Recreation

• Obstacle course racing, pickleball, and esports are gaining both participants and fans.
• How do they impact physical and mental health, and what strategies can we employ to maximise their benefits while mitigating potential risks?

Obstacle course racing: conquering challenges

• Obstacle course racing involves participants navigating a series of physical challenges, including climbing, crawling, and jumping over natural and man-made obstacles.
• Some of the key benefits of obstacle course racing are the sense of accomplishment, camaraderie and community it fosters.

Pickleball: A game for all ages

• Pickleball, a hybrid of tennis, badminton, and ping pong, is billed as one of the fastest-growing sports globally.
• Pickleball offers substantial health benefits, including improved cardiovascular fitness, agility and coordination, with a relatively low risk of injuries.

Esports: a virtual phenomenon

• This shift has opened up professional gaming as a new career path young people may aspire to.
• Many universities and colleges are offering certifications and scholarships for esports, recognising it similarly to traditional sports.
• This emphasises the need for education and moderation, and for gamers to balance screen time with physical exercise.

Balancing act: leveraging benefits and addressing risks

• These sports illustrate the growing appetite for varied, accessible recreation that caters to different interests, ages, and abilities, moving beyond traditional sports paradigms.
• And these activities offer substantial social and mental health benefits, fostering community building and enhancing wellbeing through communal participation and achievement.

Carol Maher receives funding from the Medical Research Future Fund, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the National Heart Foundation, the SA Department for Education, Preventive Health SA, the SA Department for Innovation and Skills, Healthway, Hunter New England Local Health District, the Central Adelaide Local Health Network, and LeapForward. Ben Singh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• HAIKOU, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 26 February 2024 - On 23rd February, the Hainan Free Trade Port, located in the south of China, officially launched the global selection of "Hainan Tourism and Cultural Excellence TOP10".
• The initiative aims to showcase the excellence of Hainan's tourism and share the story of China's holiday paradise with a global audience.
• Launched by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province, this initiative will highlight various themes such as Coastal Scenic Highway, marine tourism, duty-free shopping, recreation and health tourism, rural tourism, rainforest tourism, intangible cultural heritage tourism, and more.
• Upon the conclusion of the voting period, the top ten tourism products with the highest votes will be honoured as this year's "China's Hainan Tourism and Cultural Excellences".

• Chine Soleil Hainan" international image exhibition and Hainan Tourism and Cultural Promotion Event took place in Paris, France.
• Chine Soleil Hainan" international image exhibition and Hainan Tourism and Cultural Promotion Event
  The event featured various exhibition areas, including Sunny Island, Rainforest Elves, Recreation and Health Sanctuaries, Shopping Paradises, and Hainan Culture.
• In 2023, Hainan welcomed over 90 million domestic and international tourists, marking a significant 49.9% increase from the previous year.
• Recently, efforts to promote foreign tourism to Hainan continue, with a focus on creating special tourism products tailored to international visitors.

• Haikou, China--(Newsfile Corp. - February 26, 2024) - On 23rd February, the Hainan Free Trade Port, located in the south of China, officially launched the global selection of "Hainan Tourism and Cultural Excellence TOP10".
• The initiative aims to showcase the excellence of Hainan's tourism and share the story of China's holiday paradise with a global audience.
• Launched by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province, this initiative will highlight various themes such as Coastal Scenic Highway, marine tourism, duty-free shopping, recreation and health tourism, rural tourism, rainforest tourism, intangible cultural heritage tourism, and more.
• Upon the conclusion of the voting period, the top ten tourism products with the highest votes will be honoured as this year's "China's Hainan Tourism and Cultural Excellences".