The treadmill is an invention that has been around since the 1800s. What started out as a belt attached to a steam engine was used by prisoners in England to mill flour. Since then, they have evolved into the home and gym equipment we know them as today.
However, just because treadmills are now electronic and can be found in almost every gym, it doesn’t mean they are without their problems; many people find running on a treadmill to be boring. Luckily, there are some apps that will take your treadmill boredom and turn it into motivation.
Here are 10 of the best apps for running on a treadmill:
Best Apps For Running On Treadmill
As tough as it can be to get motivated to run indoors, sometimes life makes running outside downright impossible (see: coronavirus outbreak, blazing wildfires, and crappy weather). But there are benefits to running on a treadmill, even for the most diehard outdoor runners among us. And with the right tools, you can cut all that “dreadmill” talk and discover that indoor running can really be something you look forward to.
If you need more motivation, these treadmill workout apps bring access to the best coaches, group camaraderie, friendly competition, and courses you’ve never even dreamed of running right to your fingertips. Download your fave, power on that treadmill, and watch the miles fly by.
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Best Treadmills for Runners
Exercise machine, Treadmill, Exercise equipment, Sports equipment,
NordicTrack Commercial 2950
A 22″ screen displays beautiful video and interactive coaching
BUY NOW
Technology, Electronic device, Gadget, Multimedia, Output device, Electronics,
Woodway 4Front
A new entertainment screen lets you watch Netflix on your long runs
BUY NOW
Exercise machine, Treadmill, Exercise equipment, Sports equipment, Machine,
NordicTrack C 990
Run virtual courses and get interactive coaching without breaking the bank
BUY NOW
Landice L8 Cardio treadmill
Landice L8 Cardio
The quietest treadmill we’ve tested also changes speeds quickly.
BUY NOW
- Nike+ Run Club
Logo, Font, Text, Yellow, Line, Graphics, Trademark, Brand, Icon,
COURTESY
Within the Nike+ Run Club app’s 50-plus guided runs—some of which are led by Nike all-stars (think: Eliud Kipchoge and Shalane Flanagan)—you can choose from six running workouts specifically designed for the treadmill. They are 15 to 30 minutes in duration and come with audio instructions—for everything from pace and incline settings to encouraging tips.
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One of the most attractive features for those motivated by music is the Spotify integration that allows you to lay the coach’s cues over your favorite playlist, so you aren’t stuck listening to random music that doesn’t motivate you. You can also play music from a curated Apple Music playlist, your own, or play audiobooks and podcasts during your workout. Pro tip: Outside of the treadmill-specific audio-guided runs, you can use almost any of the other 50 runs indoors, you’ll just have to know your own paces/speeds to align with the cues.
iTunes and Google Play; free
- Peloton Digital
treadmill training apps
COURTESY
Even without Peloton’s fancyAF treadmill, runners can choose from 175-plus Tread Studio live and on-demand running classes that range from 10 to 60 minutes long and cover everything from hill runs and fun runs to interval runs and fastest miles, and new content is added regularly. Run along with instructors like Robin Arzon, Rebecca Kennedy, and Matty Maggiacomo, who stream live from the treadmills; if you’re running with them in real-time, they might even give you a shout out. FYI: All of the classes are set to playlists pre-created by the instructors, so you’re stuck with their tunes, but you can filter through music type when choosing your class.
iTunes and Google Play; free 14-day trial, $12.99 for a monthly membership (free with Peloton membership)
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- Studio
Logo, Pink, Magenta, Font, Material property, Graphics, Icon,
COURTESY
For people who can’t get to boutique treadmill studios, Studio brings them to you. Classes, which last 10 to 60 minutes, are geared towards everyone from those who’ve never ran a mile to regular marathoners; new options are added every day. Don’t know what your race paces are? The instructors provide exact treadmill speeds and inclines, so you’re not doing complicated math while you run.
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And because the app syncs directly with the Apple Watch, it can project the distances and biometric data of anyone who’s ever taken a class before onto a leaderboard to provide that group element even if you’re running alone in your basement. (You can also run untracked without the Apple Watch.)
iTunes; free two-week trial, $14.99 per month, $99.99 per year
[Smash your goals with a Runner’s World Training Plan, designed for any speed and any distance.]
