What is recreational therapy?
Recreational therapy is the process of utilizing leisure activities to help people with specific health conditions improve health-wise, emotionally as well as their skills and abilities. It includes leisurely exercises to help people with injuries and disabilities heal.
The health therapists will work with you by listening to your goals, plan and set the health goals for you to meet at the end of the sessions. This will depend on your interests and the resources available. Recreational therapies can be done in sports programs, public hospitals as inpatients or outpatients, schools and community centres.
Below are some of the activities which are conducted in recreational therapy centres
- Sport games
- Video games
- Dance and movement
- Creative writing
- Music
- Drama
- Music.
Conditions suited for recreational therapy.
Some of the conditionals that can demand recreational therapy are:
- Recovery from substance abuse.
- Isolation and depression.
- Being treated for cancer.
- Rehabilitation for injury, illness or surgery.
Benefits of recreational therapy in your health.
Recreational therapy will have a positive impact on your health either physically, psychologically, mentally or both. Below is some importance of recreational therapy.
- Increases self-esteem.
Research shows that recreational therapy conducted according to your interests will help you do what you like. Getting involved in what you like will help you build your self-confidence. This in turn will help you improve your self-esteem since you believe in yourself.
- Strengthen your social life.
Injuries, illness, depression and disabilities will limit you from interacting with people. This is because conditions like this do not need a lot of movement from your house. Here, recreational therapy will help you interact with people, some with the same conditions and many more. This can also make you feel involved in different activities.
- Improve your strength and physical appearance.
Recreational therapy will involve physical exercises like games, dances, and yoga. It also involves exercises in the Play playground equipment in recreational centres that ensure you get the recreation of your interest that will help you improve your health. Such exercises help you improve in strength, physical ability and flexibility.
- Improving symptoms of depression.
Engaging in recreational therapy will improve your mental strength and let you engage with people in society. Interaction and socializing with new friends can help you slowly heal from depression as compared to being lonely in your house.