Five Ways to Make Your Apple Watch Better for Running
The Apple Watch is great for runners, but some of its flaws get in the way of training for long distance runs. Most runners have experienced a low battery warning as soon as they were about to go out for a run, or realized too late they didn’t have running music because they forgot to sync the songs. There are a few easy ways to minimize these inconveniences on your next long distance run.
Download music in advance
It takes quite a while to sync music to Apple Watch , so you should consider this delay and try to sync any tunes, podcasts, or audiobooks well in advance of your workout. Set a reminder for yourself to take care of it early or the day before a long run. Otherwise, you may find yourself standing at the front door in sneakers while your entertainment falls behind.
Update your body parameters
Our bodies change over time, so if you want the most accurate measurements for calorie burn and other workout metrics, double check to make sure your stats are up to date. In the Health app, go to the Overview tab and select Body Measurements . Click the Add Data button in the top right corner and enter your current weight. You should also consider customizing the fitness stats that Apple Watch shows while you run .
Calibrate your watch to improve GPS accuracy
Your Apple Watch’s GPS is quite accurate if it’s properly calibrated. As long as you do a couple of jogs or outdoor walks (20 minutes each) in areas with good GPS reception, you’re good to go. But if your watch’s distance measurements seem to be inaccurate, you can try recalibrating its GPS for better results .
Wave your arms while running
If you run with limited hands, your Apple Watch may not be able to accurately measure your runs. Instead of holding something in your hands while you run, consider using a small running backpack or fanny pack to free up your hands and allow your watch to accurately measure cadence, stride length, and more.
Save battery
Not everyone has the opportunity to buy an Apple Watch Ultra . But a few battery saving tips will help everyone, no matter what kind of watch you have. These tricks are especially useful if you go for a run in the evening and don’t have an easy way to charge your watch during the day.
You can try using low power mode to extend battery life. In addition, you can turn off Cellular Data and Always-On Display to make sure you have enough power while running. The Apple Watch also has a power-saving mode for tracking workouts – this setting disables the heart rate sensor, but your watch will still track your run effectively.
Finally, you can also keep your iPhone with you while you run to conserve your Apple Watch battery. If iPhone is nearby, your watch sends battery-intensive tasks to your phone . Thus, you are less likely to be left without a charge.