So, your dedicated to staying fit in these decidedly lethargic, difficult times. This is excellent, and exercising regularly will do you a world of good, psychologically and physically alike, as well as increase your chances of staying healthy through the pandemic. We admire your spirit, and we’re right there with you. However, it’s not safe to run socially, obviously.
So, if you’re part of a running club, or you run a running club, how can you maintain your ties, and the thrill of the sport when you can’t run together? Well, the Internet has been an invaluable tool during these times for a host of reasons, and here’s yet another one. All you need is a running club app, and a little bit of equipment.
What Kind of Equipment Do I Need for a Running Club App?
What exactly do you need to use a running club app? Honestly, you don’t need to think much money into this at all. All you need is a decent smart phone with Bluetooth, decent coverage where you’re running, a data plan that will eat you alive, and some sort of basic smart watch with some biometric capabilities. This doesn’t need to be the latest Apple watch, or Google watch. It just needs a pedometer, a heart rate monitor, a calorie monitor and the basic ability to transmit this information to a running app through Bluetooth. Even really cheap smart watches can do this.
How Does a Running Club App Work?
This varies, each app will have its own unique eccentricities. You will have your choice of these, and more and more of these are available every day. However, the most basic fundamentals of these is a simple statistics tracker with which each runner can upload their runtime, speed, terrain, etc. Many of these will offer virtual races were everyone can do the run at their own leisure, over a fixed distance with the same terrain, and then uploaded and the statistics will reveal a winner of the race.
Others will have social integration so that you can all run in tandem and utilize your camera and voice service to see each other and run together even though you’re not at the same location. Psalm athletic clubs have their own custom app built around their unique culture and services.
How Do I Choose a Running Club App?
Chances are, your first concern is going to be choosing one that works on both mobile operating systems. You’re going to have a mix of people in your club that use both iOS and Android. You’re never going to convince an iOS user that Android is a better platform, nor are you going to convince the other in the opposite direction.
So, make sure that your running app is compatible with both phone systems, and it doesn’t hurt if there’s also a PC and Mac desktop equivalent for them to work with as well, just for managing their statistics in their scheduling and communications. Beyond that, just go with features that you know everyone is going to want to use, and try to go with one that is free and not super heavy on ads.
This will allow you to all still enjoy the teambuilding and social experience of running, as well as the fitness, without risking spreading a very deadly disease. Thank you for being willing to choose a modern convenience that lets everyone stay safe, while still choosing to put your health first in always! Happy running, and happy trails!