- Aaptiv
aaptiv
COURTESY
Treadmill workouts are the top class category on Aaptiv and range in skill levels so newbie runners have just as many options as marathoners. Some trainers push technical form, others are popular among those people who are race training, and some just like to have fun. Before you choose a run, you can check out all the details in the app, including estimated distance, peak speed, peak incline, and music style (all classes are recorded with the music blended in), so you know what you’re getting yourself into.
iTunes, Google Play; free 7-day trial, $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year
- Treadmill Trails
Mountainous landforms, Mountain, Rock, Natural landscape, Geology, National park, Formation, Mountain range, Cliff, Terrain,
COURTESY
If you’re truly not a fan of slogging out indoors with only limited TV channels or a blank wall to stare at, head outside in the virtual world with Treadmill Trails. The 30-minute routes take you everywhere from Hudson River Park in New York City to Mt. Kilimanjaro. There are minimal coaching cues beyond “speed up” and “slow down,” so you can layer your own music over the narrator without missing much. Once you download a video (it can take a minute or two), it’s stored right in your camera roll so you can access it with or without wifi.
iTunes and Google Play; $0.99 for each 30-minute video
- Zwift
Font, Orange, Line, Number, Logo, Symbol, Material property, Clip art, Icon, Graphics,
COURTESY
The popular indoor cycling app Zwift recently expanded to include running, and now treadmill users can navigate the slightly surreal-looking courses (picture a futurist New York City) via an animated avatar. You’ll need a Bluetooth-equipped treadmill, or cadence tracker (such as Stryd, a foot pod that clips to your shoe and tracks both cadence and power or the Zwift RunPod, which just tracks cadence) to monitor your vitals, which the screen displays in real-time as your pounding the “pavement.” You can also add a heart rate monitor for more data. The display is a little clunkier and hard to navigate than more sophisticated apps, but it’s cool to watch your avatar mimic your movements, and it adds a game-like element to running indoors.
iTunes and Google Play; free
- PulseTread
Logo, Font, Graphics, Brand,
COURTESY
For those looking for a quick workout, or if high-intensity interval (HIIT) workouts are your thing, check out PulseTread. You’ll get a new, trainer-led, 30-minute treadmill workout on your phone every day. Class formats vary day to day, but include a 30-minute workout and 10/10/10 or 15/15-minute set formats, which allow for strength-training intervals between sets. You’ll be able to jam to your downloaded playlists, podcasts, or other music app like Spotify while you workout. If you’re using your own music, you can separately control the volume of the instruction and your music from the app.
If you want to just try a workout every now and then, you can purchase the daily workout for 99 cents. If you want the option to do more than one, you can subscribe monthly or yearly for an even cheaper way to access a new workout each day.
iTunes; $0.99 for each 30-minute video, $4.99 a month, or $39.99 a year
- iFit
treadmill workout apps
COURTESY
If you’re stuck working out inside as the weather cools down and your gym remains closed, iFit has you covered for both on- and off-the-tread workouts. You’ll have access to over 100 trainers, cardio, HIIT, yoga, and strength training classes. You can also cue up the Global Training feature, which will have you (virtually) working out in some of the most epic destinations across the globe (imagine your screen moving through the actual Boston Marathon course, Central Park in New York City, or a Kenyan Elephant Safari as you run).
And, if your treadmill is iFit enabled, the machine will automatically adjust the treadmill’s settings in real-time during your workout.
iTunes and Google Play; free 30-day trial, then $15 a month
- Zombies, Run!
treadmill workout apps
COURTESY
Let’s face it: 2020 has felt apocalyptic at times. Why not embrace that, and use it to make your runs more interesting with the Zombies, Run! app. If you’re bored logging miles on the treadmill, what’s more motivating than outrunning zombies to save your life?
Hop on the treadmill and start up the app. (You can also use it outside.) Soon, you’ll be running away from creatures returning from the dead. You’ll be able to hear them in your headphones as they get closer—encouraging you to knock out those intervals. You can also participate in virtual races.
virtual running apps for treadmill
My interest in smart treadmills is closely linked to the new possibilities to dive into virtual worlds for training. Just like cyclists have been able to do on their smart trainers for some time now.
In addition to the right hardware (i.e. a treadmill), you also need the right software. Nowadays, this means apps, of course, which you then have on a screen in front of you during the workout. The list is quite large, but in my experience so far, only a few apps are useful.
In fact, there are ultimately only three apps that I regularly (and happily) use on my runs on the Technogym MyRun.
