Garmin Connect‪™‬ 4+

As a non-athlete seeking to become more active, I correctly guessed that measuring what I do would be motivating for me. (I’m just that kind of person.) And this app, combined with a Garmin watch, measures SO MUCH! It threatened to be a bit overwhelming - but I’m just exploring new functions a bit at a time, and it’s fine.

If you’re new to an activity, you’ll want an outside resource to learn how to start using that activity to build fitness. The app assumes you already know a lot about the activity. For me, the functions for sail racing, sail expedition, navigation and boating activities were ready-to-go. But I have a new goal of building aerobic fitness through biking, swimming & hiking, which I’ve never really done before. While the app & watch are definitely helping me, I need to find an external resource that starts at the beginning about how to train with these activities for my goals. That entry layer of info isn’t in the app’s Help resources. But once I learn WHAT to do, I’m highly confident the app & watch are going to help me do it.

I’m confident because the every-day measures they log (intensity minutes, steps, stairs climbed, sleep, etc) has already been really useful. Since they’re more or less automatic, they were a good place to start learning how to use the watch & app. Now I’ve started with swimming, and we’ll see where it goes…

This app has been with me for the better part of five years now. I’ve been through two devices, the Garmin Tactix Bravo and the Tactix Delta solar, both great watches with a lot of functionality. However without the use of the garmin connect app I wouldn’t be able to really dial in my training the way I do today. One of the coolest features is being able to import your own Gpx file to the app and side load to your device for custom routes that you can build from various running websites. Additionally the ability to utilize the virtual coaches have helped me become a far better runner than I could have been on my own. By using the coaching I’ve now completed multiple 5ks a 10k and I’m working my way through a half Marathon plan now.

Over all this app has a smooth feel. The customizable Home Screen allows me to see all the data that I want and none that I don’t/ or do not care about. I also really like the “social media” part of the app through what’s called “connections”. Me and a few of my buddies are on similar training plans and it’s really motivating to see who’s cranking out the most miles in a week.

This is the first review I’ve ever made on an app and that should be pretty compelling information because I’m one of those people who rides off the backs of other honest reviews. If you’re not using this app in tandem with your garmin device, you’re really missing out.

I recently purchased a Garmin Forerunner 235, and I enjoy everything about it! It is so useful. It is lightweight, tells you your heartbeat, your VO2 max, recovery time, your aerobic training, and more. I didn’t realize all of the features I wanted were on the watch (there is no swimming, but I don’t really care). The app is what makes the watch so cool, and it makes it easy to see your mileage. Also, there are badges that you can get, and it makes the workouts feel like a game sometimes, trying to earn the badges. My mom now really wants one of these watches. I guess the downsides are that the watch dies after around three days, with you recording a workout session in all three days that last for around an hour. I don’t know how accurate the Garmin watch is, but I’m just glad that the features are there, because if I wanted more accuracy I would need to go and make myself uncomfortable for the day (heart rate while sleeping, deep and light sleep tracker, heart rate while running, etc). Sometimes it’s uncomfortable after wearing the watch snug for a couple of days. The “move!” Thing on the watch is a little annoying, but the pros outweigh the cons by far, and you even might be able to disable it.

All in all, this is a great brand, and if you are obsessed with health and working out, I would recommend this brand for a lot of people. I got my watch on Black Friday for $150, and I don’t regret it at all.