Keeping Fit & Healthy Doesn't Have to Be a ChoreWritten by Emily Clark
Some people have fought many years of their lives to preserve rich heritage of outdoors and nature we now enjoy. That dedication and effort have been rewarded by fantastic hiking opportunities in our local, state, and national parks systems. In honor of their efforts, let's break out of our winter hibernation and venture into crisp, clean outdoor air and hit some of those dirt trails. Here are 4 steps to an enjoyable hike, no matter where your feet decide to take you. 1. Know area you will be going into. Although many states, like California, Colorado, or Wyoming have exceptional hiking hot spots, even your local park will have some kind of useful information. Whether it's a website with information and trail details, or a map at park office, trailhead, or visitor center, always check before you head out on your hike so you know what to expect. 2. Know conditions you will be facing, wherever you go. Nothing is worse than traveling to a hiking destination only to miss hike, because it was raining or freezing and you weren't prepared. If trail is flooded out, or snowy conditions have shut it down for an extended period, you should be able to find this out as well. It is also good to know if there are any plants or animals to watch out for at your hiking location. Wiping with poison ivy won't feel good in morning. 3. Wear clothing that works and fits terrain and hike conditions. There are many options in your clothing arsenal, to keep yourself comfortable, here are a couple of pointers: - Try and stay away from cotton. Instead, look for synthetic and natural fibers that pull moisture away from your body, or at least stay warm when wet. - Also, go for layers to keep yourself warm, versus carrying around a huge parka, in case you are hit by a freak snowstorm. - The two most important pieces of clothing for any hiker, are good socks and good shoes. Don't underestimate pain a hike can cause with uncomfortable shoes and socks. Finally, a hat in cold weather is a great addition, since your body loses over half its heat through your head.
| | Why It's Not a Good Idea to Analyze Your DreamsWritten by Emily Clark
Dreams... What are they? Probably easiest explanation is your subconscious mind thinking and sorting information. But truth is no-one really knows what causes dreams and why some folk seem to have vivid colorful dreams and others have short uneventful ones. Dreams mainly occur during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. REM occurs every one and a half hours throughout sleep cycle. During REM eyes move from side to side and body is relaxed and almost incapable of movement. Have you ever declared, "I never dream."? Well you're wrong. The fact is everybody dreams every night. You just may not be able to remember your dreams. Don't worry too much if this is case. Not remembering dreams doesn't mean you're abnormal in any way. While most people do remember their dreams, memory is fleeting and occurs mainly when sleeper first awakens. If you really want to remember your dreams, best way is to instruct yourself to do this before falling asleep. This programs subconscious mind (where dreams come from) to hold on to memory. When you wake up, try and hold dream in your mind until you have a chance to record it. The easiest way to do this is to have a notebook and pen or a personal voice recorder beside your bed, so you can write down dream before it disappears and gets 'buried' by normal thoughts and concerns of everyday life. With a bit of practice you'll find little snippets of your dreams beginning to reveal themselves. This procedure will also work well for those who remember occasional dream or those who want to remember every dream they have.
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