One hundred days on from the Commonwealth Games a new App has been launched to ensure the legacy of the games lives on. Ramblers Scotland developed the free App to inspire everyone in Scotland to be more active in their daily lives, helping to combat the severe consequences of inactivity.
With physical inactivity resulting in 2,500 premature deaths in Scotland every year, Ramblers Scotland has created a way to get everyone in the country more active.
The Medal Routes App provides people with hundreds of walking routes across Scotland, as well as encouraging users to set goals and track their progress, keeping people motivated to be active.
Ramblers Scotland Medal Routes Project Officer, Rob Burns, said:
“It is clear that we need to find innovative ways to get more people active in a way that fits easily into their daily lives. Medal Routes does exactly that.
“It allows people to find walking routes near them that they can walk at their convenience. The routes are circular and have three different levels, allowing people to choose how long they want to walk for, perfect for a lunchtime stroll or post-work walk.
“The App also allows people to set targets - a proven way to keep people motivated. From choosing to walk the length of the West Highland Way to simply burning enough calories to treat themselves to a slice of cake, there’s something that everyone can aim for.
“The Medal Routes App is a starting point on the path to a fitter, healthier lifestyle. We want to see as many people as possible using the App to walk towards a happier nation.”
Not only are there over 400 walking routes on the Medal Routes App, it also allows people to develop their own routes and share these with other users.
App users can get competitive too, people will gain medals each time they walk a route and gain points, which contribute to their score on the Medal Routes leader board. Users can challenge friends and family and track each other’s scores to see who is in the lead.
The Medal Routes App was funded by Ordnance Survey during their GeoVation Challenge to encourage more people to lead active lifestyles.
Viv Alexander, GeoVation Community and Events Manager for Ordnance Survey commented:
“The Medal Routes App from Ramblers Scotland was chosen as a winner of the GeoVation Challenge as we were excited by its potential to encourage people to take up walking and make it a regular habit. It’s a great App that already has hundreds of routes for people to choose from, all of which are displayed using Ordnance Survey mapping. We are looking forward to seeing many people in Scotland using the app to lead healthier active lifestyles”.
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Notes to editors
- Medal Routes are short circular walks that start and finish within local communities and are all less than 3 miles long. Routes are split into three groups; Bronze (approx. 15 minute walks) Silver (approx. 30 minute walks) and Gold (approx. 60 minute walks). For people without smartphones, the Medal Routes are also available to download online.
- The Medal Routes App is free to download on all Apple and Android devices and can be found through the App Store or by downloading online.
- Medal Routes is funded by Scottish Natural Heritage, Path for All and Ramblers Holidays Charitable Trust. The mobile App was funded by Ordnance Survey.
- The App had a soft launch prior to the 100 days launch and over 1,500 people have downloaded it during this period and are enjoying using all the fantastic features and walking with the App.
- The Medal Routes project has been funded for another two years and will continue to create new routes all over Scotland.
