I’m happy to hear that you got a new smartwatch. You now have a device that can track activity, including running, whether it’s expensive like an Apple Watch Series 7, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, Fitbit Versa 3, or Apple Watch Series 7. It might also be more reasonably priced like a Garmin Forerunner 55.
Even while you might not yet be a runner, your wristwatch can help you measure your progress and provide advice on where to improve if you’re considering using the treadmill or going for a run in the park.
A couch to 5K strategy is a good option if you’re just getting started with jogging. It’s the best method for acclimating to a jogging or walking schedule. And your brand-new wristwatch can assist you in completing that plan and may even serve as inspiration for you to continue jogging in the long run.
Here are 5 simple ways to put your smartwatch to good use – and get you off that couch and up and running.
1. Get to know what and how your smartwatch tracks
The first thing you should do is familiarise yourself with the specific data your smartwatch can collect and show as you run. More significantly, you may customise the data you view while running to better track your development.
Although you certainly don’t want to start out with too much information, some fundamentals, like distance and time, may be helpful. You should also be aware of your typical speed if you are concerned with how swiftly you are moving.
All of that information may now be presented on smartwatches, but how do you want it to be displayed? Do you prefer to view distances measured in kilometres or miles? Do you want every piece of information to show up on one screen? Is it critical to you that you receive notifications depending on the goal time and distance?
You will get the most out of your new device if you become familiar with the various options, such as altering the measurement units or modifying the displayed fields of data. The companion app that is used to configure your smartwatch as well as the smartwatch itself both include the settings.
2. Find a couch to 5K plan to follow
There are a tonne of programmes online that will provide you with instruction if you truly have no idea how to get from sitting on the sofa to running a 5K. The NHS’s Couch to 5K programme (opens in new tab) is a fantastic place to start if you’re in the UK. The Mayo Clinic(opens in new tab) has its own couch to 5K programme in the US.
However, before you go online, check the companion app for your wristwatch to see if there are any running plans. Some applications are more effective than others in communicating such training programmes.
If you have a Garmin wristwatch, such as the Venu 2, you may access Garmin Coach, which provides beginner-friendly plans. For its smartwatches, Fitbit offers plans through its Premium subscription service, and Huawei offers plans through its Huawei Health app. There are further possibilities as well, which we’ll discuss next, if you can’t settle on a strategy.
3. …Or grab a Couch to 5K app
For those of you who own an Apple Watch or a wristwatch powered by Google’s Wear OS platform, there are a tonne of Couch to 5K apps available. You can access two of the main app stores for smartwatches using one of those alternatives. Any app you select will run on your chosen wristwatch, creating sessions and programmes that are unique to you while providing added features to keep you motivated.
There are various fantastic Couch to 5K applications to try if you own an Apple Watch, including one of our favourites, WatchTo5K(opens in new tab). You may use this Apple Watch software without an iPhone because it is a standalone app. This programme includes audio cues so you can hear your progress and allows music playback while monitoring your runs. The software integrates with Apple Health as well.
Owners of Wear OS smartwatches can test C25K(opens in new tab), which is also supported on Fitbit smartwatches and Samsung Galaxy Watches running Tizen. You may share your progress with pals on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with this simple app.
4. Calibrate your watch for treadmill runs
If you want to do a large portion of your couch to 5K runs inside, on a treadmill, keep this in mind. Every wristwatch uses motion sensors rather than GPS to keep track of your treadmill runs. Now, GPS will not assist you in tracking your indoor runs, even if it is a more precise means to measure distance and determine core data when you are jogging outside. You must rely on those motion sensors when jogging inside, especially when doing so in a single location, such on a treadmill.
You can take steps to increase the accuracy of running data that applies to you. Try recording your first mile of a treadmill run with the treadmill mode on a Garmin wristwatch, such as the Venu 2. Check your treadmill’s display when you’ve finished the mile, then input the distance on your watch and save it. The more you run both indoors and outside and monitor your runs, the more familiar your watch will grow with your running routines and accomplishments. Therefore, you may increase the precision of your treadmill runs with a little effort.
If you have a Fitbit smartwatch, it may be worthwhile to investigate the app’s stride length adjustment feature to enhance the accuracy of the run monitoring it provides. You may determine your stride length by just jogging briefly over a predetermined distance, such as a school track with established loop lengths of 1/4 mile. As you run, count your steps to ensure that you take at least 20. To determine stride length, divide the number of steps taken by the distance travelled. Then, by finding the Exercise option in the Fitbit app, you may input your stride length.
5. Find some friends
Obviously, no one here is encouraging you to clog up everyone else’s feeds with every run you log, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be proud of your running accomplishments, no matter how minor. Sharing your accomplishments with other smartwatch users using the same platforms you use to track your progress is a great way to keep inspired on your approach to 5k and beyond.
You can join organisations and take on challenges other than running a 5K through Fitbit’s community within its app, which also allows you to post your runs.
You are connected to Apple’s Move, Exercise, and Stand Rings if you have an Apple Watch and are utilising the Workout and Activity app from Apple. You may compete against other users in challenges as well as examine their accomplishments, track when their rings from logged runs are closed, and more.
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