how does active 10 help you?

[otstudent1]

I am a Occupational Therapy student and looking for peoples personal experience of using the app

[UnfitNoMore]

I was running 3 days a week and getting around 100 of the recommended 150 minutes of cardio exercise a week in before I discovered Active 10. Now I have the active 10 app I can add 120 minutes to that with little extra effort as during the C25K plan my walking speed was naturally increasing. Since I started making sure I hit all 3 10s a day (sometimes more) I can really feel the difference in my daily life. My mood is now better on non running days, my wife says I’m a lot less grumpy when I’m not allowed to run! It’s also helped me mentally as I tend to walk alone, and I get the headspace/me time that I need. My running has improved since I found active 10... my legs feel so much better... when I did my long runs previously I knew I was going to ache a little the day after... what I didn’t realise is rest doesn’t take those aches away anywhere near as well as a good brisk walk.

I can see the differences in my health despite being a runner and I’m now reassured that if I have to stop running for any length of time or, god forbid, permanently I can still get myself into the cardio zone and maintain my health and fitness.

I’ve always been a walker, but I never considered pace. I was slow, but I enjoyed being out in all weathers. Before I started running, all my walking wasn’t helping my general fitness much, I could still get out of breath picking up laundry. The changes in 9 months have been dramatic, and active 10 has delivered so much extra to me over the last month or so.

Hope this is ok... my current fitness and happiness is the product of 3 NHS supported plans, C25K, Active 10 and Strength and Flex... it took me 30 years to become a true unfit couch potato and yet only a few months to be fitter than I was as a kid... I’ll never be as fast, but my endurance is much much higher.

[Hidden]

Hi otstudent1. I don't use the app, I just follow the Active 10 plan with the aid of my watch for timing and my brain for counting! I've been walking for nearly 2 years now and Active 10 has changed my life - perhaps even saved my life! Good luck with your studies!

[Realfoodieclub]

Feel free to read posts about how useful people have found the app but if you want to do a survey you have to ask permission from Healthunlocked.

[GoogleMe]

I found the app didn't really suit me so I gave up - I found it demoralising if a session didn't 'count' and it was another thing to think about/eat battery life. But the concept I do find useful - I have a Fitbit which just detects what I am up to automatically and aim for 5 days a week, and often manage 7. Self care means that forcing myself to 7 isn't always appropriate but equally, if I don't make 5, it is a sign that my life has too much other stuff in it.