The fitness app that turned exercise into a social game

Strava® is a fitness app with over 100 million registered users across the globe that was specifically designed for athletes and fitness enthusiasts^1,2. The platform allows athletes to track and record their workouts and connect with other athletes. Users can record a variety of activities such as running, cycling, and swimming. The app tracks the distance, time, pace, elevation, and other data points, which are then stored in the user's profile. This feature enables athletes to monitor their progress and set goals for themselves.

However, these types of metrics are not what gave Strava its novelty. What sets Strava® apart from other fitness apps is how it transforms exercise into a social game. Users can challenge themselves and others by trying to beat personal records or aiming to take the top spot on a leader board on what are called segments³. The fastest time recorded by any user on a specific segment is displayed as the "KOM" (King of the Mountain) or "QOM" (Queen of the Mountain). This aspect of Strava® segments allows users to compete against each other to achieve their goals and earn bragging rights in a social way. Moreover, Strava® has also become a popular tool for virtual socializing where users can connect with friends, follow other athletes, and share their workouts with their community^1,4. This has created a social network of like-minded individuals who are passionate about fitness and sports. Strava also hosts monthly challenges and events that allow users to participate in virtual competitions and earn badges for their accomplishments⁵.

Strava® has had a significant impact on the fitness industry, as it has helped make access to fitness tracking and training tools available to all². Previously, tools with this type of capability were only available to professional athletes or those who could afford expensive equipment. Strava has now made it possible for anyone with a smartphone to track their workouts and connect with other athletes, thereby creating a sense of community. This has helped to encourage more people to lead active and healthy lifestyles and pursue their fitness goals. Finally, Strava® brava is not only a useful tool to monitor your fitness and track your workouts, it is also at its core, a social media platform that has revolutionised the fitness industry.

To bring you the most evidence-based and cutting information in the fields of sports and exercise science and health, SSISA works alongside the UCT Research Centre for Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Sport (HPALS) to disseminate the latest research.  HPALS research focuses on optimizing human performance and promoting health and well-being through physical activity, sports participation, healthy eating and good sleep hygiene.  Their work begins at the DNA, to the human performance laboratory and ultimately to the community. To read more about the Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Research Centre, Division of Physiological Sciences at the University of Cape Town, please see the HPALS website or email Ayesha Hendricks for more information about applications for MSc/PhD research programmes.

To get in touch with the Sports Science Institute of South Africa Group for Research Implementation and Translation (GRIT) Research Consultants, get in touch with Warren Lucas at research@ssisa.com or call 021 650 5728 for enquiries. Read more about the SSISA GRIT Team here.

Yours in Sports Science,

Sports Science Institute of South Africa

References:

1. https://www.strava.com/about
2. (2018, July 20). Why Strava Is A Social Network For Athletes Worth $1 Billion. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanmac/2018/07/20/why-strava-is-a-social-network-for-athletes-worth-1-billion/?sh=50d1ba8d2aa9
3. https://www.strava.com/segments
4. (2018, January 10). How Strava Became the Only Fitness App That Matters. https://www.wired.com/story/how-strava-became-only-fitness-app-that-matters/
5. https://www.strava.com/challenges