Fogbreaker
Joel Renk
Joel is the co-founder of Fogbreaker, the gamified step tracker that turns everyday walks into an adventure. He writes about walking, building better habits, and the product decisions behind the app, always looking for ways to make moving your body feel less like exercise and more like play. When he is not shipping features, he is out testing new routes and clearing the fog off his own map.
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Articles by Joel Renk
13 articles·7 min read
Rucking for Beginners: How to Start Walking With Weight (and Actually Stick With It)
Rucking for beginners: what it is, how much weight to start with, its benefits, how many calories it burns versus walking, and how to actually stick with it.
#walking#fitness#health·4 min read
Japanese Walking: The Interval Method Everyone's Trying in 2026 (and How to Do It)
Japanese walking, or interval walking training, means 3 minutes slow and 3 minutes fast, five times over. Here's what it is, the science behind it, and how to do it right.
#walking#fitness#health·5 min read
What Is Flâneuring? The Art of Aimless Walking (and Why Your Brain Loves It)
Flâneuring is the art of walking with no destination, just curiosity. Here's what flânerie is, why aimless walking is so good for your brain, and how to start.
#walking#exploration#motivation·5 min read
Why Does My Phone Not Count All My Steps? (And Why Two Apps Never Agree)
Why does your phone miss steps, and why do two apps show different counts? Here's how phone step tracking actually works, how accurate GPS really is, and how to get the most reliable count.
#walking#tracking#gps·4 min read
How Many Calories Does Walking Burn? (Plus a Free Calculator)
How many calories does walking burn? Use our free walking calorie calculator, then see what drives the number: your weight, distance, pace, and terrain, plus how many calories 10,000 steps burns.
#walking#health#fitness·6 min read
How to Walk Every Street in Your City: A Practical Guide to the Every Single Street Challenge
Want to walk every street in your city? A practical, step-by-step guide to the every-single-street challenge: pick your boundary, track progress, plan efficient routes, and actually finish.
#walking#exploration#motivation·5 min read
The Benefits of Walking Every Day: What a Daily Walk Actually Does to Your Body
The real benefits of walking every day, backed by research: what a daily walk does for your heart, weight, blood sugar, mood, and brain, plus how many steps you actually need.
#walking#health#motivation·4 min read
How to Find New Walking Routes Near You: 9 Ways to Break Out of the Same Old Loop
Bored of the same loop? Here are 9 simple ways to find new walking routes near you: smarter map tools, loop planning, green corridors, and letting a destination pick the path.
#walking#exploration#routes·5 min read
6 Walking Apps That Turn Steps Into a Game (2026)
The best gamified walking apps that turn steps into a game, from Pokémon GO to fog-of-war explorers. What each one does best, and which fits how you actually walk.
#walking#gamification#apps·5 min read
Step Challenge Ideas: 12 Ways to Get Friends, Family & Coworkers Walking More
Most step challenges fizzle because the same person always wins. Here are 12 step challenge ideas for friends, family, and coworkers, with rules and prizes.
#walking#gamification#motivation·4 min read
Fog of War, But for Real Life: How a Walking App Reveals Your City One Street at a Time
Strategy games hide the map behind a fog of war. A new kind of walking app does the same for real life, revealing your city street by street as you explore on foot.
#walking#exploration#gamification·4 min read
How to Make Walking Fun: 15 Ways to Actually Look Forward to Your Daily Walk
Walking gets boring fast. Here are 15 simple ways to make walking fun: gamify your steps, find fresh routes, add friendly challenges, and you'll actually go.
#walking#motivation#gamification·1 min read
Welcome to the Fogbreaker blog
Why we walk, why we gamified it, and what you can expect from this blog: walking tips, product updates, and stories from the trail.
#walking#gamification#announcements
Turn your next walk into an adventure
Reveal your city as you walk, earn XP, and climb the leaderboard with friends. Free on iOS and Android.
