Assessment of the Prevalence of Recreational Sports as a Lifestyle Adaptation in the Colombo District, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Background: Recreational sports (RS) allows a person to be physically and mentally fit, without practices and pressure of competition. Most people lead a sedentary lifestyle, which makes them unhealthy and the victims of many conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus. In addition, being physically inactive has a negative impact on one’s mental well-being. Objectives: To assess whether RS are a part of people’s day to day lives, and their health in association with it. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on people between ages of 16 to 50 who were selected using a convenient sampling method in an urban setting in Colombo District, using self-administered online questionnaires. Results and conclusions: From the total participants, 52.2% take part in RS out of which, 64.8% do so for fitness reasons. 56.6% were aware of the mental and physical benefits of RS, however, majority (59.5% from the 52.2% that participate in RS) only participated in RS less than 3 hours per week and 48.6% people consider themselves to be neither too healthy nor unhealthy. It was also found that most people (55.9%) drink 1-3 glasses more water than their usual intake before and after (63.6%) RS, which keeps them better hydrated throughout the day. Most (64%) do not follow a diet plan, as they do not perform these sports for weight loss or competing purposes. Majority of the people participate in RS, but they do not perform it for the recommended time duration, and therefore, it does not have as much of a significant effect on their well-being.