Zwift
Zwift is certainly the top dog here. With over three million accounts, the platform has grown strongly since its founding in 2014. Originally, the service was only aimed at cyclists and was even originally only a software for the PC. Today, Zwift is available for all mobile platforms. Since 2018, with Zwift Run, there is also the possibility to run in the virtual worlds. In contrast to the $15 monthly fee for cyclists, we runners have so far been allowed to join in for free.
Setup
The Zwift software can be installed on PCs, modern Android and iOS devices. In addition to mobile phones and tablets, Apple TV also works as a basis. To transfer one’s own movement into the virtual world, one must connect a speed sensor. This can be a foot pod like the Stryd or the Zwift pod. Smart treadmills such as the MyRun can also be paired directly. Meanwhile, Garmin watches have their own sport profile for virtual runs, so that the watch can also serve as a source for pace, cadence and heart rate.
Strictly speaking, you don’t need a treadmill for Zwift ;). With your mobile phone in your pocket, you could also collect your miles for Zwift outside – but without really being able to follow what’s happening on the screen, of course.
Parallel to the main app, there is also Zwift Companion – something like Zwift’s own Facebook. Here you can follow each other, give likes, be notified of events and plan your next event.
Features
Zwift provides various virtual worlds, each with several different routes. When you start the app, you can freely choose one of them and basically just start running.
On the routes you are never completely alone, as you not only share them with other runners around the world, but also with the cyclists. So you usually have the feeling of running in a group. However, on some routes there are turns where you are free to choose a direction, so the group never really stays together.
The situation is different, of course, when you take part in a virtual event. As with a real race, there is a defined start time and a predefined route. You can even sort yourself into a desired pace group to stay with the other runners.
Normally, these are training endurance runs that you do in a virtual group instead of alone on the treadmill. But there are also real races and race series in which anyone can participate. Here, too, the aim is not necessarily to win, but rather to provide a motivational incentive.
This also includes the equipment of one’s avatar, for which one can gradually acquire new options. While for cyclists it is also about speed, for us runners it is only about a changed appearance. Nevertheless, this can also be an additional motivation to collect miles in Zwift.
But serious training is also possible with Zwift. In Workout Mode, runners have structured training sessions and even complete, free training plans at their disposal. Those who (like me) are actually at home on TrainingPeaks can even synchronise their workouts from there – if they are pace-based.
Experiences
I have to admit that Zwift really gave me a hard time at first. It took me a few attempts to find my way around the app. And even during the first few runs, question marks kept popping up, which I’m sure I still haven’t fully resolved.
Zwift
But in the end it is not that difficult and already during the first run I could see how I wanted to race the person in front of me 😉 Running along or running away can be an additional motivation that brings variety into the training on the treadmill.
Via the Companion App I discovered quite early that many people I know are already running on Zwift. We even happened to be on the same run, which oddly enough made me very happy. Unfortunately, there is no possibility to talk to each other during the run. There are just two avatars running around in the same virtual world. 😉
In contrast, the level-ups were not able to motivate me in any way. Whether my avatar got a new cap or the next colour of socks, I only noticed marginally. But I don’t want to talk that down either: additional training goals can certainly arise from that.
Rouvy
At Rouvy you also move through virtual worlds, but they consist of real, filmed routes and artificial avatars. The Czech platform originally focused only on cyclists – runners are now also included with a free account.
Setup
Rouvy consists of three software components: Rouvy AR is the main application for immersing yourself in virtual worlds for training. It is available on all platforms – in addition to Android, iOS and Apple TV, there is also a Windows and macOS installer.
There are also Rouvy workouts and even a Route Editor to create your own routes. The connection for running sensors is just as complete as with Zwift: basically, all common Footpods or smart treadmills such as the MyRun can be paired. Of course, you can also record your cadence and heart rate.
Features
Before starting your run, you have two options: you can run a route or take part in an event. If you choose the route function, you can either start a training run or a timed run.
Rouvy
Rouvy
But i looks like there are not so many events for us runners… So far I have only seen cycling events. So, unlike Zwift, there is no opportunity to take part in group events every day to spice up your training routine.
Experiences
At first I found the filmed tracks more attractive than the entirely virtual worlds in Zwift. However, it also makes a big difference that you are alone on the track. This means that some motivating factors are missing…
Technogym LIVE
While Zwift and Rouvy are open platforms that can be used with a wide variety of hardware, Technogym LIVE is a manufacturer platform. So the app can only be used with equipment from Technogym – which includes all kinds of gym equipment as well as treadmills. It comes as a useful, but not essential, app with the Technogym MyRun, which I have been testing for some time.
