For fitness sake, kick these 7 backcountry phobias

Who's afraid of big, bad spiders, bears, lightning, heights, getting lost, tight spaces and being alone in the dark? Many people are so irrationally frightened of one or more of these, they'll never plan a fitness vacation into the backcountry. We allow these fears to minimize our exposure to the wonders of nature, even though we're more likely to be crushed by a vending machine than killed by a bear in Glacier National Park.

Enter cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). The cognitive part teaches you the truth about the fear, while the behavioral aspect involves gradual exposure therapy to conquer the phobia. Backpacker Magazine has a terrific article explaining the real truth behind these seven common backcountry phobias, as well as do-it-yourself exposure techniques to beat each one.

I confess to being irrationally frightened of bears, especially grizzlies. I've never slept well in grizzly-land. I even picked black bear over grizzly country for a trip last July, yet still had a devastatingly real dream a grizzly was poised to attack my husband before I could reach for the bear spray. House spiders make me scream. What a bunch of hooey, I'm in need of CBT. Any phobias you're ready to conquer to open nature's door to burning thousands of calories per day hiking or backpacking?

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