How are you feeling about this year? Your personal wellbeing is one of the most important things to help you get through tough times. Now, this isn’t another new year’s resolution blog telling you that you have to go on a diet. In fact, it’s a blog to help inspire you to try something new this year within Buckingham or surrounding areas.
Here’s some inspiration from Buckingham’s Office Apprentice:
I know that getting out and about might seem like a chore, but we all know that we feel better after we having some time outdoors. So why not try out these apps to see if you can incorporate some fun and invigorate your daily walk or outing.
Couch to 5k
NHS Couch to 5K will help you gradually work up towards running 5km in just 9 weeks.
Couch to 5K is a running plan for beginners. It was developed by a new runner, Josh Clark, who wanted to help his mum get off the couch and start running, too. The plan is really simple to follow and has clear objectives that you can work towards over the 9 weeks. You even have rest days each week, giving you lots of opportunities to try other activities and to tailor your exercise around your existing schedule.
How does Couch to 5K work?
The biggest challenge a new runner faces is probably not knowing how or where to start. Often when trying to get into exercise, you overdo it, feel defeated and give up when we’re just getting started. But, Couch to 5K is different. It works because it starts with a mix of running and walking to help you gradually build up your fitness and stamina. It helps you create realistic expectations and by starting off slowly at week one, the challenge feels achievable right from the start.
Who is Couch to 5K for?
Couch to 5K is for everyone. Whether you’ve never run before or you just want to get more active, Couch to 5K is a free and easy way of getting fitter and healthier. Sounds perfect, right? Lots of local runners started this challenge and then joined Buckingham Park Run, one of the most local and popular running groups around!
What are the benefits?
If it’s your wellbeing you want to improve, then there are plenty of reasons why you should take part in this challenge. Running helps to improve your physical health as well as your mental health. You could lose weight if combined with a healthy diet or have a surge in confidence and self-belief, as you prove to yourself that you can set a target and achieve a goal. Or, because it’s been an exceptionally tough year, you might need to relieve some stress and running can do just that. It has been shown to combat depression which is something that a lot of people have faced.
How to get started?
- Download the Couch to 5K podcasts to your mobile device or computer.
- Work out a schedule that fits in with your home life to ensure you can stick to your running plan.
- Plan your route. It can be stressful to know where to go so why not be prepared and look at a map to plan a familiar route first.
- Make sure you are safe when running. If you find it easier or more relaxing to exercise with headphones, then do it but just be aware of your surroundings. Another tip I have found is to watch out for people or objects. It’s obvious but, try to stay a good distance away from others and make sure you look and or stop when changing direction or terrain on your travels. When running in the dark, make sure you can see where you’re going and that other people can see you. Street lighting and High-Viz are your friends!
- Don’t compromise, be comfortable! The most important piece of kit is a pair of running trainers.
Strava
Strava is a free fitness-tracking and social media app designed for runners and cyclists with three main features: Tracking, connecting, and competing. You can track your fitness via GPS within the app, or log it manually. Strava helps you connect with other people in your area who share the same fitness interests as you and it allows you to even discover local clubs and athletic challenges together or alone.
How do I track my exercise?
You can record your exercise and choose from a wide variety of exercise options like running, e-bike riding and canoeing, including things like distance, pace and details about how you felt about the experience. You can also create posts and add photos, in addition to exercise logs which are all saved to your personal feed. The app can also sync to devices, like your phone, GPS watch or heart rate monitor. You can even view your exercise stats for running, biking or swimming.
Who can I connect with?
You can follow other users on the app, as well as athletes who use the app, to see their posts, photos and workouts. Why not find Buckingham Park Run on the app and connect with them? Those who follow you can also see your activities, and give you “kudos” – Strava’s definition of Likes – or leave comments on a post of yours.
Can I compete?
Strava users can also use the “Explore” tab to find local challenges, like upcoming half-marathons, or compete against themselves or other local athletes using segments. The “Explore” tab is also where you’d be able to connect with local exercise clubs and organise activities.
How to get started?
- Download the app and click the “Open Strava” button to show the login site where you can then sign up.
- Once you’ve have created an account by entering some basic personal data, make sure to click “YES” to confirm that you allow location access for tracking your activities.
- Then choose the “Let’s go” button to continue into your dashboard area. Once you’ve done that, you are ready to start tracking and recording your activities.
Geocaching
Are you looking for an adventure? Or just a change from the same old scenery? Here are 3 steps to help you begin.
- Create an account online or through the Geocaching app to view a map of geocaches near you.
- Find a geocache by using the app to navigate to a geocache nearby. Don’t forget to bring a pen!
- Once you find the geocache, sign and date the logbook. Place the geocache back where you found it and log your experience online.
How it works?
Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Don’t act like you are too old for a treasure hunt, everyone needs a bit of fun once in a while! All you need to do is navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location. Then sign the logbook and return the geocache to its original location. It’s simple yet effective, brilliant for all of you that need an escape from a boring cycle and even more so for those of you that want some excitement back in your life. New and exciting should be the way forward!
Ingress
Ingress is a mobile app designed for all of you who enjoy to dream and game. The game takes place in a universe much similar to ours but there are some ultra-realistic and obvious differences along the way. Just like Pokémon Go, Ingress it based on geolocation and you interact with the environment around you.
What is Ingress App?
Ingress is an online game that lets you play with lots of people all at once. It is based on a sci-fi universe with a narrator that guides you around your local area to explore.
What is Ingress About?
The Ingress universe mostly acts like real life. However, within the game there seems to be mysterious aliens called Shapers. There isn’t much to know these shapers but one thing is for sure, they can be a serious threat to your online world!
Picture this; the battle takes place between the two factions, the Resistance and the Enlightened, and involves portals found at physical landmarks like monuments, historical buildings, and other places of importance. The point of this game is to capture, destroy, damage, link, recharge, or protect portals in your area. You can also battle other players of the opposing faction in real time, destroying or rebuilding portals and creating control fields.
What’s Ingress Gameplay Like?
First of all, the Ingress world is presented as a map of your actual surrounding area, without any markings or labels. On this map, you’ll be able to see all the portals, links, items, and control fields in the surrounding area. Your location is displayed as a small arrowhead that travels in real time with you.
This means that you walk around to collect items, strengthen portals, or try to destroy the enemy ones. The more active you are, the more action points you earn and the stronger your items will be. You’ll also be able to recharge portals for a longer time. You can also join in on missions, which include secret instructions!
You can also earn multi-tiered badges, going through the standard bronze to platinum and if you are good at the game, you have a chance to win the onyx badge, the highest-ranking tier. You will win a badge after proving your ability and loyalty to your faction. What a great way to win bragging rights from your friends by winning all the badges!
If you fancy something free, motivationally fun and spontaneous then these are some activities you need to try. Embrace life as we now know it and get back out there – safely of course – and feel like you again. Don’t do it for me, do it for yourself.