Incorporating outdoor recreational activities into fitness routine among university’s students / Mohamad Nadzlee Alim and Zaharul Azwan Abdul Razak

This research investigated incorporating outdoor recreational activities into fitness routines among Physical and Health Education (PHE) students in Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Kampus Puncak Alam, which focuses on both physical fitness and mental well-being. The research examines how different outdoor recreational activities might improve students’ general health and tackles the rising demand for motivating and efficient exercise solutions nowadays. The research integrated a quantitative questionnaire to collect extensive data on students’ engagement in physical activities such as walking, hiking, running, jogging, and swimming as well as their perceived benefits. The research found that walking, hiking, running, jogging, and swimming were the most beneficial outdoor recreational activities for both male and female students in terms of both physical and emotional well-being. The chi-square test results based on p-values show that there were significant associations between gender and participation in outdoor recreational activities in swimming (p < 0.05), day hiking (p < 0.05), running (p < 0.05), kayaking (p < 0.05), and jogging (p < 0.05). The ANOVA result shows the F and p values for feeling useful (F = 3.62, p = 0.01), feeling relaxed (F = 4.45, p = 0.00), feeling energetic (F = 2.83, p = 0.04), problem-solving (F = 3.66, p = 0.01), clear-thinking (F = 4.98, p = 0.00), self-esteem (F = 2.86, p = 0.04), feeling loved (F = 2.96, p = 0.03), interested in new things (F = 2.78, p = 0.04), cheerful (F = 3.76, p = 0.01), and feeling confident (F = 3.48, p = 0.01) indicate the significant different based on gender. These outdoor recreational activities show the strongest evidence of gender influence on participation rates. The students of both genders loved these activities, which have significant beneficial effects on their health and high engagement rates. The data also revealed preferences that are particular to gender, with men preferring to hike (86.4%) and jog (86.4%) and women also more likely to hike (92.9%) and jog (95.2%). The research has a wide range of implications, but one of its main points is that to create a supportive atmosphere that supports both physical and mental well-being, outdoor recreational activities should be incorporated into university wellness programs. Establishing and maintaining outdoor learning spaces and integrating them into the curriculum were recommended actions for educational institutions to improve the overall health of their students. These results show a solid basis for further study and program creation, and they were consistent with current literature emphasizing the mental well-being advantages of outdoor recreational activities. Hence, this research concludes that outdoor recreational activities at UiTM Kampus Puncak Alam were essential for improving the physical and mental health of students. University may foster a more comprehensive and health-conscious learning environment by adding these activities into physical fitness, which will eventually benefit students’ general well-being and academic performance.