Abstract

The article presents, basing mainly on studies of sports organisation carried out in Estonia in 2002—2004, discussion about the actual issues of the expansion of leisure time physical activity of the population, which arise from continuously insufficient physical activity. While describing the structure of the sport related physical activity and its dynamics among the youth as well as the adult population, some basic concepts of recreational sport are also explained. The working capacity of Estonian sport facilities and their correspondence to the requirements of recreational sport as well as the top – sport – centredness of sport policy are analyzed.

Attention is also paid to the fact that only approximately one-third of adult men, one-fourth of adult women and one-half of school students receive a sufficient load of physical activity. Inadequacies of sport organization from the point of view of recreational sport as well as the data of scarce possibilities for sport at schools are dealt with.

In order to increase involvement in everyday leisure time physical activity the realization of which can hardly take place without the support of medical professionals, it is indispen-sable to overcome the traditional model of competitive sport and to adopt the state programme of recreational sport.