I have found at my new job, working in a smaller office space, that I walk less than I used to. Given that I have a desk job, I already don’t move enough during the day. I was occasionally walking before lunch at my old job, but needed some extra push to get there at my new job.
Enter Pokémon Go, which I installed when it first came out, then ignored for about two years. I recently re-installed it on my new(-er… just under two years) phone, and logged in. I initially installed it for parenting reasons… checking to see if it was appropriate for my daughter to play. I think I reached level 3 before giving up; I had a new house and things to do here (unpack, assemble furniture, repeat as needed), as well as a job and karate. When I upgraded my phone a couple months later, I didn’t bother re-installing it. Until now.
I walked at lunch a couple days, but found I needed a bit more of a stretch, and something to make it more interesting, since I was walking the same loop each time. By installing Pokémon Go, I’m encouraging myself to walk farther – the nearest in game stops and gyms are close to a mile away. On the other hand, I can’t really walk that far at lunch and still have time to eat… so I do that walk on mornings when I have a bit of free time before work (due to my shorter commute). When I only have time for a shorter walk, the old loop still works for hunting Pokémon, I just have to be careful not to run out of pokéballs, which you need to catch the critters. You can pick up more of those at gyms, stops, and in gifts from your friends. In each of those cases, the selection of items is random. The random selection at stops and gyms also includes gifts that you can send to friends. Every gift exchange increases your friendship levels; increased levels have in-game benefits.
The critters you encountered appear to be randomized too, some days you encounter more of one type than the other. Of course, being Pokémon, the goal is to collect them all, but some are harder to find than others… including some that are country-specific, so you pick them up when you travel or you trade with friends. Anyways, it’s an entertaining addition to outside walks, though it doesn’t work on a treadmill unless you have an Apple watch.