Ground Miles app launched by Bupa, makes fitness tracking social

Fitness enthusiasts now have yet another option to track their daily walks and runs. Ground Miles is a new app developed by Bupa which is the company behind Max Bupa and is meant to encourage you to walk a bit more. Makes sense coming from a health insurance brand! The app was launched in association with the World Health Federation and is a ‘personalized and motivational’ walking app. The application uses GPS to keep a track of the distance you’ve walked and even helps you locate walking routes.

What sets it apart from the wide range of similar apps available out there is the social bent to the app. The app helps you find walking clubs, compare scores against family members and friends. There’s the usual stats like walking quotient, number of steps taken, distance walked and calories burnt. The Ground Miles app also has a gamification angle to it where it awards badges on the basis of goals crossed. 

We tried out the app briefly and it works as advertised. The feature set is fairly basic and you might not be too keen to shift over if you’re already vested in a fitness tracking system. The gamification bent to it and the social features do seem interesting though. The Bupa Ground Miles app is available on both Android and iOS via the links below. The complete feature set is mentioned below:

Track your activity
- Track your indoor and outdoor walking – your distance and also your pace across three simple levels: active, walk and run
- Track your daily, weekly and total walking distances in miles or kilometres

Earn badges
- Get walking to earn visible and surprise badges as you reach your goals (and burn calories!)
- New Ground Miles badges* are added regularly, including unique badges for the casual walker, the early morning riser, and those who walk in their local park. *Some badges require GPS

Walk together and stay social
- Join or create virtual walking groups with friends or family anywhere in the world and see your collective miles accumulate
- Share your badges and walking milestones with friends via social media including Facebook and Twitter

Tailor and monitor your walking goals
- Set your own daily or weekly goals
- Use the interactive in-App map, using your phone’s native map functionality, to see where you could walk to reach your goal
- Receive personalised motivation cards based on your walking routine

Personalise your experience
- Enter your age, height, weight, gender and step length for a more personalised experience (but not required before you get going)
- Personalise your Ground Miles app background by using your favourite photo – or add any amazing sights you see while walking

Join the challenge
- The World Heart Federation and Bupa have formed a global partnership to get the world walking, to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (includes heart disease and stroke).
- On World Heart Day they are launching a global walking challenge called Ground Miles Challenge. The global target is to walk 5 million miles (approximately 8 million kilometres).
- People who download the Ground Miles app and achieve their Ground Miles Challenge badge will have the chance to win prizes along the way (terms and conditions apply).
- Together, when we achieve 5 million miles, our collective efforts will unlock Bupa funding to World Heart Federation programmes that protect thousands of children from heart failure and early death, as a result of Rheumatic Heart Disease.

[Via - Play Store | App Store]