Recently a good friend of mine decided to get healthy. Below is a little taste of a trick Alan Danzis is using to stay on track. Thanks for contributing Alan!
Anyone who knows me knows I’ve been on a health kick the last three to four months: lots of salads for lunch and dinner, going for walks after every meal (especially dinner) even going to the gym—for the first time since college!
It can be tough to keep a crazy routine like that up if you were so un-exercise-ey for so long as I have been. (Especially when you cut the caffeine out and your irritability probably climbs.) So where possible, I decided to make my new healthy routine into a bit of a game.
To keep myself on those walks after meals, I not only take my iPod Touch with me and listen to some nerdy podcast like the Joystiq Podcast, but I also tie my walks to badges I can earn for Foursquare.
If you’re unaware, Foursquare is a mobile application that allows you to virtually check-in to locations: parks, restaurants, office buildings, subway stations, etc. If you check in the most, you become the mayor. You can also earn certain virtual merit badges such as “Gym Rat” for checking into the gym 10 times in 30 days.
As I said, I recently started tying my walks to badges I could earn. I started by walking to the Apple store from work – about a twenty minute walk – three times to earn the “Jobs” badge.
Then, I started walking to the dog park in Hoboken (where I live) to earn the “Dog’s Best Friend” badge. You get that by checking into a dog park at least 10 times over thirty days.
Now, I’m after the “Pizzaiola” badge which is earned by checking into twenty different pizza places. That can be quite difficult. I’m not going to eat a slice in every one – that would be pretty unhealthy – instead I buy a bottle of water. I’ve knocked out four pizzerias in Hoboken in the last few days and believe I’m on track to earn the badge by the end of the month.
A little weird, yes, very nerdy, yes, but I’ve found my incorporation of Foursquare badge earning is yet another way to keep me on my goal of leading a healthier lifestyle.
Leave a comment below and tell us what crazy things you do to keep your exercise routine up. If you’re a Foursquare user and have a great idea for what badge for me to tackle after “pizzaiola.” Or, you can always hit me on Twitter at @adanzis.
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Alan,
I have just awarded you the Body-brain Boogie badge on my blog for inspiring fitness in fun ways. Best,
Jeff
Thanks for the additional comments everyone! And Desiree, unfortunately, I just got the Babysitter badge; otherwise, that would be the one I would go for next!
[...] Foursquare kann sogar dazu genutzt werden, die eigene Fitness zu steigern – wie in diesem Blog-Post eines Foursquare-Users zu lesen [...]
GREAT IDEA!! Love it.
@kellyolexa
If you go out before 5:30 am to walk/run (as I did once), you can earn the out late on a school night badge. Good luck and great idea, from one nerd to another!
Hi Alan,
Thanks for the tips…. its hard for me going for walk after every meal..but I’ll try.
What a great way to earn foursquare badges! Another one to aim for would be the Babysitter badge for going to 10 different parks tagged playground! Can’t wait to hear more about your healthy adventure.
Its amazing as technology adapts, we adapt with it… As some may argue that technology makes us lazier, you have leveraged technology to your healthier lifestyle! Great Job! Not to sound “sellish”, but if your looking to drop some pounds, try a natural supplement… It boosts your metabolism and make you feel more energetic
That’s a great tip Stephanie! But alas, I earned that badge about three months or so ago. That’s a really fun idea though…
If you haven’t already gotten the Photo Booth badge, you could try for that one. Take pics of yourself at the locations and you could photodocument your travels.
Thanks femmebot! I have an iPod touch, but I do have a pedometer. I haven’t found I’ve needed it yet.
The Banker one is a good suggestion. Maybe I’ll tackle that one in September.
I do the same thing too! You may want to consider switching to the iPod nano so you can use the pedometer function in tandem. It logs your walking activity via NikePlus so you can really see your progress over time.
Also, there’s the new-ish walkway to Newport, JC by the Hoboken lightrail which is a really pleasant walk this time of the year. (Plus you get added venues on the other side of the walkway.)
I’d suggest tackling the WSJ Banker badge next. SoHo to Wall St. is a good walk and you can catch the WTC PATH home.
Thanks for the heads up, Joe! So far, I am ONLY checking into actual pizzerias. I think I have like six more left in Hoboken before I have to start thinking about doing it in Manhattan.
I think this is a really cool idea Alan.
And, for the first time, I think your nerdyness has given me something I can do as well.
I’m gonna check in with you to get some more tips
Wow, this is definitely nerdy – but good use of exercise to earn badges. You should talk to foursquare about making a badge for exercising outside the gym.
BTW – don’t be surprised if you don’t get the Pizzaiola badge after 20 different pizza places. I’ve been chasing that badge for a while. Turns out the venue’s main category has to be pizza, not just tagged pizza.
And my comment might be nerdier than Alan’s post.