THE IMPORTANCE OF

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Chapter 6

• THE IMPORTANCE OF
• LEISURE

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The Role of Leisure in Later Life

• What is Leisure?
• Generally falls into 3 categories
• TIME
• ACTIVITY
• STATE OF MIND
• When asked to define leisure, responses from a
  group of older individuals included that which
  occupies time not used to gain necessities time
  when you can do what you want without thoughts of
  duties or obligations, time available when there
  is no required activity, time to relax and play,
  time to do things you WANT to do as opposed to
  those that you MUST do.

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• Typical definitions of leisure might include
• Doing something you like to do in your spare
  time.
• An enjoyable activity that serves a purpose
  relaxed reading relaxation.
• Doing what you desire
• Meditation
• Reading
• Things you choose to do for a change from work or
  school.

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The Role of Leisure

• There is evidence that leisure provides a
  multitude of benefits to older participants. The
  underlying perspective of much of the research on
  leisure and aging has been the link between
  activity involvement and successful aging.
  Issues such as life satisfaction, interpersonal
  processes, social interaction, and health are
  included in the search for optimum aging.

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Components of a balanced fitness program for
older persons

• 1. Endurance activities increase breathing and
  heart rate and therefore improve the health of
  lungs, heart, and circulatory system. The result
  is health as well as improved stamina to do
  activities of daily life such as shopping and
  climbing stairs. In addition, endurance exercise
  may e linked to delay or prevention of cancer,
  heart disease, stroke and diabetes. These types
  of activities include walking, jogging, swimming,
  bike riding, raking leaves and mowing the lawn.

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• 2. Strength activities not only build muscles,
  but also increase metabolism and may prevent
  osteoporosis. Working with weights, machines or
  resistance bands are useful in developing
  strength.

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• 3. Flexibility activities keep the body limber.
  They help prevent falling and injuries.
  Stretching exercises are recommended in building
  flexibility.
• 4. Balance activities effective in preventing
  falls, a major problem among older people.
• 5. Teague (1987) adds one component exercise for
  weight control.

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Benefits of Physical Activity for an active
lifestyle

• Reduced resting heart rate
• Lower blood pressure levels
• Reduced blood glucose levels
• Decreased fat body mass and increased lean body
  mass, lowering risk of obesity
• Helps prevent osteoporosis and is rehabilitative
  for individuals determined to be osteoporotic
• Increased muscular strength and improved
  structure and function of connective tissues
  thereby preventing chronic back pain.

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• Potential prevention of various types of
  arthritis and benefit for individuals with
  osteoarthritis
• Reduced depression and anxiety neuroses through
  improved social skills and self-image
• Increased life expectancy
• Reduced risk of some cancers
• Improved quality of sleep
• Improved cognitive functioning
• Decreased risk of bone fractures
• Lower risk of falls and injuries

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• Clearly, exercise is a wonderful tool for
  Ulyssean living. It will result in increased
  health and well being that is vital for a
  development approach to later life.

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The Elements of Activity Flow

• The merging of action and awareness as the
  participant becomes part of the activity. The
  individual becomes lost in the activity and is
  not separated from it.
• The sense of complete involvement in the activity
  requires a balance between the demands of the
  activity and the skill of the participant. If an
  activitys challenges are too great for the
  skills of the participant, a state of anxiety
  will result. When, however, the skills of the
  participant exceed the demands of the activity,
  boredom is the inevitable outcome.

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• The activity should provide a clear goal for the
  participant. The goal, whether it is to complete
  the marathon or finish painting the deck,
  provides an opportunity for feedback and sustains
  interest in the activity.
• Attention must be focused on the activity to the
  elimination of all else including worry and
  unwanted thoughts. If you have ever been
  intensely involved in an activity that time seems
  to stand still, and you find it hard to believe
  you have been doing it as long as the clock
  indicates, then you have experienced this level
  of intense involvement.

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How do leisure service providers accomplish the
flow?

• Provide participants with opportunities for
  making choices and exerting control over their
  own leisure.
• Provide a range of activities. Offering
  activities only at novice levels will result in
  boredom. Activities viewed as overly challenging
  will result in anxiety. Opportunities for
  activity progression must be made available so
  increasing skill levels can be accommodated.

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• Do not underestimate the abilities of older
  individuals. Myths and stereotypes should not
  guide program decisions.
• Provide opportunities to discuss leisure and its
  importance. Help individuals identify how
  leisure can be used to challenge, not merely to
  pacify.
• Offer opportunities for reflection, intellectual
  play and exploration.

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Social-Psychological Benefits of Leisure

• Self expressionresulting from the use of
  individual talents and recognition of those
  talents
• Companionshipresulting from supportive
  interaction with others
• Powerresulting from being in control and at the
  center of social situations
• Compensationresulting from experiencing
  something new and unusual

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• Securityresulting from the ability to experience
  a long-term involvement free from change and
  resulting in some form of recognition
• Serviceresulting from providing help to others
• Intellectual aestheticismresulting from
  intellectual and aesthetic experiences
• Solituderesulting from the opportunity to be by
  one- self

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Social Benefits of Leisure

• 1. Bonding establishment of ties results in
  loyalty to a group or associations well as
  encouraging the performance of roles necessary
  for the continuation of the group.
• 2. Solidarity emotional commitment to a larger
  social role results in enhancing individuals
  role performance.
• 3. Social Integration the linking of elements of
  society together, results in the efficient
  operation of the group.

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Work, Leisure, Retirement

• Retirement issues that have an effect on an older
  persons leisure activities
• Assistance in financial management may be
  necessary
• What activities are important and available to
  the retiree? The required skills, abilities,
  interests, and resources need to be in place in
  order to participate in the activities.
• Living arrangements
• Accommodations for role changes widows
• Health changes to be expected.
• Have legal matters, such as wills. Programs to
  assist in the legal area may be needed.

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Stages of the Leisure Competency Model (Tedrick,
1982)

• 1. Clarification of attitudes toward leisure
• 2. Learning new leisure skills and activities
• 3. Gathering information about leisure
  opportunities in the community

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Sources of Activity Information

• Friends AARP
• Radio Station Television
• Newspapers Board of Ed.
• Libraries Rec. Dept.
• Churches Adult Ed. Program
• Extension Service Craft Groups
• YMCA/YWCA Yellow Pages
• Travel Clubs Chamber of Comm
• Travel Agencies Bookstores
• Health Clubs Museums

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The Leisure ParticipantsBill of Rights

• The right to do nothing
• The right to procrastinate
• The right to be uncertain
• The right to be alone
• The right to be playful
• The right for self-expression
• The right to be childlike

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Conclusion

• Some individuals will choose leisure as a central
  life interest and use it to meet their social and
  psychological needs. Others may not share the
  same degree of commitment to leisure, but it will
  still have a major impact on their lives and on
  their communities. Successful aging incorporates
  meaningful activity, and it is a misperception to
  view older adults as sitting around with nothing
  to do. Most older adults are active and find
  personal affirmation through their participation
  in leisure activities.