Walking Is Fun And Keeps You Fit Too
 by: Steve Dolan

The benefits of exercise are well documented. Lose weight, feel fitter, have a healthier heart and generally feel good. But is your treadmill getting moldy in the basement, or is it being used as a clothes horse? Do you know which box in your garage has your thigh master which hasn't seen the light of day since the last time you moved? For how long did you keep your gym membership after you made it there the first five times?

The problem with exercise is that it can be fun to start with. You're enthusiastic and motivated but after a while it becomes really boring and a chore. That's what makes walking such a great choice for getting your daily exercise. You're not stuck in one place or on a single piece of equipment. The world is your oyster, (or at least your neighborhood), and you can walk where ever you choose.

Fitting a good walk into your day is easy too. You can take a brisk stroll during lunch and there's your daily workout. Walking is simple, fun good for you and you don't need any special equipment or a trip to the gym. Hey it gets better, if you get bored with your local sights why not visit a nearby park and walk there instead. You can choose where and when you want to walk.

If you feel the need for some company, then why not turn your daily walk into a social activity? If you walk at lunchtime try forming a walking club and go walking with others from work. It can be a great opportunity to get to know your colleagues in a friendly and relaxed environment. Maybe you can meet up with some neighborhood Moms or Dads for an evening walk, once their partners are home to keep an eye on the kids. If the kids are old enough why take them with you so that they get exercise too.

Check out your local shopping mall. Many now organize walking groups and do a few laps of the mall every day for exercise, usually before the mall opens. Check out the bargains and get exercise, does it get better than that? If you join a mall-walking group, you'll make new friends and have people to chat to as you're getting your daily exercise. And the weather isn't a problem as it never rains inside the mall! If like me you still prefer the great outdoors then consider joining a local hiking or walking club. These groups have regularly walks in your area and organize special trips to other areas so that you can experience different environments and the wonders of nature. You will meet new people who share your enthusiasm for walking and even make lifelong friends.

Walking is a great way to clear your head and relieve the stresses of modern day living. So much stuff builds up in your head during the day, whether its things you need to get done, or ideas that require some thought, or issues with your boss or partner. You will find that your daily walk is a great time to sort all those thoughts out and process them without interruption. I often carry a notepad and pen with me! It's nice to breathe deeply, get away from the daily hustle and bustle, and then slowly unwind. Even better, you’re getting fitter and healthier with every walk you take. I don’t know about you but I'd much rather look at trees and flowers than stare at my basement walls or the walls of a gym.

Walking is very easy to take up too! All you really need to get started is some comfortable shoes and clothing. If you like the social aspect of going for a walk, why not grab a few friends and take them with you on your walk. Find different places to walk in your neighborhood and you’ll discover places you never knew existed, right from your own door step. Take up walking today you’ll be glad you did!

About The Author
Steve Dolan loves walking in the hills Of Marin. You can find out all about walking and hiking at http://www.funwalkingweb.com.

The Electronic Dart Board, Even the Kids Can Play

The electronic dart board just gets better and better. The original boards came out in the 1990s and caused a lot of controversy at the time that still goes on today. The purists hate them saying it isnt proper darts, but no one can deny their popularity. The big advantages are that the electronic game is safer and a lot more convenient than the traditional game. The darts have plastic tips so they are less dangerous and are much less likely to put holes in your wall and I think most of us appreciate the automatic scoring, especially for the Cricket game

There are now two types of electronic dart board around, the standard board with hundreds of holes in it and the new so called BristleTech board, which is similar to the standard bristle boards so you can use both steel tip darts and soft tips, and it still has the electronics to do all the scoring for you as well. This is truly the best of both worlds and is surely the way of the future.

The latest from Halex is the Armada Bristletech dartboard that has a laser that marks out the throw line for you! So you get to use whatever darts you like and the built in laser shows you where to throw from as well, fantastic! This is surely the ultimate board around for both schools of darters at the moment. Who knows, the electronic boards may be used in the big tournaments like the Las Vegas Classic before long.

There are standard wall mounted boards and the arcade style that doesnt need to be set up, as they are free standing and the board is already mounted for you at the correct height. (Great! no drilling) The latest electronic dart boards are relatively cheap, at a starting price of around $50 to $300 for the all singing, all dancing arcade types.

Also bear in mind the wall mounted version of the electronic dart board is necessarily bigger than the normal bristle boards because of the electronics, so when it comes to housing your new board, you will need a larger than normal dart board cabinet to accommodate it. Please ensure that if you get a dart board cabinet for your electronic board that it will fit the cabinet, there are cabinets made to fit the larger boards.
Written by Steve Porter, darts player who has visited many bars and pubs in the interest of research into the sport of darts. Click this link for more info on the electronic dart board

Dart Rules

There are a few Darts Organizations around that publish rules of darts, and the basic rules are common to them all. The ADO or American Darts Organization, the World Darts Federation, the BDO or British Darts Organization and the DRA Darts Regulation Authority (which the PDC follow).

Strangely, the darts themselves can be up to 12 inches long! Not that I've never seen any that length for sale, and the maximum weight is 50 grams. Usually, soft tip darts are in the range of 14 to 20 grams, and steel tip darts range from 18 to 26 grams, although there are heavier darts on sale.

The dreaded Bounce out rule:

The rule is that all bounce outs do not count towards your score and NO you cannot have another throw. Not only that, but if the dart falls out before the score has been taken it does not count either. I suggest you throw your darts harder if you keep suffering from this rule.

As for the throw line, that is set at 7 ft 9.

Dart Rules brought to you by Steve Porter, keen dart player and gadget lover.