I have been using Strava for about a month, and it has been an enjoyable experience. What is Strava? It is a service designed by athletes that track exercise – mainly cycling and running and promotes sharing across social networks. While you may be thinking that your fitness device app does the same thing, Strava expands its scope beyond a single fitness tracker and community. Now, here are the five simple things that I love about Strava:
- Community. Many other fitness apps have a community feature, but Strava brings runners together regardless of their activity or fitness tracker. You can follow each other, post your activity and pictures, and cheer the activities of your connections.
- Clubs and Challenges. The clubs and challenges take the community to the next level. Clubs and challenges are another great way to stay motivated and to motivate others. I joined the PurpleStride Connecticut club after I signed up to run the virtual 5K for charity. There are many clubs and challenges available, and you can create your own.
- User-friendly app. The website and mobile app are super user-friendly. They are both easy to navigate, set up your profile, and post activities. Once my fitness tracker was linked, I was off to the races (pun intended). I use the Apple app for the iPhone, and you get to see the available apps here.
- Not Device Specific. Strava supports over 20 brands of fitness trackers on the market. This type of support knocks down the barriers of friends not having the same fitness tracker. I have been able to connect with friends, family, and colleagues who do not use the same fitness tracker. Also, you can continue to use your fitness tracker and all of its functionality. Many well-known brands are on the list on the list. Go to the support section of their website to see if your fitness tracker manufacturer is listed.
- It’s Free (for the most part). Just because the service is free doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have much value. The free service offers many features to help you get started. There is a premium service available once you are ready to use the advanced features (as needed).
Using Strava has been a great experience for me, and I’m bringing it to our Inspire Virtual Runs community. Are you ready to sign-up with Strava? Go to www.strava.com to get started. Once you sign-up, join the Inspire Virtual Runs club.