Recreation

How Canoeing Works?

Today's canoes come in a vast assortment of materials, shapes, sizes and colors, but they all have the same purpose -- to keep you out of the water. So, what makes a canoe float, anyway? The laws of density, explain why a canoe floats. Buoyancy tells us that the weight of the water displaced by the canoe must be equal to the weight of the canoe for it to float. This ties in to density -- if you drop an object into a liquid that's less dense than the object, the object will float. A canoe's shape, like the shape of a cruise ship or even a fishing boat, is purposely designed to make it float.

Most canoes are made of wood, aluminum or fiberglass. Would you believe there are even folding and inflatable canoes? These are usually made of PVC, hypalon and other man-made materials….

Imagine the feeling of excitement as your canoe slices through the water in time with your paddle strokes. You float on a placid lake, and your mind and body are in tune with the wind blowing through the trees -- no motor to interfere with the sound of the flowing river. Canoe lovers return again and again to retreat into nature and escape the hustle of modern life. It's therapeutic and calming, and it also provides a strenuous and rewarding workout.

Canoeing is simply propelling a canoe with a paddle using only human muscle power. It's popular throughout the world for recreation and sport, although it's still used in some places for transportation. You can find canoe clubs and retail stores in just about every city where there's a river, lake or sea. Canoeing is also an official Olympic sporting event that draws both male and female athletes. It's even opening up new worlds of opportunity to the physically challenged…readmore>

Recreation is any activity that people voluntarily pur­sue for personal enjoyment, relaxation, or personal sat­isfaction, usually during their leisure, or spare time. People generally need to take part in some form of recreation as a break from the routine of a job or from school work. Recreation takes many different forms and occurs in many different places, depending on the choice of the individual. Some recreation is passive, such as watching television or listening to music. Partici­patory forms of recreation include singing in a choir or acting in an amateur dramatic society. Many people enjoy extremely active forms of recreation, such as hill-walking or playing various sports.

 Since the end of World War II in 1945, recreation has gained an increasing amount of importance in modern life, particularly in industrialized countries. Increasingly higher incomes and improvements in working condi­tions and transportation have given many people more money, time, and mobility for recreation. Between the 1960's and the 1990's, the increased use in industry of automatic machines such as computers, as well as the effects of occasional economic recession, have reduced working hours. This has increased the importance and value of recreational facilities as a community resource . for unemployed people.      

Today, providing facilities for recreation, or leisure, is a  major industry. Millions of people spend large amounts of money on recreational activities every year.  Many companies operate in a number of countries pro­viding facilities and equipment for commercial recre­ational use. Popular facilities include cinemas, bowling alleys, campsites, holiday resorts (including amusement arcades and funfairs), golf courses, squash and tennis courts, and theme parks. National parks offer a range of recreational activities, from scenic walks to well- organized local heritage centres. A number of compa­res manufacture recreational merchandise such as _Dorts equipment and camping supplies. Trade compa­nies make various types of equipment, from soft drink machines to computerized arcade game machines. Recreation provides pleasure for millions of people, but it may also make an important contribution to an in­dividual's mental and physical health. For example, hos­pitals often organize recreational activities under trained supervisors as therapy for patients.

Kinds of recreation. The most popular single form of recreation is watching television. In developed coun­tries, people watch 25 to 30 hours of television a week. The use of home video cassette recorders has let peo­ple extend their viewing hours.

Hobbies, such as gardening, stamp collecting, or home computing, provide recreation for many people. Other common types of recreation include games such as chess and bridge. Open-air forms of recreation, apart from gardening, include visiting a zoo or aquarium, pic­nicking, driving for pleasure, walking or jogging, watch­ing or playing sports, bird-watching, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting, skiing, sailing, and taking nature walks. Other recreations include swimming and attend­ing keep-fit or yoga classes. Every year, many people take a holiday, either at home or abroad.

Cultural activities such as going to concerts or theatre performances, or visiting museums, art galleries and ex­hibitions, provide recreation for millions of people around the world. Many people also find recreation in freely donating their spare time to voluntary work, such as helping charities, prison visiting, or working for a local church or other religious organization. 
Opportunities for recreation. Private businesses, service organizations, and government agencies all pro­vide opportunities and facilities for recreation. Some companies maintain sports grounds, swimming pools, or other facilities for their employee?. Youth clubs, scout and guide organizations, and religious groups all pro­vide recreational opportunities in the local community.

In many countries, the central government supports museums, national parks, and similar establishments. Most local government authorities have a recreation or parks department for maintaining facilities. Such depart­ments are financed out of taxes and through fees or sub­scriptions. In some countries, local authorities have transferred their recreational services to private firms. Most military bases provide recreational facilities for members of the armed forces and their dependants.

Other related articles include:

Camping,
Canoeing,

Carnival,
Circus,
Dancing,
Dancing,
Electronic Game,
Fair,
Film industry,
Games,
Handicraft,
Hobby,
Jogging,
Museum,
National,
Parks,
Park,
Photography,
Play,
Radio,
Reading,
Safety (Safety in recreation),
Storytelling,
Television,
Theatre,
Toy,
Trampoline,
World’s fair,
Youth hostel, and

Zoo.