Strava’s latest update nudges athletes toward their next workout in a very different way

Strava has launched a new feature called Instant Workouts, and while it looks lightweight on the surface, it signals a meaningful shift in how the platform supports training.

Rolling out globally from today, Instant Workouts is available to Strava subscribers as part of the paid Premium experience rather than a free add-on.

The feature appears at the top of the Strava feed as a carousel of interactive cards, each suggesting what to do next based on recent activity history.

Instant Workouts offers flexible recommendations built around four broad intents: Maintain, Build, Explore and Recover.

The idea is to reduce friction and decision fatigue, especially for those trying to stay consistent or rebuild an exercise habit.

The nudge before the workout

Instant Workouts are said to analyse your recent activities and generate personalised suggestions across more than 40 sport types.

Strava says running and weight training were among the most popular recommendations during a limited rollout last November, with early feedback skewing strongly positive.

Each workout card includes practical context, such as estimated duration and difficulty, along with a short explanation of why that session has been recommended.

For GPS-based activities, Instant Workouts can also generate routes automatically, using Strava’s Heatmap data to suggest paths based on where people actually train.

Routes are created from the user’s current location, reinforcing the idea that these are workouts you can start immediately, not just save for later.

A familiar name in the mix

Strava says Instant Workouts “may include workouts from trusted partners such as Runna,” a subtle but important mention.

Strava acquired Runna last year, and this marks one of the clearest signs yet that the company intends to surface Runna’s training expertise directly inside the core Strava experience.

Rather than pushing users towards full training plans, Instant Workouts borrows some of that structured intelligence and packages it into lightweight, low-commitment suggestions.

More guidance is coming

Strava says Instant Workouts will continue to evolve, with future updates planned to allow workouts to be sent directly to Garmin wearables and Apple Watches, alongside improved step-by-step guidance during sessions.

Strava remains a social fitness platform at heart, but with this launch, it’s also becoming a more proactive training companion for those paying for Premium, one card at a time.

Head over to Strava for more info.