Guest Blog - Using apps for motivation – my experience

Reaching a goal is important to a person. Big or small? The exhilarating sensation of achieving something is worth all the hard work. Motivation and encouragement are very useful when it comes to achieving goals. Though the human role is important in motivation, technology can play a big part. They can come from apps too!
 
A few months ago, I took part in Swim22 for Diabetes UK. I was to swim 1416 lengths (22 miles) in 3 months, which is the length of the English Channel! That seemed quite difficult. Blimey, it was a challenge, but you need to challenge yourself. Right? 
I decided to download an app in which I was able to log swims, set goals and acquire tips to better swimming. The Diabetes UK swim was one of featured goals so I enrolled it as my aim. 

Every time I swam I would log my distance. Seeing what I had left was very motivational and much, much better than doing excessive maths. I mean, this is swimming for charity, not maths. They had even marked the distance on the map and where I was in the sea at all times. It was exciting looking at me drifting through the water. There was a story which developed.

As it came to the end of my Swim22, I continued logging my distances and I noticed, looking back at the start, I was doing distances that I thought I could never do.

The app motivated me to finish my goal and looking back, I couldn't have done it without it. Though my charity swim is over, I continue to swim long distances for fitness. I always set a goal and use this app to map my progress. Currently, I`m swimming the Great Barrier Reef. There are links to instructional videos which I use to improve my technique.

I do believe apps can play a big positive role in health and fitness related goals. I recommend  you to try it and if you have already done it please do share your experience with me.

Author - Rona Bhattacharya is a 11-year-old school student in the UK. She is an avid blogger, published author and poet.She is an accomplished dancer and singer.She is an endurance swimmer and a PADI certified SCUBA diver. She has been the Sports Ambassador of her school and won the Excellence Award for being the best student. Being very conscious of social issues, she has organised fundraisers and has swum 22 miles, the length of the English Channel in the swimming pool for Diabetes UK to raise awareness for children with diabetes. She is a keen actress and has recently performed in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

---