Sometimes the idea of getting up and moving can be daunting. Two years ago, this reviewer was no stranger to exercise, but let's just say it had been a while. The
Zombies, Run! (ZR) app really motivated us, and the story kept us interested in continuing to move, but we wanted something with a little more structure to push our boundaries to keep improving. Thankfully, developer Six to Start came out with
Zombies, Run 5K Training (ZR5K), which is similar to a Couch to 5K program. Two things set this app apart from other 5K training apps and programs: Firstly is the connection to the
Zombies, Run, and secondly it takes into account the needs of those of us who haven't been very active for a while.
As far as the story and production values go, it's everybody and everything you remember liking about Season One of
ZR, which will be releasing its fourth season
later this year. The story for the eight-week program takes place between episodes one and two, giving some explanation about how Runner 5 was brought up to speed (ha ha) and got to know the other citizens of Abel Township. There's even a little mystery that needs solving, which is referenced in Season 2 of
ZR. The user is expected to do three "missions" per week for eight weeks.
In the settings, the user can indicate if they want distances displayed in miles or kilometers, if they want their runs to be shared using
ZombieLink, and set several audio options. Before starting a mission, the user can manage music playback, and indicate if they want to track distance using GPS or the device's accelerometer. If, for whatever reason, you had to stop in the middle of a mission the last time you tried to run it, there will be a choice of starting from where the mission left off, or restarting from the beginning.
We mentioned Zombies, Run! 5K Training is "gentle," perhaps that's a bad word for it. Maybe "kind" is a better one. We're not going to lie here, this reviewer was in really bad shape. When we tried to do a Couch to 5K program, we couldn't do the one minute walk and 30 seconds of running because the muscles in our legs were super tight from all the sitting we did. Week one of
ZR5K starts off at one minute of walking, and 15 seconds of a slow jog. That we could manage, though it wasn't easy. The fact that it wasn't easy was a bit of a blow, but we could do it -- and that in itself was encouraging. Week two was when we really came to understand the app was on our side. The missions for week two were one minute of walking, 30 seconds of jogging,
and 10 "heel lifts."
A heel lift is an exercise for stretching out and strengthening calf muscles. Pain in our calves when trying to walk at anything faster than a casual amble was a major problem area for us, and clearly we're not alone in that. The addition to the heel lifts in the mission not only addresses that issue, but gave us a chance to catch our breath and stretch out our legs before starting the next rep.
Week three adds knee lifts, week four brings in fast walking in addition to slow walking and jogging, and so on. It's all very approachable, and throughout the whole thing you have Sam, Dr. Mayers, and Janine urging you on, giving you story, and letting you know how far you've come.
Zombies, Run! 5K Training costs $2
for iOS from iTunes and
for Android from the Google Play store.
Zombies, Run! 5K Training would be good for:
Anyone who is interested in getting up and moving, but afraid it will be too difficult. Completests who are fans of the
Zombies, Run! storyline will also enjoy this side-step storyline (see what we did there?).
Zombies, Run! 5k Training might not be for you if:
You just really don't enjoy Zombie-themed entertainment to such a degree that the meer mention of them makes your eyes roll right out of your head. In which case, we feel bad for you because you're really missing out, but there are other "get moving" type apps that may prove more your speed.
-- Michelle Elbert (
@mcelbert)
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