Renaissance Exercise‘s Ken Hutchins (founder of SuperSlow) writes that it’s important to “understand the difference between exercise and recreation.” His advice:
Do not try to make exercise enjoyable. Do not try to make recreation exercise. If you confuse and mix exercise and recreation, you grossly compromise any forthcoming physical benefits of the exercise; you destroy a large degree of the fun that recreation should bestow; and you make both more dangerous than they need be. Accept both for what they are. If you can place exercise and recreation in their proper perspective, the quality of your life will markedly improve.
From a weight loss/maintenance perspective, I think exercise is critical … but NOT primarily as way of burning calories.
HT Steve Parker.
Weight Maven is written by Beth Mazur. Beth believes that obesity is more symptom than cause and that the real problem is our Western diet -- especially sugar, refined grains, and industrial oils. Beth writes about nutrition, ancestral health, & food policy. And cats! 
I’ve always thought those guys were nuts and I still do. I exercise as much as I can for a middle-aged person on account of it is the most enjoyable part of my day. This is not to say that it is always fun, some days it is an ordeal but it is an ordeal that I enjoy more than anything else in life.
I think people who try to turn exercise into a “protocol” are one of the reasons more people don’t exercise. I dislike every last one of them but imo Renaissance is the worst, they mystify it so much, no wonder women are nervous about venturing into the weight room.
Movement is recreation. As you get better at movement, you will naturally push yourself towards more difficult forms of movement, but it still remains recreation.
If you do not enjoy it, you will not stick with it long enough for it to make a difference in your life.
I’m sure I get most of my exercise from recreational activities. Like, I just climbed a hill for the view (and came down again). I knew in the back of my mind that it would probably be good for me, but I did it anyway.
I think a lot of older people get healthful exercise from dancing, or indeed from yoga or Tai Chi.
Hutchison has a narrow definition of exercise. Frankly, I think that is is important to move in a manner that you will enjoy. Some people do like working out at a gym, so in a way, it’s recreational to them.