IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) Volume 19, Issue 4, Ver. VII (Apr. 2014), PP 24-30 e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845. www.iosrjournals.org www.iosrjournals.org 24 | Page Recreational Activities for Senior Citizens * Bhawana Singh, ** U. V. Kiran *Research Scholar **Assistant Professor Department of Human Development & Family Studies, School for Home Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Central University Lucknow, India- 225026 Abstract: Recreation plays a key role in the well-being of older adults and in enhancing their quality of life. For seniors, as for people of all ages, involvement in recreation activities can satisfy a variety of needs. Among the important benefits of recreation for the senior population is increased health and fitness, as well as opportunities for socializing, for using skills and talents developed throughout their lifetime, and for learning new skills. The aim of this article is to dwell upon various recreational activities for the elderly. These activities are very useful to them as they can spend their leisure time and enjoy by doing interesting tasks. The senior population is quite varied, with a diversity of interests, strengths, and abilities. Some seniors have enjoyed a positive use of leisure throughout their life, and are able to find appropriate activities to suit their changing physical abilities and interests. Other seniors, however, may not be aware of the potential positive values of recreation. Keywords: Elderly, physical activity, recreational activity, I. Introduction The ageing of population is an obvious consequence of the process of demographic transition. While the countries of the West have already experienced and have planned for their elderly population, it is only in the last one and half decades that countries in Asia too are facing a steady growth of the elderly, as a result of the decline in fertility and mortality, better medical and health care and improvements in the overall quality of life of people. Within Asia, as India and China are the two largest countries in the region, it is expected that they would have a significant proportion of the World‘s elderly because of their large population base. In fact, the situation in India presents two different scenarios with certain states grappling with curbing their high fertility rates while others, which have controlled high fertility rates, are already experiencing or are poised to experience an increase in their elderly population. There has been a progressive increase in both the number and proportion of the aged in India over time, particularly after 1951. Between 1901 and 1951, the proportion of population over age 60 increased marginally from 5 percent to 5.4 percent, while by 2001 this had increased to 7.0 percent. When changes in the decadal growth rate in the general population are compared with those for the elderly population, it is noted that the latter grew at a relatively much faster rate than the general population, since 1951. Furthermore, the decadal percent increase in the elderly population for the period 2001-2011 is likely to be more than double the rate of increase of the general population. The size of the elderly rose in absolute terms during the last century from 12 million in 1901 to approximately 71 million in 2001 and is likely to reach 113 million in 2016. Yet another feature of ageing in India is the fact that the proportion of elderly is much higher in the rural areas than in the urban areas. In recent years, there has been an increase of aging in the society. The aging of the population can lead to an increase in the number of individuals at risk for chronic diseases. In an article from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention‘s Healthy Aging Network, physical activity (PA) was considered one key element for determining health status. In fact, evidence suggests that PA is associated with more years of life, self-perceived healthy life, years without impairment in daily life activities, lower rates of functional decline, lower risk of mortality, increased longevity, reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, and better quality of life. Being active throughout the majority of one's lifetime has an important influence on overall health and well-being. The widely known definition of physical activity (PA) as "any bodily movement produced by the contraction of skeletal muscle that increases energy expenditure above a basal level". PA has been found to check many long lasting health problems as well as to promote mental health and well-being. Lower mortality rates occur among those who become physically active late in life as compared to those who were active in early life and stopped exercising. Outdoor recreational PA, defined as "to be outside in natural or cultural landscapes for well-being and encounters with nature without demands for competition" has been shown to be particularly good for promoting