There are not too many apps that work well for dog mushing. Of course there is Mush-o-meter, Map My Ride and other apps on your iPhone that are clunky and cumbersome at times but with the release of the Apple Watch Ultra in mid-2023, there in one app that stands up against the rest. It is called WorkOutDoors and is available in the Apple App Store.
WorkOutDoors is a powerful activity tracking app for the Apple Watch. With a huge amount of customizability, vector maps, route tracking and much more, WorkOutDoors is a great choice for those who want a more powerful and flexible workout tracking app.
Following routes, creating custom views and screens for individual activities, and detailed analysis of activities is just some of what WorkOutDoors can do.
One of WorkOutDoors major selling points is how customisable the app is. Customizing what screens you want showing on your watch is one of the major selling points – you can choose from hundreds of options. This can be done for each activity profile – for example, my walking activity does not have a map interface to swipe to, while my hiking one does. My running profile has a lot of pace information – the ability to customize each profile for a specific activity is excellent.
Various options for profiles are given, and you can select any module on the list to get filters for that type, which you can then place where you want on the screen. This gives you the option to have a completely custom screen, including things such as target speed, time vs target, and much much more. This is great for those with targets, allowing you to set a speed/time target and attempt to keep up with it.
Additional options such as alerts based on heart rate, distance, time and more are available. Menus on the watch can be customised, as well as the source for pace, and much more.
One of my favourite features of WorkOutDoors is the ability to download map tiles, and display routes on these. This is great for activities such as hiking, allowing you to follow a route without having to have your phone out. Optionally, the watch can give you directions and tell you when you are off route. To get routes onto the watch, you simply export a GPX file into somewhere you can access on your phone – then go onto the app, select routes, import, and you can then send the route to your watch.
WorkOutDoors also works great with the default Fitness app – workouts show in there, and count towards rings and competitions with friends. I have found battery usage to be the same as the default activities app, despite the numerous features that WorkOutDoors has over it.
Far more in-depth route, heart rate, pace, and more analysis is offered by WorkOutDoors than default apps, and other apps I have tried. This can be viewed in brief on the Apple Watch – showing your route, as well as various data types that change the colour and colour intensity on this route. However, much more detailed analysis is offered on the mobile app. Opening the app brings you straight to the workouts screen, where your previous workouts recorded are color-coded depending on the activity. Tapping on any of these activities opens a map with tabs at the top where you can select the data type you want. This color codes the route you went, showing the intensity of that metric. A graph is also displayed below the map.
WorkOutDoors also offers the ability to export a workout. This can be sent to Strava, sent to a GPX or TCX file, or a route can be created with it. You can then send this route to your watch or to another device.
To conclude, WorkOutDoors is the best workout app I have tried for the Apple Watch. The incredible customizability it offers and the excellent performance, route tracking, and straightforward interface make it a joy to use. The workout analysis is also great, delivering more insight into activities. If you use your Apple Watch for workouts and want something more advanced and in-depth than the default Workout app, I highly recommend WorkOutDoors.
WorkOutDoors is available for $6.99 in the App Store.