ACTIVITY
DEEPEN

What are the important things that should be remembered when participating in an
outdoor recreational activity?

It has been established earlier that outdoor recreation is an interaction between man and nature. The
interaction should come with care and respect. It is important that in using and enjoying what nature offers, an
equal responsibility in conserving and preserving it must be consciously employed by the people. This way,
everyone can continue to go back and have future generations experience the great things in nature that the
current generation has. The "Leave No Trace Seven principles" is a set of universal outdoor ethics that guides
one in the activities to do with nature. It also provides the framework for making decisions in outdoor recreation.
Taken from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics' official website (https://lnt.org/learn/7-principles
accessed June 1 5, 2015), the principles are as follows:

THE LEAVE NO TRACE SEVEN PRINCIPLES

Principle 1: Plan Ahead and Prepare
❖ Before going to a place, check if your planned activity is permitted. Make sure to know the rules, guidelines,
and safety procedures they have set. Some places require certain permits or clearances.
❖ Make sure you have the needed equipment for your activity and the skills needed to undertake the activity.
❖ Plan how to cope in case emergency arises.
❖ Check the weather forecast and be prepared for changing weather conditions ❖ Learn when areas are
most crowded and try to avoid those times.
❖ To minimize environmental impact and for safety reasons, keep group numbers small.
❖ Repack food to minimize waste.
❖ When trekking, maps and compass must be used to avoid markings or leaving of marks on rocks and the
like.

Principle 2: Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

❖ Walk, run, bike, or camp on durable surfaces like established tracks, rocks, gravel, and dry grasses.
 ❖ Avoid walking on soft surfaces like soft plants. You might be trampling on a young tree or pasture and this
will cause vegetation damage.
❖ Use existing trails or campsites, no need to build a new campsite that will alter the environment.
❖ To avoid erosion, walk in single file in the middle of the trail.
❖ Avoid places where impacts are just beginning to show.
❖ When camping, keep the campsite small and discreet.
❖ Camp at least 200 feet from lakes and rivers to protect the waters.

Principle 3: Dispose of Waste Properly

❖ "Pack it in, pack it out" means everything you brought should be brought back with you including left-over
food or fruit peel. Nothing should be left.
❖ When camping, cat holes are dug (6—8 inches deep) for human waste and covered just the same with soil
and weeds or leaves on top.
❖ Dishes should be washed 200 feet away from lakes or rivers and use biodegradable soap. Scatter strained
dishwater.

Principle 4: Leave What You Find

❖ Examine archeological structures, old walls, and other heritage artifacts but do not touch nor leave marks on
them.
❖ Leave nature as you found them. Do not take any plant, rock, plants, or marine animal with you.
❖ Avoid introducing non-native plants and animals.
❖ Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.

Principle 5: Minimize Campfire Impacts

❖ Use lightweight stove for cooking; campfires can cause lasting impacts.
❖ If fires are permitted, use fire rings or mound fires that are already set-up.
❖ Keep fires small and use only sticks from the ground than can be broken by hand.
❖ No burning of plastics or other substances that emit toxic fumes.
❖ Burn all wood to ash and make sure fires are completely out. Scatter the cool ash.

Principle 6: Respect Wildlife

❖ Observe wild animals from a distance and they should be avoided during sensitive times such as mating,
nesting, or raising the young.
❖ Do not feed wild animals or birds as it is not their natural food. The food might damage their health or alter
their natural behaviors and even expose them to predators.
❖ Protect wildlife and protect your food as well by storing and securing the trash well.
❖ In case you decide to bring your pets along, make sure it is allowed and you can control them. Otherwise,
do not bring them with you.

Principle 7: Be Considerate of Other Visitors

❖ Respect people who live and work in the countryside.

❖ Respect other visitors and let them have a momentous experience as well.
❖ Allow the sound of nature to prevail, not your noise or your radio.
❖ Be courteous; yield to others on a trail.
 ❖ Camp away from trails and other visitors.

ASSESSMENT
TRANSFER

LET’S DO THIS

Name: ________________________________________Grade: ______Module #:____ Date:______

Subject:_______________________________ Teacher:______________________________

Activity 1: Determining an Outdoor Recreational Activity

Football and soccer are activities done outdoors and on grass. Are they outdoor recreational activities?
Why or why not? Defend your answer.

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Activity 2: Choosing an Outdoor Recreational Activity

Given a chance, what outdoor activity would you like to try? Why? Where? Who do you like to be with?
Research, surf the internet and read blogs. Print a picture or cut out a picture then post it on your paper and
write something about it.
EXAMPLE:

What? Why? Where? With whom? What benefits can I get from it? Write your
PICTURE description here:

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Activity 3: Left a Trace

From your observation, whether firsthand or from other sources (news, documentary shows, narrated
by friends, etc.) which among the Leave No Trace Seven Principles is usually not being observed in the
Philippines? Explain your answer. You may cut and post a news article or a personal picture to back up your
explanation.

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