I've been advised to make at least 10k steps a day, but how to make it an habit ? 🤨

We all know the benefits of walking – it’s great for your physical and mental well-being. But sometimes, fitting in those recommended 10,000 steps a day can feel like a chore. You might find yourself walking aimlessly around the block, or stuck on a treadmill, bored out of your mind. I've had the same problem, and that's why I decided to build a solution.

The Challenge: Finding a Motivating Walking Routine

Like many, I was advised to aim for at least 10,000 steps daily. The biggest hurdle wasn’t the walking itself, but the lack of a clear, engaging routine. I wanted a way to combine my daily steps with exploring the city, but none of the existing apps seemed to offer what I needed: a path that starts and ends at the same point, creating a looped walking route that would naturally help me hit my goal.

The Solution: 10K Step Path Generator

Frustrated by the lack of options, I decided to create my own. The result is the 10K Step Path Generator, an open-source app designed to help you achieve your daily step goals by generating personalized looped walking routes.

How It Works:

The app is designed to make reaching your 10,000 step goal simple and fun:

1. Personalized Step Length: You start by entering your height and gender. The app uses this information to calculate your step length, which ensures that the generated routes are tailored to you.

2. Looped Path Generation: Using the OpenRouteService API, the app calculates a looped path that starts and ends at your current location. The path length is automatically adjusted based on your desired step count and step length, guaranteeing that you walk the distance you need to reach your goal.

3. Interactive Map Preview: The route is displayed on an interactive Leaflet map, allowing you to preview the path and terrain. (screenshot)

4. GPX Download: For offline navigation, you can download the route as a GPX file, perfect for using with fitness trackers and apps.

5. Persistent Storage: Your saved routes are stored locally using IndexedDB, so you can easily revisit your favorite paths.

Key Features:

• Personalized Routes: Tailored to your step length, for accurate step goal achievement.

• Interactive Map: Preview routes visually before you go.

• GPX Export: Download routes for offline use.

• Offline Storage: Save your favorite routes directly in your browser.

• Open Source: Available on GitHub, feel free to contribute!

• Free to use: The app is available at 10k-steps.itishermann.me

Getting Started:

1. Visit the website: Go to 10k-steps.itishermann.me in your browser.

2. Enter your height and gender: The app will calculate your step length.

3. Set your step goal: The default is 10,000 steps but you can adjust it as you see fit.

4. Generate your route: The app creates a looped walking path tailored to your step goal, starting and ending at your current location.

5. Preview the route: Check the map to see where your walk will take you.

6. Download: Download the GPX file.

7. Start walking! Open the GPX track in your preferred app (I'd personally recommend Komoot, they even have a tutorial on importing a GPX file) and hit the path and start working toward your daily step target.

Tech Stack
The app is built using:

• Bun: a fast JavaScript runtime

• Next.js: for the React framework

• Tailwind CSS: for styling

• OpenRouteService API: for pathfinding

• Leaflet.js: for map visualization

• Dexie.js: for local storage

Why I Built It

I built this app because I believe that fitness should be integrated into daily life, not something you need to force yourself into. By creating a tool that generates enjoyable, looped walking routes, I hope to encourage others to make walking a regular part of their routine.

Open Source and Contributions

The 10K Step Path Generator is open-source, meaning the code is available for anyone to view, use, and contribute to. If you’re interested in seeing how it works under the hood or want to suggest improvements, you can find the project on GitLab.

Join the Movement

Ready to make your 10,000 steps more enjoyable and engaging? Give the 10K Step Path Generator a try and start exploring your city, one loop at a time!