The Best Running Apps for Apple Watch: Monitoring physical activity is one of the essential functions of the Apple Watch, which is why the Watch comes with the built-in Workout app.
However, some amateur running users may want to take a look at the Best Running Apps for Apple Watch, with extras such as route creation, voice training programs, or social media integration.
As Apple has not yet given developers access to the heart rate sensor of their Watch, Workout is the complete application for analytics when going out for a run with the device.
The 10 Best Running Apps for Apple Watch
Those who want the most accurate calculations on distance, pace, and calories burned, you will do well to use Workout.
Once a user has their Apple Watch, they will be prompted to calibrate it, going for a run with the iPhone. The Workout application will use the best apple watch gps running app to set the user’s steps’ length and pace, thus making distance measurement more accurate.
According to Apple, just walking or running at a normal pace for about 20 minutes to effectively calibrate the Apple Watch. Based on this initial data, the device will continue to calibrate its internal accelerometer over time.
As we said, Workout is currently the only application that has access to the device’s heart rate sensor, which allows you to make estimates of calories burned or monitor the intensity of exercise more precisely. Furthermore, the application synchronizes all the data collected with the Health and Activity apps for apple watch of the iPhone.
In summary, if what you want is precise biometric measurements, the application to use is undoubtedly Workout. But it’s also true that third-party apps come with a wide variety of features, and while they can’t monitor biometric parameters, they offer Apple Watch users very useful extras, especially for those who have already invested in fitness platforms like Nike +.
These are the three most complete best running apps for apple watch that can be found in the App Store:
1. Runtastic
Runtastic is, without a doubt, one of the best third-party offerings when it comes to running apps. Includes remote control functions and quick access to important information such as elapsed time, distance, and pace measurement.
The main activity screen allows the user to choose from a number of sports with the option to enable or disable GPS and voice feedback. At the beginning of a session, three panels will open:
Music control.
- A summary of the data of the training sessions.
- A graphical reading of the time taken to run one kilometer to be able to repeat it or extend the distance in subsequent sessions.
It may not be as comprehensive as its iPhone version, but Runtastic for Apple Watch can display old session history with details including distance, time, pace, elevation, speed, weather conditions, etc. Monthly activity will be collected on a statistics page.
The “pro” version of the app removes ads and unlocks features like voice coach, community challenges, weather reports, route creation and syncing, geotagging (to take photos during the training session and watch them online with the map), integration with MyFitnessPal (which by the way, has its own application for Apple Watch), and the possibility of manually entering post-activity details, such as your mood after the session, etc.
Runtastic is a free application, and Runtastic Pro costs $9.99. Both have an in-app purchase option and are available in the App Store.
2. Nike Run Club
Nike Run Club is one of the most stylish fitness apps, with strong running tracking, and unique social features, thanks to Nike’s online community.
During the training session, Nike Run Club uses iPhone to send distance calculations and maps to Apple Watch so it can create a route. Pace and time can also be checked at a glance.
Users can listen to music by adding songs to the app’s playlist on the iPhone, a process that is also available on the Apple Watch through the Force Touch menu. Strong pressure can be used to pause or end the session.
For detailed statistics about the training session and access to the music and voice coach functions, it is recommended to activate the option “Resume Previous Activity” in the settings menu of the Apple Watch application for iPhone, which is found in General – Activate when raising the wrist.
Data is downloaded from the Watch to the main iPhone app and Nike’s servers, or the custom training program, if one is selected and Apple’s Health app, via HealthKit. After the session ends, users can access the leaderboard and statistics from previous sessions directly from the Watch, although not with the same level of detail found in Runtastic.
Nike Run Club is a free app and is available on the App Store.
3. Strava GPS Running Cycling
This application’s design is rather understated, as it only offers a few monitoring functions, but many runners may be attracted to its concise and simple user interface. The Strava application stands out thanks to its version for iPhone that offers great social integration and a very complete statistics record.
Strava’s Apple Watch app could be seen as a remote control for the iPhone app, displaying detailed notes on workouts, routes, segment times, speed, distance traveled, or even data from other users in real-time. To activate or pause the monitoring of the exercise session, just touch the clock screen.
