Fitness for Every Body
Let's Be Honest: Strava Treats Walking Like a Consolation Prize
Strava was built for runners and cyclists. If walking is your main activity, you deserve an app that celebrates your movement, not one that treats it as 'not quite running.'
The Walking Experience on Strava (Spoiler: It's Awkward)
What Happens When You're a Walker on Strava
Your feed: "John ran 10K! 🏃♂️" "Sarah crushed 50 miles! 🚴♀️" "You walked 3 miles... 🚶♀️"
The unspoken hierarchy:
- Cyclists (kings of Strava)
- Runners (respected athletes)
- Hikers (if it's mountainous)
- Walkers (... you're using Strava?)
The Features That Don't Work for Walking
Segments Are Useless
Segments are Strava's signature feature - compete for fastest times on specific routes. But walking segments? You'll literally always be last. That hill segment? The KOM did it in 45 seconds running. You took 5 minutes walking. Motivating!
Pace Shame
Strava prominently displays pace per mile. For walkers, seeing "18:30/mi" next to someone's "7:30/mi" run feels unnecessarily highlighting. Yes, we know we're slower - that's not the point of walking!
Training Plans? What Training Plans?
Strava's training plans start at "5K run." There's no "build up to walking 30 minutes daily" or "10,000 steps program." Walkers don't get training support.
Kudos Feel Patronizing
When your 2-mile walk gets kudos sandwiched between someone's marathon and another's century ride, it feels like a participation trophy. "Good job walking, I guess?"
The Subtle (and Not So Subtle) Messages
- Route recommendations: All running/cycling routes
- Challenges: "Run 100K this month!" (Walking 100K doesn't sound as cool)
- Gear tracking: Running shoes, bikes (no walking shoes category)
- Clubs: "Morning Runners," "Weekend Warriors" (not "Daily Walkers")
The message is clear: Walking is tolerated, not celebrated.
Why Walking Deserves Equal Respect (Science Says So)
Walking Is Not "Running Lite"
The Health Benefits Are Massive
Harvard Medical School research shows walking:
- Reduces heart disease risk by 31%
- Cuts diabetes risk by 50%
- Improves mental health as much as running
- Is sustainable for life (unlike high-impact running)
Walking Is Often Harder Than Running
- For seniors maintaining independence
- For people with disabilities or chronic conditions
- For parents pushing strollers
- For people recovering from injury
- For those carrying extra weight
A 30-minute walk might be someone's Everest. That deserves celebration, not a patronizing kudos.
What Walkers Actually Want
Step Tracking That Matters
Not pace per mile, but consistency. Not segments, but daily goals. Not PRs, but streaks and trends.
Appropriate Challenges
"Walk every day this week" not "Run 100K this month." Challenges that recognize walking as the primary activity, not a warmup.
Community of Walkers
Connect with others who walk for fitness, mental health, weight loss, or just because they enjoy it. No pace shaming, no "why don't you run?" questions.
Recognition for Effort
Your 5,000 steps on a tough day should feel as celebrated as someone's marathon. Effort-based recognition, not absolute performance.
Apps That Actually Celebrate Walking
Motion: Where Walking Is First-Class
Motion treats ALL movement equally. Your daily walks earn the same respect as anyone's workout:
- Every step counts: Walking contributes equally to your activity score
- Walking-appropriate goals: Based on YOUR walking patterns, not running standards
- Fair competition: Compete with runners based on effort percentage, not speed
- Walking achievements: Celebrate consistency, distance, and improvement at walking pace
- Inclusive community: Thousands of walkers supporting each other
Your Motmot doesn't care if you walked or ran - they're just happy you moved!
Other Walking-Friendly Options
Apple Health / Google Fit
Simple step tracking without the social pressure. Great for private progress, though less motivating long-term.
Charity Miles
Walk for charity - every mile earns money for your cause. Walking and running earn the same amount!
Pokemon GO
Gamified walking where speed doesn't matter. Fun for those who like augmented reality.
Step Tracking Apps
Dedicated pedometer apps that focus solely on steps, not pace or performance.
The Truth About Strava
Strava is EXCELLENT for what it's designed for: tracking athletic performance in running and cycling. But trying to make it work for walking is like using a racing bike for grocery shopping - technically possible, but missing the point.
If You Must Use Strava for Walking
Tips to Make Strava Less Frustrating for Walkers
1. Change Your Perspective
Use Strava as a simple GPS logger. Ignore the social features, segments, and pace data. You can even use it as your tracker, and connect it to Motion to connect and play and connect in a more beginner-friendly environment.
2. Find Walking Groups
Search for groups like "Happy Walkers" or "Walking for Health" - they exist but are hard to find.
3. Reframe Your Activities
Call them "hikes" instead of walks. Somehow a 3-mile "hike" gets more respect than a 3-mile "walk."
4. Mute the Runners
Curate your feed to only follow other walkers. Less demoralizing.
5. Use Different Apps for Different Purposes
Many people use Strava for occasional runs but Motion or other apps for daily walking. There's no rule saying you can only use one!
Or Choose an App That Celebrates Your Choice
Walking is one of the most accessible, sustainable, and beneficial forms of exercise. You deserve an app that treats it as such, not as "failed running."
Motion celebrates every step equally. Because movement is movement, and your daily walk matters just as much as anyone's run.
Frequently asked questions
If you have anything else you want to ask, reach out to us.
Is Strava good for tracking walks?
Strava CAN track walks, but it's not optimized for walking. It's built for runners and cyclists, so features like segments, training plans, and social aspects don't work well for walkers. Apps like Motion treat walking as a primary activity, not an afterthought.
Why do walkers feel unwelcome on Strava?
Strava's culture and features center on performance athletics. Seeing your 20-minute mile next to someone's 6-minute mile, being last on every segment, and finding no walking-specific training plans sends a clear message: this wasn't built for you.
What's the best app for walking?
Motion is excellent for walkers because it treats all movement equally, has adaptive goals based on YOUR walking patterns, and celebrates consistency over speed. Other good options include dedicated pedometer apps or Apple Health/Google Fit for simple tracking.
Can you compete on Strava as a walker?
Not fairly. Segments rank by speed, so walkers will always be last. Challenges focus on running/cycling distances. Motion offers fair competition where your walking effort counts equally to someone's running effort through percentage-based goals.
Does walking count toward Strava fitness score?
Barely. Strava's fitness scores are calculated using heart rate and perceive walking as low effort, even though a 60-minute walk might be significant exercise for many people. Motion's activity scores value walking appropriately.
Should I use Strava if I only walk?
Honestly? Probably not, unless you need GPS tracking for specific routes. You'll get more motivation and appropriate features from apps designed for walkers. Motion, pedometer apps, or even Pokemon GO will serve you better.
How do I make walking feel valuable on fitness apps?
Choose apps that celebrate walking! Motion gives equal credit for walking, Fit Bingo includes walking challenges, and your virtual pet loves walks. The right app makes walking feel like the valuable exercise it truly is.
Your Fitness Journey Starts Here
Download Motion free and discover why this is the fitness app you'll actually keep using. Your future self (and your Motmot) will thank you.
