How smartwatches and wearables can turbo-charge your training

Let’s start with the obvious: the majority of smart watches have inbuilt trackers that will automatically record your distance, how long it took, and how many calories you expended. But there are also a bunch of great apps that will map and log your running routes, analyse your performance, and give you access to online running communities. 

Many apps, like My Run Plan and RunKeeper, allow you to set a goal, like running 5kms, and then put together a training plan to help you get there. Who needs a PT yelling at you from the sidelines when you’ve got one on your wrist? (PTs are actually still super useful – why not have both!?)

When you track your distance with a GPS-enabled smart watch, you’ll be provided with data, such as the distance you’ve travelled, how fast you’re going, and what your active heart rate, while you’re running. You’ll be able to see your stats with the flick of your wrist, and adjust your speed accordingly.

You can even set your watch to alert you if you’re above or below your target pace. If you’re training for a half- or full-marathon, this is a great way to help you plan your race pace for the event.

Even when you’re not out hitting the streets or running around your local park, a wearable will give you prompts to get up and move if you’ve been sitting still for too long. You can also set up additional reminders to keep you moving more often (or, if you don’t need the extra help, you can also turn them off).

Getting in a proper warm up (and cool down) is an essential component of any run – without it, you run the risk of injury which could see you unable to train (or even compete). Some wearables let you add warm up and cool down times to your workouts, which will make your runs a little bit easier, and a whole lot safer.  

If you’ve got a big event on the horizon, it can be easy to get gung-ho with your training and adopt the ‘go hard or go home’ mentality. But running too much, too often, can lead to injury and exhaustion.

Some wearables and associated apps monitor how hard you’ve been working and offer up advice on your optimal rest time, while others have a ‘recovery’ feature, which uses real-time data – and a countdown timer – to let you know when you should train again. 

From Lorde and Ladyhawke to Fat Freddy’s and Salmonella Dub, a great playlist is often just the motivation you need to keep going. Many smart watches allow you to sync your favourite tunes from your phone (or stream directly via 3/4/5G, so you can listen to music without being weighed down by extra devices.  Have a look at our AIA Vitality Spotify playlists and see if there’s something on there to get you motivated

If you need a little more motivation to help get you off the couch and out onto the street, there are a heap of brilliant apps available. Runtastic is great for motivation, and will connect your data to other runners in your area so you can see how your efforts compare with theirs; Couch to 5K will help get you started on your running journey; and Strava dishes up GPS and metric tracking, and connects you with a running community to keep you on your toes.