If you wanted to go for a run less than a decade ago, you’d have to do so without the aid of any kind of technology informing you of your progress, helping you to train to the best of your ability or generally making the whole “exercise” thing a more bearable experience. How did anyone manage that? We can’t even comprehend exercising now without at least one app relaying information regarding our routine to us, or without the likes of Spotify or iTunes allowing us to listen to one of our workout playlists.
But now that we have a variety of apps at our disposal, with each of them claiming to be fundamentally essential to our workout, which ones deserve to become staples of your fitness routine? Here are the best apps that will help you step up your running game:
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App-Hustle: Best Apps to Step Up Your Running Game
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Zombies, Run!
If you're looking for an inventive app that will allow you to have fun while you exercise, then you needn't look any further than Zombies, Run!
This app is a mixture between a fitness tool, an audio book and a video game, narrating your run with a story about a post-apocalyptic zombie invasion in which you're tasked with running away from the undead horde.
With a variety of selectable playlists, multiple seasons of the app's story and a constant monitoring of the distance you've travelled and calories you've burned, if you want to liven up your run then this is certainly your best option.
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5K Runner
An app that is perfect for those looking to ease themselves into running and who are starting at the bottom of this whole fitness thing, 5K Runner aims to have its users running from 0 to 5K by building up their workout gradually.
Instructing their users to go on 30 minute runs, 3 days a week, the app states that it can have you running 5K within 8 weeks. A great solution to getting fit for those who are looking to no longer be a couch potato.
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Endomondo
Billed as a "personal trainer in your pocket," Endomondo tracks your fitness and analyzes your performance not only during your daily run, but also during any distance-based sport you partake in. It's a great all-rounder, and with its audio coach it does a great job of encouraging you to train even harder and improve your fitness levels.
Providing the user with audio feedback at regular intervals, measuring their heart rate throughout their workout and monitoring their performance, Endomondo also features a social experience that, among other things, allows your friends to send you audio "pep talks." We're betting that this feature is rarely used for its intended purpose.
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MapMyRun
MapMyRun is a comprehensive tool that will allow you to track every facet of your workout, with it also boasting integration with the MapMyRun website that will allow you to delve even further into your fitness regime.
This site integration means that all of your historical workout data will be stored on the site, allowing you to keep on top of what you've achieved, the distance you've covered and the challenges you've overcome. You can also check out the exact map of your run both on your mobile device and on the site, with you also having the option to share this data with your friends and family across social media.
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RockMyRun
While running with your own music playlist may seem like a good idea, out of all the tracks you've selected to listen to there's a strong likelihood that many won't boast the right tempo that will ensure you're running in rhythm, therefore mean that you aren't maximizing the efficiency of your workout.
RockMyRun is designed to change that, with it featuring a huge selection of playlists tailored specifically to your fitness routine, with it also granting you the option to manually alter the tempo of the music, and even have it increase/decrease in line with both your heart rate and each of your steps.
If you're someone who cannot start a workout with music, then you owe it to yourself to try out RockMyRun.
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RunKeeper
The old guard in the fitness app game, RunKeeper is still an excellent option for your workout. With a variety of features that will complement a myriad of different workouts, from marathon training, to 5k running to cycling, RunKeeper has 30 million users and counting, making it one of the most popular options around.
Along with charting your progress and measuring the amount of calories you've lost, RunKeeper can also be integrated with your device's music app, allowing you to choose a playlist for you to run to. It also works as an excellent supplement to a variety of other fitness apps, collecting your data and providing you with a more comprehensive look at your fitness routine.
