Strava: the ‘fitness Instagram’ app driving users to obsession
For a period of time, Joshua Caleb was “obsessed” with his statistics on fitness and sports tracking platform Strava.
The freelancer and recreational cyclist has been using the app to track about 90 per cent of his cycling activities for almost a year now.
He scrutinised his workouts in painful detail, especially those that felt lacklustre, and felt too “ashamed” to post them as he feared appearing weak.
Joshua soon came to view it as a “fitness Instagram”, and breaking a personal record gave him a real sense of satisfaction. He once cycled a total of 300km over nearly 10 and a half hours.
The 26-year-old is now afraid to use additional equipment such as heart rate sensors, as he fears becoming obsessed with the numbers again. For now, he relies solely on his Garmin smartwatch and targets a weekly mileage of 200km.
Welcome to the world of Strava – the world’s most popular fitness app – first launched in 2009 and which now has over 195 million users worldwide.
The app has been making headlines recently for its creative route mapping and social fitness features. It has also sparked discussions on Reddit about why the app is so popular.
Notable users include local singer-songwriter Benjamin Kheng and Miss Universe Singapore 2025 Annika Xue Sager, who often share their runs and Strava statistics on their Instagram stories.
In 2025, a “Strava artist” in his 70s, Toh Cheng Hock, was featured in the media for his elaborate running routes, which resembled intricate works of art.
It’s no longer enough to run a marathon or do Hyrox: Strava has become an essential platform for documenting and sharing the grind.
All it takes is a smartphone or smartwatch to record activities ranging from runs to pilates, which are then automatically synced to a Strava account.
Once uploaded, users are presented with detailed performance data, along with badges, milestone achievements, and “kudos” from followers that reward their efforts.
With a Strava subscription, users can also compare their workouts to previous efforts and those of friends and other athletes. They compete on Strava’s segment leaderboards – striving for the coveted King/Queen of the Mountain (KOM/QOM) crowns, which denote the fastest time on a given stretch of road or trail.
Media producer Ariel Chua has been uploading all her workouts – including runs, strength training, and Muay Thai sessions – to Strava for the past two years, sometimes sharing the stats of a good workout on Instagram.
“It keeps me in check and helps me stay consistent with my efforts. If it’s not on Strava, it’s like it didn’t happen,” said the 25-year-old, adding that she often sprints the final laps of her runs “just to hit those numbers”.
Comparing her numbers with others also brings added motivation: “I have colleagues who run a lot and when I’m in a running slump, seeing their stats honestly gives me pressure.”
‘What makes Strava powerful is also what makes it stressful’: Expert
According to communications specialist Dr Erika Wenhong Chen of Nanyang Technological University, Strava is a hybrid platform: part fitness tracker, part social network, and part competitive arena.
Dr Chen noted that users are not simply sharing a run or ride – they are also presenting themselves as disciplined and resilient, signalling identity and lifestyle in the process.
As Strava is anchored in physical effort and measurable progress, she added, what makes it so powerful is also what makes it stressful – combining “measurement, identity, and public recognition in one space”.
The app creates both motivation and pressure, and can also become emotionally draining. While some users might see others’ pace, mileage, race times or consistency as inspiring, it can also trigger anxiety, guilt, or the sense that they are falling behind.
A ‘really important’ training tool
For competitive athletes like Jared Gabler, that sense of anxiety and pressure is precisely what is needed to drive their performances. Besides representing Singapore on the national polo team, the 19-year-old also trains for triathlons and Ironman events, spends a lot of time in the gym, and plays tennis.
Mr Gabler noted that Strava has become a “really important tool” in his training, helping him measure strain and effort, track his weekly training volume, and manage overall stress on his body.
The first thing he does after a workout is check the analytics and training logs, comparing his efforts to previous sessions. He also uses the app’s suggested running routes near his home, which have now become a staple of his training routine.
Mr Gabler added that Strava’s analytics have been invaluable after injuries and illnesses, helping him gauge how hard to push his body during recovery. And while he does not pay too much attention to the social side of Strava, pressure does creep in – after a “bad session”, he might note down “excuses” in the description or hide the workout entirely.
After all, as Dr Chen noted: “On Strava, self-presentation is tied to numbers, repetition, and bodily effort, which gives identity performance a particularly strong sense of authenticity.”
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
Explore more on these topics
