I’m sure you’ve heard by now that those of us who sit for long hours during the day raise our risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and early death.
I generally spend time every day exercising in some way before settling down at my desk to work. Clearly that’s not enough.
Those who engage in regular physical activity but still spend a large proportion of their day in sedentary activity were found, on average, to be 30% less likely to die of any cause in a given period than were those who get little to no exercise. But even those who punctuate a long day of sitting with a vigorous workout were estimated to be 16% more likely to die of any cause in a given time than were those who do not sit for long.
It’s time to get up from that desk and head outside for a hike.
Hiking is such a simple way to enjoy the great outdoors alone, with your family or with friends.
You don’t have to hike Mount Everest. Hiking can be as simple as a 20 minute walk on a nearby trail or as challenging as a full day hike up the side of a mountain.
If you’re getting hiking push-back from your family try using one of these apps to persuade your kids to enjoy hiking and the outdoors as much as you do.
Geocaching (FREE)
This is our favorite way to explore on a hike or when traveling. Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location. There are Geocaches hidden all around the world. The treasure could be a toy, pencil, stickers or something else . We’ve also hidden a few Geocaches of our own. You will need to create an account HERE to play.
iNaturalist (FREE)
iNaturalist provides a place to record and organize nature findings, meet other nature enthusiasts, and learn about the natural world. Once you log in to the app you’re able to record what you see along the hike.
Bird ID app (FREE)
See a bird that you don’t recognize? This app will ask you five simple questions about a bird you are trying to identify and then come up with a list of possible matches in North America.
MyNature Animal Tracks ($1.99)
MyNature Animal Tracks will help you identify animal tracks on your hike. Search by track size and shape in seven different illustrated categories to identify over 46 animals across North America. You can also access digital images of animals and listen to each animal’s vocalization.
How do you make hiking fun for the entire family?
P.S. If you liked this post you might enjoy our Groovy Green Livin Newsletter. Receive new posts and special opportunities delivered right to your inbox! Sign up HERE.
photo credit: Trailmix.Net via photopin cc
I have really been wanting to go for a hike lately. We have never done geocaching but I am sure the kids would love it. And at least one of them is really interested in birds so we might have to give those two apps a try. Thanks for the suggestions.
These are such great resources, Lori! We’ll be spending a lot of time up north this summer and there are so many hiking trails. I’m going to save these apps to give them a try!
Sara V recently posted..Protect Your Children Against Sun and Bugs
One more educational app for kids is Spyglass. it is a perfect tool to teach kids safely explore outdoors, train the sense of direction and make sure that they will find their way wherever they are. It’s a favorite “toy” of my kids that keeps them occupied outdoors rather than in front of TV or computer. https://itunes.apple.com/app/spyglass/id332639548?mt=8&at=11lLc7&ct=c
We have never done geocaching – but I’ve been wanting to try it. Think my boys would love!
Micaela @MindfulMomma recently posted..Shop Smarter & Healthier with Shopswell {Giveaway!}
My kids would LOVE the animal tracks one. Thanks for pointing it out!
Totally saving this!!! We love hiking but our kids, not so much. I downloaded a geocaching app but never got around to trying it. Thanks for the push and the additional suggestions.
Green Bean recently posted..Why We Need To Regulate Environmental Issues
Very cool! I will be linking to this post very soon : ) all the research on sitting is scary. Even exercising daily is not enough!
Betsy (Eco-novice) recently posted..30 Minutes in Nature Every Day with My Kids: Week 1 of the #30x30challenge
The inaturalist app sounds really cool. We do something similar to geocaching called letterboxing which feels more like a treasure hunt.
These are all great ideas but I try not to look at my phone when I’m outdoors. Most of the time, the reception is bad in the woods anyway. But planning out the hike and looking for ways better my experience before the hike would be a great idea! Thx for sharing!
Good point Karen-it’s much better to enjoy the great outdoors without any electronics!Unfortunately when you have kids who aren’t into hiking it’s sometimes better to offer up alternatives that let everyone else enjoy the hike. Geocaching is amazing- you’re only using coordinates when you’re hiking to find the treasure.
These are so fun! Thank you for posting this, I am definitely going to get these for taking hikes with my family this summer!!
I love Geocaching. I haven’t tried the others but they sound great. When I hike though I try to keep digital to a minimum and try to get back to nature.
Margie S recently posted..What is the Best Cardio Machine to Burn Calories?
Good thing I came across your posts before hitting the road up North for a trail hike with my family this weekend. Hiking has been a part of our family bonding activity lately. Geocaching sounds interesting, as well as Bird ID app. Have I told you my husband loves identifying birds when we’re off the road? I’m sure he’ll love this app! Thanks and have fun hiking, too!
Cool apps, thanks for sharing. If your happen to have toddlers 2.5 y/o + up to 60lbs, try Piggyback Rider – a kid carrier backpack that is made of high quality buckles and enjoy while hiking, touring, shopping, walking, watching, exploring, wandering, bonding at amusement parks, carnival, sporting events, malls, markets and everywhere else you may go !
Piggyback Rider recently posted..Family Travel Association 2015 Member
What neat apps, these would make hiking more fun, thank you for sharing these!