By syncing with the Strava iPhone app, we have access to detailed information with full-time statistics, although other features, such as calories burned or the app’s “suffering score,” cannot be used unless a pace monitor is worn. Heart rate with Bluetooth. On the bright side, once the information is processed and stored, you can get on the leaderboards to join Challenges so that the user can compare your activities with those of your friends.
Strava GPS Running Cycling is a free app with an in-app purchase option and is available on the App Store.
4. JogRunSprint
With JogRunSprint you have a simple but effective application, demanding but your way. What you do with this application is simple, putting an example you can jog for 30 seconds, run for 20 seconds and sprint for 10 seconds.
It has a fairly explanatory name (jog = Jog, run = run) so if you download it, you are already guessing what to expect.
It is a challenging/motivating interval training application that is quite simple and perhaps there the charm of it. With your iPhone, you can set times, intervals, repetitions, and breaks, which implies that the requirement is according to your criteria.
With JogRunSprint you have a simple but challenging interval exercise app, with goals set by you to suit the training you need.
The app records the distance traveled and sends the data to your mobile. As the requirement is set by you, this application does not evaluate you like most, in itself, if you jog, run and sprint completing the prescribed series you have already done the work.
An improvement would be to be able to see the captured and mapped heart rate data based on the intervals and perhaps for the application to set us some pace targets to keep us on track.
A great way to bring some challenge and fun to short distance races. It works independently of the mobile, offers complications for the watch face, and is free.
5. Endomondo
In addition to offering you routes to exercise, he is also a personal trainer. Its greatest virtue? It is used for running, cycling, walking, or any other physical activity.
Endomondo is another of the best running apps for apple watch adapted to the Apple Watch of the mobile application. It offers exercise tracking both outdoors and indoors, you can access it quickly through the complication it offers for the iWatch home screen, but it does not include motivational features.
It is not as powerful as Nike Run Club, but it also has its advantages, such as indicating the heart zones you are in when you train.
While you run this app, it will show you the data on three different screens. On the main screen, you will find most of the data such as duration, distance, current rhythm, and heart rate, on the second screen your training rhythm is shown in more detail.
On the third screen, you will be able to observe the information of the pulsations current per minute and breaks down how long you’ve spent in each of the five heart rate zones.
6. Runkeeper
Similar to the previous three but under the Runkeeper brand. For me, it is one of the best when going out for a run because of the way it shows the data through graphs where you can see the evolution of the rhythm or heart rate, for example.
It is one of the best running apps for apple watch that launched its standalone version quite some time ago. Its features enter the game of best running apps for apple watch for runners with the common options for measuring statistics.
But what makes it stand out among the others is the option to create personalized workouts from your iPhone and synchronize them with your Apple Watch. These settings hardly take you a few minutes.
There are also three preset options, including 20 minutes of easy training, 2.25 miles, or 2 miles with rest. This immediately makes Runkeeper quite a serious training tool, opening up all kinds of options for speed and interval sessions.
With the app, you can estimate the distance traveled on the treadmill and set a pace and a maximum heart rate before heading out for an outdoor run.
While using the application, the screen is divided into three. In the upper part, the information of the training duration and the intensity of the GPS signal will be fixed, and in the middle part, you can toggle with a touch to see the current distance or pace.
Finally, you can see the current and average rhythm and the current rhythm with the heart rate in the lower part. Also, if you slide to the left, you will see the information about the splits.
However, in this best iPhone apple watch running app for Apple Watch, there are not many customization options. Also, when creating a training, the distances with which you can play are very large; the smallest of them is 250 meters, so you cannot create breaks 200 meters in a sprint race. It also does not offer the ability to set intervals based on a distance and a time goal.
It does not offer training history, and to study the data in-depth, you must see it on your mobile. It does not depend on the mobile to function, it brings complications to place on the watch’s face, and it is free.
