Five Ways to Make Your Apple Watch Better for Running
Reading Time: 2 minutesFor long runs in particular, you can make your Apple Watch perform better.
The Apple Watch is great for runners, but a few of its limitations get in the way of training for long-distance races. Most runners have encountered the low battery warning just as they’re about to step out, or realize too late that they don’t have any music for the run because they forgot to sync songs. There are some easy ways to minimize these annoyances for your next long-distance runs.
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Download music well in advance
It takes a fair amount of time to sync music to your Apple Watch, so you should account for this delay and try to sync any tunes, podcasts, or audiobooks well before your workout. Set a reminder for yourself to take care of it early or the day before a long run. Otherwise, you might find yourself standing at the front door in your sneakers while your entertainment lags.
Update your body measurements
Our bodies change over time, so if you want the most accurate measurement readings for calorie burn and other workout metrics, double-check that your stats are up-to-date. In the Health app, go to the Browse tab and select Body Measurements. Tap the Add Data button in the top-right corner and enter your current weight. You should also consider customizing the fitness stats your Apple Watch shows while you’re running.
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Calibrate your watch for better GPS accuracy
Your Apple Watch’s GPS is reasonably accurate once it’s calibrated correctly. As long as you go for a couple of outdoor runs or walks (of 20 minutes each) in areas with good GPS reception, you’re set. But if your watch’s distance measurements appear inaccurate, you can try recalibrating its GPS for better results.
Swing your arms while running
If you run with your arms restricted, your Apple Watch may not be able to accurately measure your runs. Instead of holding things in your hands while you run, consider using a small running backpack or waist pack to free up your arms and allow the watch to accurately measure your cadence, stride length, and other metrics.
Conserve the battery
Not everyone has the luxury of buying the Apple Watch Ultra. But a few battery conservation tips will help everyone, no matter which watch you have. These tricks are particularly useful if you go for a run in the evening and don’t have an option to easily charge your watch during the day.
You can try using the Low Power Mode to prolong its battery life. Alternatively, you can turn off cellular data and Always-On Display to ensure that you have enough charge when you’re running. The Apple Watch also has a power saving mode for tracking workouts—this setting will disable the heart-rate sensor, but your watch will still track your run effectively.
Finally, you can also keep your iPhone with you while running to conserve your Apple Watch’s battery. If the iPhone is nearby, your watch will outsource battery intensive tasks to the phone. This way, you’re less likely to run out of charge.