All Apple Watches has a built-in accelerometer to track your pace, distance, and calorie burn while you’re working out.
So it’s no surprise that there are a ton of apps available to take advantage of it. These apps have quite advanced features than the native ‘Apple Workout’ app.
These apps will motivate you to get moving and improve your health by allowing you to track and analyze your workouts.
And if you’re looking for encouragement along the way, these apps will send reminders to get up and move when you’ve been sitting too long or cheer you on as you run.
While some of them feature professional coaches to help you make a personalized training plan, some take the whole experience to another level by turning the tedious running activity into an adventurous game.
All we know is that there is an overwhelming number of Treadmill-related apps on the Apple Store. To help you narrow down your choices, we rounded up the best Apple Watch apps for treadmill runners and walkers.
Top 7 Apple Watch Apps For Treadmill:
Zwift: Ride and Run
The goal of this app is to combine the entertainment of video games with the intensity of real exercise to help you achieve all of your fitness objectives.
Unless your treadmill has a screen or is compatible with a TV, and you have invested in a Foot pod, the App has little to offer more than the native Apple Workout.
The company offers apps for all IOS platforms i.e. Apple Watch, iPhone, and Apple TV.
You can create your own training program, complete with a worldwide community, or follow world-class trainers’ instructions.
The app offers 1,000 structured workouts and training plans, compatibility with a wide range of treadmills and external sensors, and 200 live events in a day.
Zwift syncs seamlessly with Apple Health data, so there is no need to enter any data manually. Its membership costs $14.99 per month and provides access to the game for unlimited days.
Nike Run Club:
NRC is a comprehensive running app, now with Apple Watch support. It allows you to track your runs both indoors and outdoors, customize plans for all distances and goal-setting, and many audio-guided workouts from Nike coaches and athletes.
Aimed primarily at outdoor running, the app has plenty to offer for treadmill running. You can enable/disable auto pause, modulate performance updates, and enable ‘Twilight mode’ that automatically adjust the display based on the lighting conditions.
The huge, bold screen metrics on the watch are simple to read. But if want more, you can switch between data screens by swiping the Digital Crown.
The app tracks calorie burned, duration, and heart rate as you sweat on the treadmill.
NRC is free to install, but there are in-app purchases.
RunKeeper:
Like NRC, Runkeeper works without an iPhone. It’ll also guess your distance if you’re running on the treadmill, just like Nike Run Club.
However, with the watch app, there’s little customization possible. You can set goals for pace and maximum heart rate and that is the end of it. However, you can plan and follow set workouts in addition to the three pre-set options available in the app.
Runkeeper’s new design instantly transforms it into a more serious training tool, allowing for all sorts of speed and interval sessions. The app shows pace (current, average), heart rate, and estimated distance.
For training plans and other advanced features, you will have to pay up for the Runkeeper Go.
Zombies, Run!:
This app transforms tedious treadmill running into an immersive audio drama in which you must outrun zombies to survive. Featured by Wired, BBC, CNN, and other popular platforms, it is the most popular treadmill running app available today.
The story unfolds in your headphones as you hop on the treadmill, featuring live events and personal training programs from celeb trainers and athletes. You can play the first four missions for free, and unlock one extra mission each week.
On your Apple Watch, you can view the estimated distance and time traveled as you run for your safety. The App blends interval training into the mix by requiring you to collect supplies during rescue missions.
To view and share your runs, calories burned and other statistics you can signup for the free ZombieLink platform. The App has a vibrant community of more than 10 million runners.
There are different subscription options for users. It starts from almost $40/year to almost $90.
Aaptiv:
Treadmill running may be tedious and frustrating at times, but what if you change it to a meditating session with music?
Aaptiv, a dedicated Apple Watch & iPhone app, transforms boring workouts into fun experiences by playing music and guiding you through audio-based fitness classes. What’s more? You can sync your training with a playlist of music you already know and love.
Aaptiv claims to offer more than 2,500 expertly coached classes ranging from 5k runs to high-intensity interval training sessions. There’s a workout for everyone, with new classes being added each week.
With High-intensity interval training (HIIT) integrated into the app, you can burn more calories, build muscle, and lose weight.
You can download lessons for offline training in case your watch doesn’t have a cellular/ WiFi connection.
The app offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Subscription fees are $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year, which include numerous perks such as unrestricted access to all of the classes and special material.
RunGo – The Best Routes to Run:
RunGo is a free Apple Watch app that offers voice support for the visually impaired. There are more than 600,000 courses available on the App, but if you prefer to run on a treadmill, there is an option for Visual Run Support. This feature helps you imagine running the course with voice-guided messages.
When you are running on the treadmill, it automatically detects the pace of your run and provides you with the essentials such as pace, distance, heart rate, cadence, and more. You can view various metrics on your Apple Watch while keeping an eye on the TV using RunGo’s Mirror Mode.
You can download the app for free on Apple Store. However, for the premium features, you might have to shell out £1.99 a month or £9.99 a year through an in-app purchase.
Peloton — at home fitness:
Peloton is ranked at 46th position in the Health & Fitness category on Apple Store. The App is free to download, but for premium features, you will have to shell out extra dollars.
This App tracks a range of activities that include Cycling, treadmill and Outdoor Running, Yoga, HIIT, Meditation, Cardio, Walking, and Indoor Bike Bootcamps. The best part is, you’ll be able to watch the crew in action at the NYC studio live, gaining real-time data for your treadmill workout.
The Apple TV app can be used to stream workouts to the biggest screen in your house, making it easy to follow along from any device. You will have real-time NYC instructors by your side to turn any space into a personal training studio.
Overall, this app works best for you if your exercise routine covers more than just treadmill running, or if you want one-to-one training from experts.
Final Verdict:
Zombie, Run! is the preferred choice for those who need encouragement to increase their speed on the treadmill or want some unique features like story-driven missions, but if you are looking for an app that offers good features at budget prices, RunGo is your best bet!
Kevin is a Tech journalist for over a decade. He writes on Wearables, Headphones, and Laptops. When he is not glued to his laptop, You will find him working on exciting projects that include Unboxing new Gadgets, comparing them, and tweaking their hardware.