Love it or hate it Technology is here to stay and this year at Purplebeck we are embracing it both as a way to keep folk safe and to aid research. So, DON’T SWITCH off from this article because we have two APPS that could save you and others from illness or a serious incident in the future. We also have two concepts more that will help improve how walking is used for health and fitness in the future.

What3words – We have been using this App when doing our route planning and reccies and we love it! In simple terms it has mapped the whole world and divided it in to 3 metres squares which all have a random three word ‘tag’ applied to them. Now embraced by the Emergency services, the App which was originally designed as a way to share your location with others, is a simple way to pinpoint exactly where you are. This article explains it in detail

We would love as many of you as possible download the App this year because Purbeck is an area of low signal and it’s great to have the option of a number of networks in the event of an incident. This will support our leaders who we do advise to use the App. When you arrive at the Festival you will see the local Coastguard teams who are on standby 24/7 and agree the App is a great way for them to locate folk who get into difficulty in remote areas.

We will have a prize for the first person to locate a very special point at the HUB too so check out your Festival Guide to fond out more

LymeApp

Purbeck is known to have a high risk of Lyme Disease as a result of tick bites so we have invited Lyme Disease Action to be at the Festival this year. Lyme Disease is a real issue for walkers and it pays to know how to avoid and manage the risks. If you do get bitten, the LymeApp will help with vital research and the message is that taking early action will reduce the risk of the disease taking hold – for more information this article from the I newspaper is very informative and if you do get bitten or find a tick please use the App. You can follow Lyme Disease Action on Facebook to stay up to date too

NEW E poles and App

Forget the Fit Bit or your tracking APP – How about poles that can not only record the usual activity/steps etc but also the effectiveness of your armswing and the additional exercise benefits more effective upper body engagement can provide.

Join Gianpietro Beltramello the CEO of Gabel Poles (pictured) who has invested in this new technology which is providing amazing feedback on movement patterns and pole technique. It will transform how poles are used for fitness and rehabilitation which is why NWUK are delighted to be involved.

The technology is at trial stage so this workshop will provide vital feedback for the team –  come along and be part of the development of next big thing in fitness walking! The workshop has been added to the schedule on Sunday morning. 

THE SIX MINUTE WALK TEST GOES DIGITAL – help with the research

Want to measure your walking fitness at the Purbeck Festival? NWUK is supporting researchers at Strathclyde University in the development of a new app designed to determine walking fitness, and particularly improvements in fitness through following a fitness programme – such as your nordic walking!

The test is really simple: you download the app onto your phone (sorry, Android-users only at this time); enter a few very basic details; click Start and walk (no poles!) as far as you can in 6 minutes on flat ground.

The 6 Minute Walk Test is a very well researched measure of walking fitness. The aim of the new app is to make the measurement of distance much easier to record than in standard 6MW tests (which rely on walking back and forwards between cones set 20m apart). This should be of interest to anyone who adheres to a walking or Nordic walking programme and would like to measure their improvements. The greatest opportunity, however, may be in encouraging new walkers within community programmes and medical settings. NWUK is supporting the development of this app as it realises the huge public health benefit of motivating those starting out on a walking programme.

If you’d like to measure your 6-minute walking distance, and support the development of the app, come along to the main Hub at any time. We’ll have instructions available for downloading the app and how to perform the test effectively. We’ll then set you on your way! We’re keen to know walking distances achieved, so we’ll ask you to bring your results back to the Hub. It’s not a competition but a personal measure: we’d be really interested in you performing the same test at Purbeck Festival 2020 and seeing your improvements!

If you’d like to download the app before the festival, go to the Google Play Store and search for: 6MW app (the app should appear with this specific search term – to ensure you have the right app, the designer is Mobiquitous Mark)

Lets get teccy and embrace all thats new as we enjoy the age old joy of walking!

https://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/