Technology can support you to find walks, set goals, measure your progress and keep a diary of all the great walks you have done.

The Internet can be used to search for walks in your local area.  Go to an internet browser (Google, Microsoft Edge or Safari) and search for walks in your local area.  You can find walks you may never know existed, near to where you live.  Print them off and follow the directions on paper or view them on your smartphone.  Many will include directions to the start of, where to park and how to get there by public transport.  you can also find information on all the local walking groups that you can join. 

A local online resource you can use is https://worldwalking.org/ this site allows you to choose a walking route locally or anywhere in the world and then do an equivalent walk near to your own home.  The site lets you set walking goals and shows you progress towards them.

Applications (APPS) on your smart phone can help make walking more fun.  You can "buy" apps from the Apple Apps store or from Google play.  There are 100's of free apps you can download and use on your phone.

Sweatcoin - walk to earn.  This app allows counts all your steps you complete outside and give you rewards such as health freebies and discounts.  The more steps you do the more sweatcoins you make.  It is planned that in 2022 you will be able to exchange sweatcoins for crypto currency which will allow you to spend them.

Geocaching - Throughout the UK there are 1000's of tiny secret hidden packages.  Geocaching provides you with clues and directions on how to find them.  When you find them you can "claim" them which means you can written a message inside them and put them back in the hidden place.

Counting your steps can give you an easy way to see how your are progressing.  You can set your self a daily goal and then use and app to count the steps for you.  Can you build up to 10,000 steps per day (approximately 5 miles)?  Shortly before the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 a company began selling pedometers which measured how many steps you take.  The product was called Manpo-kei which translates to 10,000 meter.  People have been using a target of 10,000 steps a day ever since.

The NHS Active 10 app tracks your walking and shows you when you are walking quickly enough to get health benefits.  Just 10 minutes of brisk walking every day can get your heart pumping and make you feel more energetic.  This app tracks your movement throughout the day and tells you if you have completed 10 brisk walking minutes.  It stores all your walks for 1 year.


Image result for map my walk

Map my walk tracks all the information of your walk and shows you the route, distance time and speed of your walk.  You can do the same walk each week and challenge yourself to complete it a little quicker.


Would you like to use technology on your walks but don't know how?  Come along to one of Community Learning and Development's courses on ICT where you can learn how to do all of the above and more.  Click on the picture below to find out when and where our courses run in Inverclyde.