Families that recreate together report greater stability and satisfaction. The fondest memories people have involve family outings and vacations. Socially involved people are 2 to 5 times less likely to suffer from heart disease. 66,000 deaths annually could be prevented through regular physical exercise. Regular volunteer work increases life expectancy more than any other activity.
People rank clean air and water most important when rating the best places to live.
Girls who participate in sports help increase bone density to combat osteoporosis in later life. It costs 100 times more to send a teen to jail than to provide preventive recreation programs. Investments in waterfronts and open spaces attract new business. Visits to national, regional and local parks exceed 1 billion annually. Americans spend over 500 million days per year fishing.