Nowadays, with the advancement of technology and the advent of smartphones, running has become a lot more interesting than before thanks to the running apps used by millions of people around the world. Let’s take a look at the 5 best running apps below to help you get more excited and easily complete your goals.
How to choose the best running apps?
Because running apps have different focuses, it can be helpful to ask yourself what you’re looking to add to your workout before you swipe to the app store. This can help you narrow down which features are important to you, so you can choose a running app that melds with what you want to experience with your workouts.
For some people, the main draw of a running app is adding a community.
An interactive running app that lets you connect with other runners may be a good choice. Having a community alongside you may help give you the boost you need to get your workout started on days you want to give the effort, but are feeling a little unmotivated to get going.
Other running apps bring the workout (or even the run coach) to you, which can be helpful both to beginners who are looking to get started and more advanced runners who want to get faster or otherwise up the game on their training.
These apps can be great to help provide direction before a run. You can open up an app and decide what you want to get into that day, whether it’s more mindful running with a motivational coach, or a guided interval workout. Plus, guided sessions can provide helpful tips, like running form cues, that can make you a better runner.
Or maybe you want your running app to be a bit more passive—meaning, it provides an awesome way for you to zone out, turn off your mind, and just enjoy your run.
A running app that uses music or podcasts may be a good choice for you in those cases. In fact, research has also shown that music can be performance-enhancing, helping you pick up the pace and push harder than you otherwise would have.
See also: Using A Running Distance Calculator, Is It Essential?
Top 5 running apps for personal trainer
Whatever camp you may be in, here are the best running apps that can help improve your workouts and help you enjoy them even more, too.
1. Strava
- Target user: Advanced runners
- Pros: Track in-depth exercises, connect and share with a strong community
Strava is relatively popular in the running and cycling community. This application in-depth monitoring of the user’s exercise progress via GPS, assessing the fitness level through the connection of the heart rate monitor.
Comparing the results of multiple people over the same distance is another characteristic of Strava. This helps to motivate the user to practice head crossing.
Not only that, with the ability to connect and share strength, Strava allows sharing photos, training results on the wall like Facebook. Users can also make friends, team up with other users to follow their practice.
Keep track of all your runs and more importantly compete with millions of other Strava users over automatically recorded segments. Strava also offers premium services such as coaching packages to help prepare you for a race, a more in-depth analyzer and a safety signaling feature so designated people can check on your whereabouts.
Get it on: App Store / Google Play
2. Nike+ Run Club
- Target user: Advanced runners
- Pros: Track in-depth workouts, share unique images, and support workouts
Nike Run Club is designed specifically for runners. In addition to the in-depth tracking of metrics like Runkeeper, the app features a companion virtual trainer and audio reminder.
If you’re a photo-sharing fan, Nike Run Club offers photo-sharing with track maps and metrics. Music fans are also satisfied when the app allows users to listen to music through the link to their favorite playlist from Spotify.
There are so many run tracking apps available that it takes some out-of-the-box thinking to stand out from the crowd with interesting, unique features, and that’s just what the Nike+ Run Club app has done. In particular, the Guided Runs section is a triumph, leading you through speed sessions, long runs or beginner runs, many of which have famous athletes like Mo Farah and Eliud Kipchoge on board to provide some motivation via your headphones. Recently a Run With Headspace collection was launched to encourage users to run mindfully and use their training as an opportunity to escape from the stresses of the day. You can also simply track your training, and people who use the app also often get early access to new Nike products.
Get it on: App Store / Google Play
3. Runkeeper
- Target user: New runners
- Pros: In-depth training tracking
If you find running too boring, downloading the Runkeeper app will make training more enjoyable. Eliminating all step counting features, Runkeeper focuses on capturing user training depth stats via GPS and training guidance.
Every kilometer, the application will automatically notify the user’s training stats with the sound. This is a free feature. To have similar features some other applications will require users to pay. Besides, Runkeeper also supports other sports such as cycling and rowing.
RunKeeper is designed with an intuitive interface and simple to use.
Users just need to put their shoes on, step outside, start up a bit, press the Start button to activate the program and start running. Instantly a graph will show how many steps you’ve taken per minute, along with your pace, distance, and finally your average speed. Press Stop when you stop running for the most accurate figures.
RunKeeper also allows users to run while enjoying music associated with iPod applications. The app helps you to know exactly your daily speed and track distance to easily track your training progress. This can be considered as a professional coach always on duty to check his performance after each running session.
Get it on: App Store / Google Play
4. Pedometer
- Target users: New runners
- Pros: Helps you create a habit of running regularly
Pedometer focuses on counting steps and is a good place to start building a regular exercise routine. Like most running apps, Pedometer allows users to track exercise time.
This application is designed to run at all times without affecting your battery life! It uses the hardware step detection sensors of devices like the Nexus 5, which is now running even without using any pedometer apps. Therefore, the application does not consume extra battery. Unlike other pedometer apps, this app doesn’t track your movement or location so there’s no need to turn on the GPS sensor (again: doesn’t affect your battery)
What makes Pedometer so special is that every day the app proactively reminds you if there’s no activity.
Get it on: Google Play
5. WellTraining
- Target users: All levels of runners
- Pros: Newest technology, synchronize and backup data, easily set a goal
WellTraining is a mobile application that helps users to train and track their fitness progress effectively. Current sports supported by WellTraining include Running, Walking, Cycling, and Treadmill. WellTraining is an application provided completely free to users.
We use GPS data to record exercise progress, calculate and measure exercise stats. Some important metrics are used to measure exercise performance such as distance, time, average speed or average Pace, cadence, heart rate, … In addition, the indicators are also graphically graphed. Therefore, WellTraining users can compare their workout performance from time to time. View your tracks on the most popular routes, and track your progress and analyze performance on your personal phone.
Some of the outstanding features of WellTraining can be mentioned as:
- Accurate tracking is built by the newest technology
- Run tracker offline or online
- Synchronize and backup data. You no longer worry about data loss
- Self-challenge by set goals for distance, practice time
- Easily play your favorite music while practicing.
- Weather updates help you easily plan your workout.
- Low capacity, beautiful interface, easy to use.
- Connect to social media to easily share training achievements.
Get it on: App Store / Google Play
Through this article, WellTraining has helped you find out the top 5 best running apps for personal trainer to help statistics during runs. If you are a beginner, immediately refer to these applications for the best training effect!
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