A Working Dog's Joy
Take a Hike
Doctors Explain How Hiking Actually Changes Our Brains
While it may seem obvious that a good hike through a forest or up a mountain can cleanse your mind, body, and soul, science is now discovering that hiking can actually change your brain… for the better!
Hiking In Nature Can Stop Negative, Obsessive Thoughts
Aside from the almost instant feeling of calm and contentment that accompanies time outdoors, hiking in nature can reduce rumination. Many of us often find ourselves consumed by negative thoughts, which takes us out of the enjoyment of the moment at best and leads us down a path to depression and anxiety at worst. But a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that spending time in nature decreases these obsessive, negative thoughts by a significant margin.
To conduct this study, researchers compared the reported rumination of participants who hiked through either an urban or a natural environment. They found those who walked for 90 minutes in a natural environment reported lower levels of rumination and they also had reduced neural activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain related to mental illness. Those who walked through the urban environment, however, did not report decreased rumination.
The researchers noted that increased urbanization closely correlates with increased instances of depression and other mental illness. Taking the time to regularly remove ourselves from urban settings and spend more time in nature can greatly benefit our psychological (and physical) well-being.
Hiking In Nature Is Great Exercise And Therefore Boosts Brainpower
We already know that exercising is fantastic for our overall well-being. Hiking is an excellent way to burn between 400 – 700 calories per hour, depending on your size and the hike difficulty, and it is easier on the joints than other activities like running. It has also been proven that people who exercise outside are more likely to keep at it and stick to their programs, making hiking an excellent choice for those wishing to become more active on a regular basis.
Researchers from the University of British Columbia found that aerobic exercise increases hippocampal volume — the part of the brain associated with spatial and episodic memory — in women over the age of 70. Such exercise not only improves memory loss, but helps prevent it as well. Researchers also found that it can also reduce stress and anxiety, boost self-esteem, and release endorphins. Many people take medication to solve each and every one of these issues, but the solution to these ills may be a lot simpler than you think!
How You Can Begin Hiking?
Luckily, hiking is one of the easiest and least expensive sports to get involved in, and it can have great benefits for the whole family, including grandma! Start out small and test your abilities. Do what works for you — if that means just walking through trails in a park, that’s fine. Any exercise outdoors is better than none. You can easily find maps of trails around your home online, and there are plenty of smartphone apps to map them out, too. I recommend turning off your signal and your phone while hiking though, so you can reap the most benefits of the hike (though it may be wise to at least carry it with you in case of emergency).
Make sure you have some good sturdy hiking shoes, a hat, and a water bottle, and be sure to layer your clothing so you can take things on or off easily as you warm up and cool down. You may want to consider using trekking poles as well, which can increase your speed and take some of the pressure off your knees. Now, can you just do one thing for me?
Go take a hike!
Much Love
Finishing Out 2016
Beyond Hope Resort Idaho Loved Bailey and Chloe
Sam Owen National Park lies 3 miles east of the town of Hope, Idaho. This was our dry camping spot for the first week of our Northern Idaho adventure. The skies were overcast the first few days and we even got a little overnight rain one night. Nothing much.
At $22 per day, the park is a top pick for vacationers from the Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta.
The shores along Lake Pend Oreille ( pronounced Ponderay) were wonderful during August. We arrived on a Monday afternoon. Even making reservations two months prior over the internet, we could not stay at the park over the weekend as it was fully booked.
So we moved 1/4 mile for the weekend to Beyond Hope Resort. This is a nice resort for camping and RVs. There is electricity and water and WiFi so we felt we were in civilization, but a bit pricey at $50 per night. Great place and time of year. Very dog friendly area.
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| Sunset over Beyond Hope. |
Great trails all around the resort and San Owens that were off-leash wonderlands. A deer, turkey or quail got exercised each hike by two happy Vizslas running happily through the woods..
Red Bird Dogs at Priest Lake Idaho
The Very Rare Transylvanian Hound
Over the last 4 years that I have known about the other royal Hungarian hunting dog besides the Vizsla, I have been a fan of the breed. The Transylvanian Hound. If you search the name you will find several posts about the breed. Here is from my friend Maria about a rare breeding in the mid-west of this uncommon dog breed.
"Just in case you know of someone would like a Transylvanian Hound of their own, I thought I should let you know about these babies…and quick before they are all gone! They are in Indianapolis, but if someone in CA is interested, I will bring a puppy back for them. Since so many people read your blog, there may be people in the mid-west who may be interested too. This is Rommy’s first litter and at 3.5 years old, she is a great mama. Nancy Elder, her owner, doesn’t intend to breed her again, so I don’t know when there will be another litter born someplace other than CA.
Nancy has been doing a wonderful job with the puppies too! They are being lovingly and carefully raised and trained by Nancy along with their parents Rommy (“Anika”) of Californian Transylvanian (from our Jan 2013 litter) and Ivó of California Transylvanian (born in Romania). Nancy, like we do here, has been involved with raising and training the puppies since they were born. They started with early neurological training from just a few days old, helping them to develop into more versatile and resilient dogs. They have been very well socialized, are being crate trained, car trained, potty trained, leash trained and trained in basic manners and skills. Someone is with them all the time to ensure their safety as well.
These exceptional puppies are getting ready to move to their new homes. If anyone is interested in them please have them contact either me, or Nancy Elder at 317-695-1182 or nvelder50@me.com for additional information. More pictures of the puppies are available on our California Transylvanian Hounds website www.californinatransylvanian.com or on FaceBook at the Transylvanian Hound Club."