Tonic for runners: today's run unlocks the feed

Where plans actually die

Nobody quits mid-run.
They quit between runs.

Most days it's easy to talk yourself out of the next run. Skipping never feels like quitting. It feels like one more scroll on the couch, then the plan quietly slides a week, and then it's a restart in January. Tonic points the phone the same direction as the plan.

Your rules

Two ways runners set it up.

The run always comes first. You pick the shape of the deal.

The daily gate

Run first

Until today's run is saved, your scroll apps stay locked. Instagram, TikTok, whatever pulls you to the couch. Run, and they open on their own for the rest of the day.

A run → Apps all day

The bank

Earn & spend

Run minutes become scroll minutes, and the balance rolls over. A 28-minute run pays for tonight's scroll, and a good week carries you through the rest days.

🏃 28 min run → 28 min banked

How locked is "locked"? Either way, you pick.

A pauseA short wait before it opens, a little longer each time.

A pause that growsYou can push through, but it pushes back harder with every visit.

Full lockNo way in until the run is saved.

A companion, not another running app

Keep the app you run with.

Almost every running app already writes its finished workouts to Apple Health. Tonic reads from there and opens your apps on its own, often within the same minute you finish. Nothing to wire up, no check-in, nothing to log.

Works with almost all running apps, including

and almost any other running app

Apple Health

Tonic

One-time setup: turn on the Apple Health connection in whatever records your runs. An Apple Watch does it out of the box. Tonic only sees that the run finished, never your pace or route.

Runners set up things like this.

Make Instagram pause longer each time I reach for it before I've done today's run.
On rest days, an easy walk keeps my apps open. 6,000 steps and I'm covered.
When I open TikTok on a run morning, send me to my running app instead.
Clear my balance every Monday. Last week's runs don't pay for this week's scrolling.

Quick answers

Which running app does this work with?

Almost all of them. Tonic never talks to your running app directly. It watches Apple Health, so the run just has to land there: record it on an Apple Watch, run with an app that saves to Apple Health (Strava and Nike Run Club both do), or if you follow a program like Couch to 5K, turn on that app's own Apple Health connection if it has one.

Do I need an Apple Watch?

No. A watch is the easiest way to get a run into Apple Health, but any run app that writes workouts to Apple Health works without one.

Does Tonic see my pace or route?

No. Tonic only sees that a workout finished and landed in Apple Health. Your pace, route, and splits stay inside your running app.

What about rest days?

Two good options. Bank mode turns run minutes into scroll time that rolls over, so a run day covers the rest day after it. Or set steps as the earn instead: a run clears it easily, and on rest days an easy walk does.

What does it cost?

Free to start: gate two apps behind one habit, for as long as you like. Tonic Unlimited covers your whole phone for $29.99 a year or $9.99 a month, with the first 7 days free.

Start with two apps and this week's runs.

Pick the apps that talk you out of itInstagram, TikTok, the one that eats the hour you meant to run in.

Pick the dealFull lock until the run is saved, banked minutes that roll over, or a pause that grows. Your call.

Run the plan, not the feedThe runs happen, and the apps are simply open when you get back. See you out there.

Get Tonic free Free to start · no account needed

Tonic is an independent companion and isn't affiliated with any running app or training program.

Nobody quits mid-run.They quit between runs.