Strava Launches Instant Workout Feature

Strava has unveiled its latest feature: Instant Workouts. The fitness social media app looks to expand beyond connecting athletes to becoming an integral part of users’ fitness routines. The app is now offering workouts targeting four separate goals with over 40 sport options. The object is not only to suggest workouts, but to tailor those suggestions to the user based on their exercise history. The feature is only available to paying Strava subscribers.

Unlike other digital fitness coaching, including what Strava already had available through their partnership with Runna, that use their workouts to help users achieve preset goals, the purpose of Instant Workouts is to offer users suggestions that focus on inspiration and habit building rather than hardcore performance coaching. 

Instant Workouts can be found in the carousel at the top of a Strava feed. The recommendations analyze your logged activities and generate workouts that fit your recent trends or add variety to your routine. The feature also encourages users to upload more of their workouts because the more information it collects, the more tailored the suggestions become.

For workouts needing a GPS route, like a run or ride, Strava will create a suggested route starting from your current location using its global heatmap data that collects information from other users in the area to provide the best route. 

In addition to formulating workouts and directions, the Instant Workouts will offer explanations along with suggestions so that users can understand why they are being provided with this specific routine.