No Matter What Fitness Level You Are, These Running Apps Will Help You Meet Your Goals
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Running can be hard — there, I said it. It's not that it doesn't make me feel good (runner's high is everything), but there are times where not even the coolest playlist can get me motivated. I recently spoke to Peloton Tread trainer and marathoner Bec Gentry, who really did inspire me to work on my love-hate relationship with the treadmill.
Becs said, "To me, everybody is a runner, even if you walk. Everybody should be able to experience a way of enjoying that runner's high, and getting out there on that treadmill, and finding a community of like-minded people who possibly all started out thinking, 'This is awful, who would do this?' And then, a few months or days later, they are high as a kite on the love of running and finding this new strength within themselves to fly."
Whether you love it or hate it, there are tools out there to get you through your workouts (even pro runners have bad days). We've compiled a list of apps for a variety of fitness levels that will bring some sort of guidance to your runs. You can use a number of them to track your outdoor routes, and some let you pound pavement with follow-along videos or audio coaching. They're all worth a download — take a look!
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Peloton Digital
Peloton Digital gives you a variety of follow-along videos to try lead by kickbutt trainers like Becs, Rebecca Kennedy, and more! There are HIIT treadmill workouts, hikes, fun walk-runs, outdoor runs, and bootcamp sessions that incorporate both running and strength training. (My favorite are the quick arm, ab, or butt videos I can tack onto the end of my workouts, but I know we're talking about running here.)
Cost: $19.50 per month
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Aaptiv
Choose from over 2,500 audio guided workouts that will get you motivated to hit that treadmill or pound pavement outdoors. When I did a free trial a while back, I couldn't believe how inspiring the instructors were. It's like having a personal trainer in your ear.
Cost: $15 per month or $100 per year
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Active by POPSGUAR
Along with our Class FitSugar videos for strength and cardio, you'll have access to downloadable running workouts you can do any time. From HIIT to regular intervals and walk-runs on inclines, you can find a variety of treadmill sessions on here.
Cost: Free
Available for: iOS
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Nike Run Club
POPSUGAR Fitness Editor Christina used this app when training for a half-marathon. It has GPS capabilities, guided audio runs, custom challenges, and more.
Cost: Free
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Map My Run by Under Armour
Map My Run by Under Armour is a GPS and workout tracker that Maggie, one of our assistant fitness editors, uses regularly to plan out routes. You can track your average pace, manage goals, and share your routes with friends.
Cost: Free, but there's a paid premium option that offers training plans, audio coaching, and more.
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Strava
You can use Strava to map out and record runs (also biking!), and you'll have access to a range of training stats. Jenny, another POPSUGAR Fitness staffer, said that she likes Strava because you can see how you compare to people who run the same segment of a route.
Cost: Free, but you can upgrade to a paid version, Strava Summit, for a more in-depth workout analysis and perks.
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