more walking

The other day I had a desire to find out how many steps I take in a day - or even on my daily walk. Not having a pedometer I figured the best thing to do was check out what apps there may be for my trusty iPhone. I stumbled onto an app that while not having a step counter (that I can see at any rate, lol) is packed full of fun stuff.

I guess my favourite way to keep fit (mentally as well as physically) is walking. It is the activity that I find the most easy to maintain - probably because I like it the best. I like yoga and light weights and pilates, hate (hate!!) running, haven't been swimming for exercise for so long that I am not sure if I would love it as much as I used to but a walk every day keeps my mind clear, kick-starts creativity (for me) and simply feels wonderful. I started walking with a group of my friends when we lived in Vancouver on the north shore 20 years ago. The initial motivation was purely social but I found that I liked the easy exertion as much as the conversation. Over time the group moved on to other things but I kept walking. My little family moved on to other cities and I kept walking.

I like walking solo - even prefer it to be honest - but have sometimes missed the tiny little push, the bit of competition that accompanies walking with others. This fun app provides that little edge for me. I can compete with myself for time and distance - or I can compete with others via the app. It tracks and saves my routes via gps (which I find mildly creepy when I think about the implications...) and lets me know elevation gain, distance, and reminds me via voice how fast my split pace is. There are other goodies like nutrition and calorie expenditure, etc but that isn't where my focus is when I am walking. All this and it is Free :) You can upgrade to a 'pro' version if you wish.

I have been liking this app so much that I thought I should share it. If anyone knows a great pedometer app - let me know! 

 I do love my walks - every day that I walk I have a little moment of gratitude for the pleasure. Dorky as that may be, it is true! Really.

www.mapmywalk.com

Note: this is just me sharing. I have no affiliation with mapmywalk.

I have had the Nike Training Club app on my phone for months but it was kind of lost somewhere. Ysa was very efficiently bossing my phone around a couple of days ago and when she was done, lo and behold, there was the app that I had downloaded and promptly forgotten. (How is it that a 20 month old tiny person just knows how to unlock and navigate iPhone technology?) I decided to try a workout this morning .... LOVED IT!! Lots of options, good voice guidance, timer, video tutorials, bonus stuff.  If you haven't already, check it out. Sadly the app is only for iPhone and iPod Touch.