Strava for Beginners--information to help navigate the app

It's the “social network for athletes”

If you don’t know how to get started, we’ll help you out.

Soon, you’ll be tracking your training, uploading your runs, following other athletes, handing out kudos and comments, joining clubs and challenges, and maybe even creating your own routes in no time.

Strava is a free digital service accessible through both mobile applications and the web. Serious users can upgrade to the more advanced features for a monthly fee.

Most of our programs use the free servise of the app.

With Strava, you’ll use some combination of three devices: a smartphone, computer, or a fitness tracker, the most common form of which is a GPS watch.

Smartphone use -- download the free Strava app. Simply open your device’s app store (the APP Store for iPhones and Google Play for Android devices), search for Strava, and download the app.
On your computer, it’s even easier: Open your web browser and head to strava.com.
A fitness tracker involves a slightly more complicated setup process, but it is a smoother and more comprehensive tool in the long run.

Record an Activity

There are three ways to record an activity: entering the data manually, recording your run with the Strava app on your phone as you run, or syncing the data recorded by a fitness tracker, likely a GPS watch.

Manual entry: On both platforms, choose the plus sign (upper right on desktop, for example) then select the manual entry option. From there, you can fill in as many details as you know.
Strava app: Tap the Record tab. You can change any settings you need to, such as toggling auto-pause or audio cues on or off, then hit Start. The GPS on your smartphone will record the data from there, and once you’re done with your workout it will be uploaded to your activities when you hit save.
Fitness tracker: You can link your Strava account with a smartwatch such a Fitbit, so that activities recorded on it will automatically sync and upload to Strava.