7. RunGo – The Best Routes to Run
Finally there is Run Go, a free application from Apple that allows you to build your own routes offline or choose from the 70,000 pre-installed. What makes this application special is its characteristic of guiding people with visual disabilities thanks to its voice assistance.
It has the basic features of runner apps like training pace, distance covered, splits and elevation data, while premium features include live tracking for friends and family to follow, plus interval training.
This apple watch running app without iPhone works without the need to have your phone with you offers complications to put on your watch face and is free.
8. Seven – 7 Minute Workout
The app of the App Store in 2016 and with good reason. He offers us small intervals of seven-minute exercises with which to improve our physical condition. Useful and effective for creating healthy habits.
9. Apple Breathe
In addition to physical activity, mental health is important to consider. With Apple Breathe we do small daily meditation exercises that help us concentrate better and relax.
10. SIT (Simple Interval Timer)
Another app for interval sessions. It is not an application that exists to be the best apple watch running app but to do its job. With SIT you can enter data from which some best running apps for apple watch placed on this list will benefit.
It is basically a timer where you put the time you want to do the exercises, the number of sets, and the rest time. When you access the app, it shows you which set you are on, how long you’ve been from the current set or the rest time, and your heart rate.
One of the improvements that the best apple watch running app n could have would be to place a vibration or sound alert between the change from exercise time to rest time.
It would also be great to see various types of intervals and the efforts made according to the pulsations, but you will have to work with this for now. It works independently of the iPhone, does not bring the complication option for the watch face, and is free.
Tricks to Know for the Apple Watch
Ask Siri to Read the Time
A very simple trick, if you press with two fingers on the face of the Watch and hold down for a few moments Siri tells you what time it is out loud. Of course, the Apple Watch should not be in silent mode, do not disturb mode, or cinema mode.
Force Close an App
On occasion, you may have an app hanging on your Apple Watch, in which case the best thing you can do is force close the app. To do this, open the app you want to close, press the side button for a few seconds until the emergency menu appears, and then press and hold the digital crown until you see an animation closing the desired app.
As always, it is good to remember that you do not have to close the apps to consume less battery or make the clock go faster, it is not something effective.
Convert the Apple Watch into a night watch
From the Watch app on the iPhone, we can configure the Watch to always show the time in a green tone and without much light while the Watch is charging. To do this, go to Watch> General> Nightstand mode. If we activate this option and load the clock by placing it vertically and the time will always be displayed on one side. Ideal if you charge the Watch at night but not so much if you use the Watch to monitor your sleep.
See the time with minimal brightness
If you don’t want to bother with the Watch’s light, one thing you can do to check the time is to slowly turn the digital crown. Doing so turns the screen on to minimum brightness and enough to see the time.
Control the control center to the fullest
The control center of the Apple Watch is invoked by swiping from the bottom of the screen on the face. If we want to invoke it in any menu or app we can do it with the same gesture but keeping the finger at the bottom for a long time until the control center appears. By the way, it is also possible to customize the order of the controls that appear, from the control center itself at the bottom we find an edit button.
See apps in list mode and not hive mode
The Apple Watch app menu by default is shown in hive mode, that is, all the apps next to each other, and only the icons to move between them quickly. But if you are not convinced by this mode you can change it to list mode so that they are displayed alphabetically and with the name as well. To do this, press hard on the apps menu until the option to change the view to list mode appears (or vice versa).
Use different spheres throughout the day
Not everything we do during the day is the same. For example, our activities are usually different while we work / study than while we have free time or sleep. For this reason, I like to have several spheres that I change throughout the day by sliding to the side.
In each one, I have complications of different apps depending on whether they are work (homework apps, calendars), free time (training apps, time), and sleep (with hardly any apps and only what is necessary to consult night). Try setting up different spheres and switching between them depending on the time of day.
Perfect for picking yourself
Perfect for picking yourself up with your friends even if you don’t go running with them: if you share the same routes, you can always share training segments at different times and see who is the fastest of the two in the app.
Conclusion
If you like to run with your friends and also have them applaud when you do a great race, you cannot stop installing this free app in the App Store.
