Running is one of the best cardio training activities that you can perform to keep your body in shape. Regularly running has been proven to help fitness enthusiasts lose weight, eliminate depression, relieve stress, boost confidence levels, prevent disease, and improve overall health. Running, however, is a uniquely solo exercise.
Even when running with friends, it’s difficult to maintain a conversation and keep social, as retaining a constant breathing pattern is essential in keeping the body performing in the most efficient manner possible. Running can also be somewhat boring- running the same routes at the same time day in, day out can get seriously repetitive.
Staying motivated is another difficult element of maintaining a regular running routine. Finding the motivation to drag yourself from the couch and out onto the pavement to run another five miles with no way to track your progress can become demotivating and stale, which causes many fitness enthusiasts to give up on running as an exercise.
RunKeeper is a new app that aims to solve these issues and transform the practice of running into a social, exciting, trackable, and motivating experience. With a massive community of over 50 million users already, RunKeeper is one of the largest and most popular social running apps available.
In this article, we’ll check out the RunKeeper solution and find out what makes it different from other running apps to help you decide whether it’s their right cardio companion for you.
What Is RunKeeper?
RunKeeper is a multifunction fitness app that has been designed from the ground up specifically for running.
Offering a wide range of features that allow users to track their runs, set goals, follow fitness plans, remain motivated, and observe their progress, RunKeeper is one of the most unique running solutions available on the app market.
The RunKeeper solution has gathered attention from some of the biggest names in running, catching praise from the Boston Globe, SELF, and Men’s Journal. The RunKeeper app is suitable for all fitness levels, helping entry level runners work on their basic form and endurance as well as assisting professional marathon athletes stay at the top of their game.
How RunKeeper Works
RunKeeper integrates with the GPS functionality of the smartphone it is installed on to track a wide range of variables, comparable with a dedicated fitness tracking wearable.
RunKeeper is able to measure pace, speed, workout distance, cadence, time, and even the elevation of training sessions, and collect the data into an easy-to-read, simple, and understandable format.
One of the biggest draws of RunKeeper is the built in training and coaching function. There are many running trackers available on the app market today, but very few provide the same level of insight and guidance into the art of running as RunKeeper.
The RunKeeper app is able to guide runners through a series of comprehensive training programs that have been devised by professional personal trainers to help runners get the most out of their workouts.
RunKeeper Features
RunKeeper offers a range of features not found in any other running app. Upon installing the app, RunKeeper Runners are encouraged to connect their social media accounts, which allows them to share progress and stay in touch with other runners using the RunKeeper platform.
The tracking functionality of RunKeeper can be used to track walking, running, and cycling. The easy to use app interface provides a simple and fast way to get a clear view of training progress, while detailed goal setting keeps runners motivated and on track to reaching their desired fitness level.
The personalized training routines that are provided by RunKeeper can be adjusted to fit the specific schedule of the user, and are programmed to deliver helpful and encouraging reminders that keep runners motivated and focused on achieving their health and fitness goals.
The motivating factors presented by RunKeeper are intelligently designed, featuring social and daily challenges, workout rewards, and bragging rights for reaching high achievement levels.
The RunKeeper app also delivers audio cues to notify runners of a series of programmable updates such as pace, distance, and time. The app is compatible with music players such as Spotify, playing audio cues over playlists without disrupting your running tracks.
The social functionality of RunKeeper allows users to make friends on the platform to share achievements, and also provides a method of browsing through the most popular running trails, tracks, and paths in the local vicinity of the user, making sure running never gets boring.
The Route Builder functionality of the app allows users to program in their favourite routes and share them with other RunKeeper runners.
One of the most unique motivational factors offered by the app are the challenge features, which allow users to challenge friends on the platform to time trial races, live races, and workout comparison, which allows users to measure statistics.
RunKeeper is even able to help individuals that are unsure of their physical capacity create achievable but challenging goals. The RunKeeper app collects the performance data of the user and maps out a series of progressive goals that stretch users to their physical limits, helping them reach greater heights of fitness.
The RunKeeper Story
RunKeeper is the brainchild of Jason Jacobs, the CEO and founder of RunKeeper. Jacobs began his professional career as a sales associate at a large tech company, but quickly developed a passion for innovative and agile technological solutions that integrated with daily life.
Jacobs quit his job to begin designing a fitness tracker app for the original iPhone app store, shortly before the store was launched in 2008. RunKeeper is the final product of almost a decade of refinement in smartphone based fitness tracking, delivering one of the most well-rounded solutions available.
The Runkeeper Review Summary
If you’re a runner and own a smartphone, you can definitely benefit from the RunKeeper app. Providing helpful training solutions for runners of all levels, RunKeeper offers almost all of the functionality of a dedicated running fitness wearable at a fraction of the cost. RunKeeper is available for both iOS and Android phones and is currently available for free download.
