I recently started using AppAdvice Daily (iPhone). It lists a handful of apps that are free that day. They try to find apps that are a mixture of educational, entertaining, informative, and productive. It’s a nice variety, and I’ve found several that I like and have started using.
One of the “new” apps I’ve discovered is Seek. It seems to be the adult version of Pokemon Go. The goal is to seek out treasure chests that are scattered around various areas. The different boxes (common, rare, epic, and legendary) contain various prizes. There may be money, fragments of a prize, keys, points, and/or in app coins, among other items.
Of course the app inspires users to get out and walk and explore the environment (being careful of where you’re walking, of course). Today was my first time going out with the goal of walking and discovering chests. I took my girls out with me. Some chests were recently dropped in my neighborhood, so we went to collect them. I failed to consider the recent rains that we have had here. We got a bit muddy as we walked in fields to find these treasures. It was a great time, and we didn’t notice how far we were walking.
The drawback of course is the battery drain. We went out 2 different times today, and the first time I did not have a full charge on my phone. Needless to say it drained my battery before our walk was finished. The frustrating part was Peanut was in the middle of trying to capture a rare chest when the phone died. It was her first time trying to capture a chest by herself. I did get the chest later in the afternoon when I went back out with Lil Bit.
Next time, I need to make sure I have a full battery, bring my pocket charger, and I have disabled the music and other add-ons that enhance the app. (I looked up the apps’ website to figure out how to slow the battery drain.) I really would like to explore some other neighborhoods just to walk and capture different chests. In my neighborhood, I don’t have to watch the girls as closely, but in different ones I would have to be more aware. I think Peanut may be more willing to operate the app for me next time so I can walk and pay attention to the environment.
It’s a fun program and a good motivation to get out and move. It’s not a traditional fitness app, and I have no idea if it really pays out or not. I really don’t care about the prizes; it’s a reason for the girls and I to get outside and take some steps. I don’t mind the chests being off the road, but we were not prepared for trekking through muddy fields today.
To learn more about Seek, click here. Seek is for both iPhone and Android. If you need a little motivation to get outside, check out Seek. Who knows, maybe we’ll get some prizes if we do this enough, which is an added bonus to the walking, fresh air, and family time.
Part of the motivation for using the app is to start improving the health of both me and Peanut. My work is very physical for me and frequently exhausts me. Thankfully work is only part time. I need to work on increasing my stamina in order to survive the work day without being totally exhausted. If I can go to the gym some and Seek some, maybe work won’t trigger so many flare ups and exhaustion. I’m trying to find more holistic approaches to treating my fibromyalgia so I won’t need prescription intervention as much.
I also recently learned that Peanut’s health is deteriorating. She is only 10 years old, yet her cholesterol is really bad. She continues to gain weight and is at high risk for developing diabetes. Her dad does not encourage smart food choices when she’s there. I’m starting to limit the poor choice options available here at home. It’s hard for me to encourage fitness for her when I struggle to move so much. I really hope this will help both of us and set an example for Lil Bit and hopefully prevent her from having these struggles as she gets older.
~ Maybe, when I grow up
Maybe, when I grow up.... 