But the platform is basically not just for home use. With my Technogym LIVE account, I could also log on to a cardio machine at the gym and continue my training plan there. However, I have only used it at home with the MyRun.
Features
The Technogym LIVE App is divided into five areas: Sessions, Custom, Routines, Outdoors and Strength. The last area is a new feature of the most recent update. For me, this is a big advantage in the separating of hardware and software: I always benefit directly from the latest developments at Technogym.
Sessions
I initially made the mistake of dismissing the sessions as simple cardio workouts. But the video workouts offered here go far beyond that. There are currently nine trainers and ten series, each serving different topics: conditioning, strength, tension or even weight reduction. The six sessions in each series can either be done individually and independently of the series, or you can work through them like a training plan and get a varied training block.
In order to challenge each runner appropriately, you choose your performance level at the start of a session. If you have misjudged this, you can change it at any time during the training. This does not affect the duration, but of course the intensity.
Sessions
The preset speeds and gradients during the session are displayed and announced, but must be activated manually by tapping a button. You can therefore decide at any time to deviate from the defaults – if you do not want to change the level straight away.
Routines
Routines are also ready-made training sessions, but without a video trainer. You can choose from four categories: endurance training, flexibility training, weight loss training and leg training. Before starting, you can set the exact length of the workout (between 15 and 40 minutes) and the performance level in 25 grades between beginner and advanced.
The programme then runs automatically and changes speed and gradient according to the specifications. The changes due to the next stage are always displayed and the time of change is announced beforehand with beep tones.
Routinen
Of course, it is also possible here to adjust one’s performance level during the workout – which adjusts the speed to be run. Manual selection of speed or incline is not possible.
Outdoors
With the Technogym LIVE App you can also run filmed routes. Various landscape and city courses are available. In contrast to Zwift, however, you are running alone. Although the speed of the video adapts to the speed of the treadmill, nothing more happens with this function.
A large screen on the wall in front of the treadmill would be ideal for immersing yourself in the running track. You can also select the appropriate playlist in the app: either from the Technogym offer (I found it very good!), or via Spotify.
Custom
This option hides a multitude of functions that make it possible to run according to almost any targets. You can not only set a time or distance target for your session, but also train according to heart rate.
For interval training on the Technogym MyRun, the tempo change program is very suitable. Here you can set up to four speeds, between which you can then switch directly with the selector lever.
However, the necessary structure (times / distances) must then be set by the running watch, for example, according to the training plan. When changing pace, you only have to tap the lever of the treadmill once and you end up directly at the preset pace. However, no readjustment is possible during the training.
Strength
A brand new addition is the “Strength” option. Technogym offers several training series here in order to be able to do supporting exercises for the whole body. These are either bodyweight exercises, exercises with free weights (dumbbells, kettlebells) or exercises for the Technogym Bench – an all-in-one training bench.
The exercises are divided into three different difficulty levels, but these are fixed and cannot be adjusted.
Strava Training Sessions
This unique feature of the Technogym LIVE App deserves its own chapter. The app has always had a connection to Strava so that training sessions can be automatically uploaded there. But since the last update, the possibility has been added to re-run the runs saved there on the treadmill.
Of course, this also includes the runs you did outdoors! So I could always do my interval training of last week on the treadmill – with the speed recorded “back then” and all the inclines.
So, for example, if I have done a hill sprint workout, the treadmill will automatically set the recorded pace and incline (up to a maximum of 12% incline…). Just like that, if I had to take a break at the traffic lights, the belt will stop. 😉
The canned experience is accompanied by a large Google Map on which I can see the course and the “phantom runner” of the recording. This is particularly exciting when I decide that I would rather choose the pace freely. This way I can really compete against myself. The gradient cannot be controlled manually.
If there is also footage from Google StreetView available for the route you have run, this will also be displayed in a smaller window.
Some Tricks
The Technogym LIVE App uses the last 90 days of the connected Strava account for this function. So you can’t simply retrace the run from your holiday two years ago. But that doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t work at all… 😉 In principle, training data can be exported, manipulated (date!) and uploaded again. In order not to mess up the neatly maintained Strava account, I simply created a second one and linked it to the Technogym app.
So I could re-run my run up the Brocken, or the half-marathon in Venlo, the local city run… Mind you, along with the opportunity to compete against my time from back then on the treadmill! Absolutely brilliant! 🙂
Conclusion
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