If you’re active and you own a smartphone, you’re likely aware of the multitudes of apps out there that help you track your fitness, and the number of those apps grows every day. Fitness apps are great and all, but they all tend to do a lot of the same things. Maybe you want to take a break from step counts and PRs, or maybe you simply want to be tricked into exercising. Whatever your reason, check out these apps that will get you out and exercising without you even knowing it.
Pokemon GO
If you don’t know about Pokemon GO, you have been living under a rock for the last few months. Pokemon GO, based off the popular Nintendo franchise, is at this point a cultural phenomenon all around the world. Basically, you’re tasked with tracking down and catching cute little creatures–the titular Pokemon–which you can train up and battle with. The catch here is that you find Pokemon by walking around outside in your neighborhood. Travelling to local landmarks can net you items to help you in your quest, and certain Pokemon can be found only in certain areas, like near grass or water, meaning that you’re incentivized to keep on walking. Ask anyone who’s played the game, and they’ll tell you – they’ve walked a lot since installing the app.
Ingress
While a few have already gotten very far into Pokemon GO and many show no signs of stopping, the game isn’t without its faults. For one, it tends to be a little buggy, with servers going down at inopportune times and the app crashing for no apparent reason. Plus, once you’ve gotten the hang of the game, there isn’t really a lot to keep you coming back besides the need to “catch ‘em all.” If Pokemon GO’s novelty has worn out for you, check out Ingress, the game Pokemon GO is based on. Like Pokemon GO, it’ll get you walking around to hit certain checkpoints, but it’s much, much more complex, which means it might hold your attention longer.
Geocaching
Don’t feel embarrassed if you’ve never heard of geocaching. It’s not a very popular activity, but it has a fervent base of participants who trek around in the woods for hours while they play. The premise of geocaching is deceptively simple: you’re given GPS coordinates and you have to find whatever’s hidden at those coordinates, which is usually a note you can sign along with everyone else who’s found it. Think of it as a scavenger hunt for the modern age. The real beauty of geocaching is that you can take it at your own pace and choose to hunt in places familiar or unfamiliar, laid back or unforgiving. The Geocaching app puts everything you need for your outdoor adventure into one place.
Wikipedia
What, Wikipedia?! The website you use to research your papers with and fall down a rabbit hole of obscure World War II trivia? Yes, that Wikipedia. The Wikipedia app, along with having the regular functions of the website, has an awesome feature that isn’t really talked about very much. With “Nearby,” you can load up a map–just like you would with Google Maps–but populated instead by relevant Wikipedia pages. It’s perfect for taking a walking tour around your town and finding the meaning behind buildings and landmarks, working both your mind and body!
