Make Your Walking Route More Interesting

Perhaps you have explored the local region on foot, discovered nearby towns and cities, and your usual walking routes no longer inspire quite as much enthusiasm. However, there are ways to refresh them and see familiar places from a new perspective. Your smartphone can help: you can download various apps that will supplement your usual routes with new activities—a game, quiz or something else.

The next time you go for a walk, all you will need is a charged phone and a little spirit of adventure, which you can share with your family by inviting them along for a few steps in the fresh air.

GEOCACHING

The first of these activities is geocaching, which is essentially a kind of treasure hunt. The “Geocaching” app marks on the map the locations where containers—a box, jar or some other kind of receptacle—can be found. There is usually a notebook or something similar inside, in which you can sign your name, so you should bring something to write with. In the notebook, you can see the names of other people who have found the cache and the times when they found it. It is even interesting to learn how many people enjoy this hobby and how often a cache is found. It should be noted that the essence of this activity is that the container is well hidden, so it is not always easy or quick to find. Sometimes a container has been placed in a knot in a tree, in a hole carved into it, which in turn has been hung from a tree, so you should be prepared to search in even the most unusual places.

You can also create one or more caches for others to find.

ACTIONBOUND

The mobile app contains several walking routes that include various tasks. The app features games marked on the map that can only be started once you reach the relevant location. After starting a game, you have access to the full route with several marked points. When you reach them, you must complete various tasks, such as answering a question whose answer must be found at the specified location, taking a photo or doing something else.

Just as you can create a cache yourself in the Geocaching app, in Actionbound you can create a route with tasks for others.

There are also other apps that can add value to a walk, such as Pokémon Go—an augmented-reality game in which you catch Pokémon located near you, although you can see them only through your phone. There is also Map My Walk by Under Armour or Strava, which records your walking route; in these apps, you can take part in various challenges at different scales.

Invite your dog or a member of your household for a walk and try one of the activities offered by the mobile apps mentioned above!