Strava Activity Editing: Guide to Modifying Details, Correcting Errors, and Optimizing Data

How do I change my activity on Strava?

Strava allows users to modify various details of their recorded activities, ensuring accuracy for performance tracking, data analysis, and proper categorization through both its mobile application and web platform.

The Importance of Accurate Activity Logging for Performance Analysis

In the realm of exercise science and athletic development, data integrity is paramount. While Strava primarily serves as a social fitness platform, its underlying utility lies in aggregating and analyzing training data. Accurately logging and categorizing your activities is crucial for:

• Training Load Management: Misclassified activities can skew metrics like Relative Effort or Fitness & Freshness, leading to inaccurate assessments of accumulated stress and recovery needs.
• Performance Tracking: Correct activity types ensure that personal records (PRs), segment achievements, and historical data are accurately matched and compared.
• Goal Setting and Progression: Consistent and precise data allows for meaningful evaluation of progress towards specific fitness goals, enabling informed adjustments to your training plan.
• Gear Tracking: Assigning the correct equipment (e.g., specific running shoes or bicycles) helps monitor mileage and optimize replacement schedules, a key aspect of injury prevention and equipment longevity.

Step-by-Step Guide: Editing an Activity on Strava

Strava offers intuitive options for editing activities on both its mobile app and desktop website.

On the Strava Mobile App:

1. Open the Strava App: Launch the application on your smartphone.
2. Navigate to the Activity: From your main feed or the "You" tab, locate and tap on the specific activity you wish to edit.
3. Access the Options Menu: In the top right corner of the activity screen, tap the ellipsis icon (...) (More Options).
4. Select "Edit Activity": From the dropdown menu, choose "Edit Activity."
5. Make Your Changes: You will now see various editable fields. Adjust the Activity Name, add a Description, change the Activity Type (e.g., from "Ride" to "Run"), modify Privacy Controls, assign Gear, or select a Workout Type (e.g., Race, Long Ride). You may also have options to add Perceived Exertion (RPE) or mark it as an indoor activity.
6. Save Changes: Once satisfied with your edits, tap "Save" in the top right corner.

On the Strava Website (strava.com):

1. Log In to Strava: Open your web browser and go to strava.com. Log in to your account.
2. Access Your Activities: Hover over "Training" in the top navigation bar, then click "My Activities" or navigate directly to the activity from your dashboard.
3. Select the Activity: Click on the specific activity you wish to modify from the list.
4. Initiate Editing: On the activity's detail page, look for the wrench icon (Actions) or the pencil icon (Edit Activity) located on the left side of the screen, typically under the activity map. Click on it, then select "Edit."
5. Modify Details: The editing interface will appear. Here you can change the Activity Title, Description, Activity Type, adjust Privacy Settings, assign Gear, or select a Workout Type. For GPS activities, you may also find options to Correct Distance or Crop the activity.
6. Apply Changes: After making your desired edits, click the "Save" button at the bottom of the editing window.

Key Activity Fields You Can Edit

Understanding which fields can be modified is essential for effective data management:

• Activity Type: Crucially important for proper categorization (e.g., Run, Ride, Swim, Walk, Hike, Weight Training, Yoga, Cross-Training). Changing this ensures your activity appears in the correct leaderboards and contributes to relevant fitness metrics.
• Title and Description: Personalize your activities with a descriptive title and add notes about your effort, conditions, or thoughts in the description.
• Privacy Controls: Adjust who can view your activity (Everyone, Followers, Only You).
• Gear: Assign specific equipment (e.g., running shoes, bicycles) to track their mileage and usage.
• Workout Type: Categorize your activity further (e.g., Race, Long Ride, Workout, Commute, Run).
• Perceived Exertion (RPE): If enabled, you can log your subjective effort level for the activity.
• Photos: Add or remove photos associated with your activity.
• Mark as Indoor/Manual: For activities without GPS data or those performed indoors.

Common Scenarios for Editing Your Strava Activity

You might need to edit an activity for several reasons:

• Incorrect Activity Type: Perhaps your GPS watch misidentified a hike as a run, or you forgot to change the activity profile.
• Privacy Adjustments: You initially set an activity to "Only You" but now wish to share it with followers, or vice versa.
• Adding Context: After completing an activity, you want to add details about the route, your feelings, or specific training insights.
• Correcting GPS Errors: Minor GPS drifts or signal loss can sometimes lead to inaccurate distance or elevation. Strava's "Correct Distance" feature can help recalculate based on their algorithms.
• Assigning Gear: You forgot to select the correct shoes or bike before starting, or you've added new gear to your profile.
• Cropping Unwanted Sections: Removing a warm-up, cool-down, or a section where you forgot to stop your device.

Advanced Activity Management Features

Beyond basic field editing, Strava offers more advanced tools:

• Cropping: This feature allows you to trim the start or end of a GPS-recorded activity. It's useful for removing commute segments from a workout, or accidental recordings before or after your actual exercise. Cropping an activity permanently alters the data visible on Strava.
• Splitting: For multi-sport activities recorded as a single file (e.g., a brick workout combining cycling and running), Strava allows you to split the activity into separate, distinct entries. This ensures each discipline is categorized correctly and contributes accurately to specific training metrics.
• Correct Distance: Found under the edit options for GPS activities, this tool attempts to re-process your activity's GPS data to correct any apparent errors in distance or elevation, often based on map data.
• Manual Entry: For activities not recorded by a device (e.g., strength training, yoga, or an indoor cycling session without a sensor), you can manually add an activity. These entries offer greater flexibility for editing time, distance, and elevation.

Ensuring Data Integrity for Optimal Training Insights

Regularly reviewing and editing your Strava activities is a simple yet powerful habit for any serious fitness enthusiast or athlete. Accurate data underpins all meaningful analysis of your training. By ensuring your activities are correctly categorized and detailed, you empower Strava's advanced features to provide you with the most precise insights into your fitness, fatigue, and form, ultimately contributing to more informed training decisions and improved athletic performance.