Age: 50 Why I Tried It: To help motivate me to stick with my home workout routine As a longtime athlete (I hold world records in Nordic walking), it’s not a stretch to say I enjoy working out and that I pursue a robust fitness routine. (I do cardio six days a week, full-body strength training two to three times a week, and yoga at least three times a week). But I’m also a home exerciser, and I’m always looking for ways to keep up my motivation to stick to that schedule. That feat is easier for me during the summer months when the weather is conducive to exercising outside. Although I primarily do Nordic walking (a type of brisk walking done with poles) for cardio, I sometimes add a run or a walk-run workout to the mix, too. But whether walking or running, as soon as winter arrives, I’m much less inclined to take my workout outdoors, as I live in Indiana where winters can be miserable. RELATED: 12 Winter Workout Tips for Exercising Outdoors No Matter the Weather RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Exercise and How to Start
What Is Charge Running?
Charge Running is an app that features trainer-led running classes — either live or on demand — for all levels of runners (and to some extent, walkers, too). When you download the app, you’re prompted to answer questions about your running experience. You can answer that you’ve never done a 5K, completed a 5K, completed a 10K or half-marathon, or are a marathon man or woman. You can then pick classes based on your level (though you can also choose a class above or below your level). The workouts can be done on either a treadmill or outdoors. (Before each workout, you let the app know which you’re doing, and the trainers will use that information for their cues, especially if you’re outdoors and they need to tell you to start heading back to your starting point.) During these live classes, trainers have access to your cadence, mileage covered, and heart rate, if you choose to share that metric. They can also communicate directly with class participants. (You can respond through a chat bubble on the screen.) Even if you’re not doing a live class, you can still see your pace and mileage, and the app keeps tabs on the total mileage you’ve run. You can also find a handful of additional training videos on the app, including warmups, cooldowns, and yoga for runners. Charge Running is available through the App Store (for iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watch) and Google Play. You can try it for a week for free. After that, you pay a monthly fee of $14.99, or an annual fee $119.99. No matter which payment plan you choose, there’s no limit on how many classes you can take. RELATED: What Counts as Aerobic Exercise?
Here’s What Happened When I Tried the App
I downloaded Charge Running for the one-week trial and decided to use it as much as possible. I tried live runs and on-demand runs, on both my phone and my Apple Watch (you download the app once, but can access it on multiple devices). I liked being able to access the app on my watch to see my pace and rank in the class hands-free during workouts (for indoor workouts, I just propped my phone on the treadmill). I even tried the extra video content, including the yoga classes. As a type-A individual, I appreciated having a calendar of the live training classes on the app. I could scroll about nine days into the future to see what time classes were being held, what the difficulty level was, who the trainer was (there were 11 when I tried the app), and what the focus of the class was (for instance, light intervals, speed play, or moderate base run), which made it easy to map out my workouts ahead of time. I signed up to participate in the classes I wanted and then logged into the app and started running when the time was right. I also tried the on-demand running classes, but found it a little bit more difficult to search for the various options. For the on-demand classes, there are six running workout categories you can choose from (5K training program, 10K training program, virtual races, light runs, moderate runs, and hard runs). And while some had only a few classes in the database, others had more, which meant more scrolling (and time) to find one I wanted to do. As I scrolled through, I could see the duration and focus of the class and the trainer. When I clicked on the class, I could read a short description about it and see when it was recorded live. Although there wasn’t as much selection as I would have liked in class offerings, I did find workouts that fit my needs, and instructors I enjoyed. During all of the runs, even those that were on-demand, I felt like I was part of a pack, and the motivational cues I got from the trainers were good — although I did encounter a few classes where I just didn’t jibe with the trainer (because of the tone of their comments to various participants or their style of “pushing” us trainees). I would recommend trying several or all of the instructors on any app you’re using to figure out which ones you like best! Some of the trainers also didn’t explain how hard the effort they were asking participants to do should feel, which made things a little confusing at times. Finally, I didn’t always like the personal callouts about my mileage or pace during the live classes, as I can be hard on myself, especially when comparing myself to others. On the flip side, these callouts did give me an extra push to perform well.
Three Things I Liked About Charge Running
Here are three things about Charge Running that resonated with me:
Three Things I Disliked About Charge Running
Here are three things about the Charge app that I thought could be improved:
The Bottom Line
I subscribe to other apps that provide not only running classes, but numerous other types of activities, including cycling and bootcamp classes, yoga, strength training, and even meditation, which give them an edge, as I can mix things up even more. Because running isn’t my only or primary activity, Charge Running isn’t right for me. However, it’s a solid app for dedicated runners, especially if you need motivation or want to feel like you’re part of a group. And with the coaching you get — and the competitions you can participate in — it could be a good way to take your running to the next level, or even to start a running program. But I’d recommend taking advantage of the free trial before subscribing to see if the app, the workouts, and the trainers agree with you!
