strava 1

During the pandemic, many people picked up new hobbies and started working out. One popular app for tracking exercise is Strava, which saw significant growth and became profitable in 2020. Strava has built a strong community of athletes and beginners alike, encouraging people of all fitness levels to move. Running became a trend during the pandemic, offering a sense of optimism, hope, and connection. Strava also organized a solidarity challenge to keep users active and connected during social distancing. The running trend continues to thrive, with people of all ages and body types participating. Okay. My test, my test. Alright. Hi guys! It is yet again another Thursday and that means another episode of the Girl Ramblings podcast with me, your host, Fiona Gomez. So this afternoon, we'll be talking about brands. Specifically, those that thrived during the pandemic. And as we know, a lot of people started getting into new things and picking up new hobbies during the pandemic. All of a sudden, people were knitting sweaters, making cookies, becoming baristas and making that Dalgona coffee, and you know, of course, working out. Probably half of the people I followed on Instagram entered their fitness era during the pandemic. And honestly, I was part of that too. I was part of the population that did that 20-minute clothing ab workout. I hope you know what I'm talking about. Because I was also part of that population that was just bored out of their minds and didn't know what to do with their free time. And of course, I was also worried that being on lockdown meant that I wasn't moving my body enough and that I was getting unhealthier and unhealthier by the day. For whatever reason, people had for suddenly getting into workouts. However, I'm sure that one thing everyone did was consult the internet for what exactly to do. So we had YouTube, through which we were learning how to do HIIT. So of course, we also found resurfacing jargon and all these terms, workout-related terms. So HIIT is high-intensity interval training. We also had Pilates. Oh, I loved doing Pilates. And dance workouts. The most popular one that I could think of were the ones by Mad Fit. Those were like crazy difficult. I did that once and didn't do it again. So tiring. And yeah, just anything you could do at home because that's what you're allowed to do. But once the lockdown restrictions were slowly getting eased, I saw family and friends posting about getting into running or even cycling. I guess it was their way to see the outside world while still being safe and while social distancing because, you know, those things can be solo activities while you're still out there appreciating nature. I mean, I honestly would have done the same if I knew how to ride a bike. Among the friends I've seen, they're always posting about how many kilometers they did, the jargon like elevation rate and things like that. And to measure and share these things, they use an app called Strava. So by this time, I'm sure you've probably seen at least one Instagram story of someone sharing their late night run or slow Sunday jog from that orange app Strava. So what exactly is Strava? Strava is an online app used for tracking physical exercise while also incorporating social network features. It started out tracking mostly outdoor cycling and running activity using GPS data, but now incorporates several dozen other exercise types including indoor activities. So in this episode, we're talking about brands that thrived during the pandemic. So let's talk a little bit about the numbers. Strava claims to be the largest sports community in the world with over a hundred million athletes in 195 countries and they are also the leading platform for movement. Strava was founded in 2009, but they only began being profitable in 2020 when it had a 70% increase in revenue from the previous year. By the end of that year, Strava was valued at $1.5 billion. And in 2022, Strava had 95 million registered users with 2 million added every month, generating $220 million in revenue. Wow, what a growth. But what has been most impressive about their growth to me is the community that they've been able to build over time. At the peak of the pandemic, I honestly would only see Instagram stories with Strava from online friends who were serious athletes and trainers, you know, they would, they're the types who would do marathons and who would wake up at 4am and finish the run by watching the sunrise or bike to Odipolo and grab coffee there with their other biker friends. So I initially thought, you know, it's just one of those apps that's very extra infused athletes use. But that changed because now every type of person who does jogging, running, walking, whatever, seems to be on the app. You know, my friend who does a 5k every day easily after class, uses it. Hi to you, Wenzie. Well, my shout out. But yeah, my cousin also in the US is a dragon boat race user uses it. That's when I found out actually that you could use it for sports other than running and cycling. And of course me, I wouldn't be featuring the app on this podcast if I didn't use them personally. But me as a beginner or as a baby runner, I use it. And you know, I only really jog when I feel like it because I usually do other sports more like yoga, Pilates, and weight training. That's like my preference of exercise. You know, the type of exercise where you don't really have to move from one place to another. But for sure, one of my biggest motivators to finally get into running was all those travel posts by my friends. And with being able to post those travel runs myself. So but for sure, one of my biggest motivators to get into running was seeing all those posts by my friends when they use Java. So I bought running shoes last year for the first time, by the way. And I was telling my sister jokingly that, oh my gosh, I'm gonna be a Strava girlie, I'm telling you. And she was making fun of me like, wow, it's an athlete. But now you know, she's the one who invites me on Sundays to go. She's the one who invites me on Sundays to go for walks along Ayala Ave or around the Sunken Garden because she wants to record it on Strava. And I think that's exactly what Strava is trying to do. Encourage more and more people regardless of their fitness level to move. The current slogan reads, we believe if you sweat, you're an athlete. Strava athletes upload everything from walks around the block to our different page runs. If you're out there going for it, you're one of us. If three years ago, I felt that the app was only for hardcore athletes, today I feel completely comfortable tracking and sharing my mini 2k jogs around my subdivisions twice a month. And that's all because of the community Strava has continued to build. Strava also has all sorts of clubs and even one among the Ateneo community. The AdMu on Strava club currently has 592 members and a total of 220 shared activities. There's also a running club launched just three weeks ago by Ateneo students. It's called After Party Run Club or ARC, ARC, not sure. And they run around the campus every Tuesday. I've honestly been wanting to join so badly but it coincides with my weekly yoga class which I also love. So yeah. But I've secretly been stalking the Instagram profile of the club because it just seems like so much fun. Especially since there's a run walk option for beginners like myself. So, you know, maybe I'll skip a yogi class on Tuesday to join them. But yeah, obviously a running trend took off during the pandemic. Kelly McGonigal, a psychologist and educator and the author of the Joy of Movement said that among the benefits of running is the chance to experience the runner's high. So it begins with this peace of mind and then greater ease of movement, a sense of power and confidence, optimism and hope. And you will often hear runners describe feeling loving and connected to everyone in everything. Wow. What a beautiful way to explain it. But it makes perfect sense. It makes perfect sense that running took off during COVID because optimism, hope and feeling connected to others are things I'm sure everyone craves during the pandemic. I know I did. I personally love to run after, you know, stressful weeks or when I just feel like I have to force myself to get out of my chair and to stop thinking about school or any responsibilities for a second. It's a good relief. And of course, it also makes me feel good knowing that I'm doing something for my health. At the peak of the pandemic, TRAVA had a solidarity challenge. So it's a program designed for users to stay active and connected while social distancing. It amassed nearly 1 million users. But now, even after the height of the pandemic, I think that running trend is still very much alive. My theory is that when people did get into it, did get into running, they realized that it's a sport that transcends levels of fitness. When I jog, I usually go on Saturday and run the Sunken Garden in Diliman. And it's just so motivating because you see people of different body types, different ages, going on different paces. They're all there alongside me. And even if I don't know these people, it's fun.