A leading sports psychologist is stressing the importance of recreation on mental health.

Dr. David Scott, an Associate Professor of sports psychology at the University of New Brunswick and consultant with professional sports teams such as the Montreal Canadiens and formerly the St. John’s IceCaps, spoke at the 2022 Atlantic Recreation and Facilities Conference on the benefits of recreation in relation to mental health.

Dr. Scott says recreation programs and facilities provide people with the opportunity to be active, meet other people and build a community.

While we all know that it’s important to get out and do something, Dr. Scott says it’s especially important to do something which you enjoy.

He says when we do something we enjoy, it tends to be more meaningful. He says we live in a time where people feel they have do things, but it’s more important to have fun than to do something society expects you to do.