A lot has happened since the “Move your CORE” project was launched nearly a year ago. Using the Komoot app, physiotherapy student Jan Sonnek helps you discover the area around Heidelberg.
Coming from Münster, Jan is actually more used to flat terrain, but that didn’t stop his love of mountains. Having accompanied his parents on many trips to the Alps, he is also very fond of hillier landscape, and, as we all know, there’s plenty of that at the edge of the Odenwald mountain range – not only ascents towards Königstuhl and Heiligenberg, but also long flat stretches along the Neckar and through fields offer a wide range of options for hiking, cycling and running. So it was only logical for the student, who’s constantly on the go, to introduce his fellow students to the natural surroundings and encourage them to discover the area for themselves – via Komoot. He has already posted 12 routes on the app, which you’ll find via the “Freunde finden” (Find friends) button under the name “Jan – Move your CORE”. “Especially in times of a pandemic, with many of us spending long hours in front of the computer, it’s so important for us to exercise to compensate for the sedentary nature of studying from home,” explained Jan Sonnek, who also happens to be a lifeguard and qualified ski instructor.
“Move your CORE” is an interdisciplinary project run by students from the faculties of Therapeutic Sciences and Applied Psychology. Students can register for a variety of workshops or make their own suggestions about how to encourage more exercise – particularly in these times. During the Welcome Days, first-year students had the opportunity to try out a few exercises, which went down well.
This offer by Jan Sonnek from the “Move your CORE” team is also of an interdisciplinary nature: following routes that take them around SRH, the Komoot “globetrotters” will soon be able to combine physiotherapy workout exercises at special places along the route (meditation bases) with mental training sessions, as students see fit. Participants can use the WhatsApp group (https://chat.whatsapp.com/EUWLFV7p3Zh3S2KYUu0XIU) to share routes, find new friends and suggest their own routes.
To make the “Move your CORE” tours even more appealing to you, we’ll showcase individual tours over the next few weeks. We begin today with the almost 3,5 km long rhododendron tour:
Starting off in the Old Town, where Gaisbergstraße meets Hans-Böckler-Straße, take the steps and forest trails up to Gaisberg Tower. Gaisberg, Königstuhl’s “little brother”, overlooks the Old Town. Continue your ascent, stopping for a break at the Sprunghütte, to the rhododendron garden, a very special section of the route creating a sea of colour. Many trails wind along the mountain railway to the grand finale – a breathtaking view from Königstuhl overlooking Heidelberg and the Rhine Valley. The route finally takes you down the Himmelsleiter steps until you reach the castle gardens.
Enjoy the trail – we look forward to hearing about your experiences on this or any other tour!
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