Our Favorite Outdoor Exercise Apps
Updated: Apr 16, 2021
The last few months of social distancing have led to a perfect storm for outdoor exercise applications: people are desperate to leave their house and crave social connection. If you want to be in the know while your friend is bragging about becoming a Local Legend on Strava, read on!
Photo by Alexa Romano
Strava
Features: Data Tracking, Workout Plans, Challenges, Mapping, Social Networking.
Target sports: Running, Biking, Swimming, Skiing, Canoeing, Crossfit, Ice Skating, and many more!
Cost: Free or Strava Summit for $5/month or $59.99/year
Have you ever wanted a social networking app just for athletes? If so, Strava is the perfect app for you! You can join running groups and participate in challenges to stay motivated. After you workout, post a picture and summary to compete with your friends! Strava also tracks, maps, and analyzes your workouts.
Charity Miles
Features: Data Tracking, Challenges, Social Networking.
Target sports: Walking, Running, and Biking.
Cost: Free
With Charity Miles, you can raise money for charity every time you go for a run! Corporate sponsors donate to a charity of your choice, like Stand Up to Cancer, Alzheimer’s Association, or the World Wildlife Foundation, for every mile you run. Charity miles also syncs with Strava and the Health app on iOS devices to help you track more data.
Map My Run
Features: Data Tracking, Challenges, Safety, Mapping, and Social Networking.
Target sports: Walking, Running, and Hiking.
Cost: Free or MVP for $5.99/month or $29.99/year.
Want peace of mind during your workouts? Map My Run encourages you to share your current location with friends and family during workouts for extra safety on your runs. It also collects run data including distance, pace, elevation, and calories burned.
C25K 5K Trainer
Features: Data Tracking, Workout Plans.
Target sports: Walking and Running.
Cost: Free or $4.99 for Pro Version of the app.
If you’re new to running and need some guidance, C25K is the perfect place to start! It features an 8-week program of walking and running workouts designed to build your fitness and help you train for your first 5K.
Nike Run Club
Features: Data Tracking, Workout Plans, Challenges, Mapping, and Social Networking.
Target sports: Running and Jogging.
Cost: Free.
Need a trainer to keep you motivated? Nike Run Club offers auditory encouragement during your runs and customized coaching plans to keep you on track. You could even listen to actor Kevin Hart cheer on your running while the app tracks your location and run times.
Nike Training Club
Features: Data Tracking, Workout Plans, Nutritional Advice, and Social Networking.
Target sports: Running and Jogging.
Cost: Free or Premium for $14.99/month or $119.99/year.
Nike Training Club provides over 185 free workouts from endurance-training to yoga to HIIT workouts that come with virtual guidance from Nike’s Master Trainers. It also features articles with strategies for leading a healthy life on topics like clean eating, healthy choices at restaurants, and workout modifications.
AllTrails
Features: Trail Information.
Target sports: Running, Jogging, and Hiking.
Cost: Free or Pro for $29.99/year.
With Alltrails, you can explore over 100,000 trails to find the best ones for your hike. You’ll find difficulty ratings, trail length, elevation, duration, reviews, and photos for each trail to explore new paths and find the best fit for you.