13 Best Health and Fitness Apps: Exercise, Food Trackers, More

Aside from yoga, guided meditation and breathwork classes are also available in the app to get you super chill before or after executing child’s pose. I’m a reporter at NBC Select who has covered fitness for five years at NBC Select, including topics like women’s running shoes, women’s walking shoes, sports bras and at-home dumbbell workouts. To write this article, I interviewed two experts about fitness apps, and tested over a dozen options along with the NBC Select staff. “There’s no pressure to “perform” the way you might feel in an in person class,” says Thomas.

fitness apps that help people stay active

Best Workout Apps Comparison Table

Exercise can also reduce your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and some cancers. Answer 5 quick questions to help you deal with stress and anxiety, improve your sleep and feel more in control. The following organisations have free tips, resources and tools to help you get started.

Calculate Your Running Pace

fitness apps that help people stay active

WH editors and our trusted Strength In Diversity (SID) trainers are constantly testing and trying new fitness apps throughout the year, so we polled them about their most-used and most-loved platforms. The apps on this list represent the ones that fast-tracked strength and performance gains, were user-friendly, and really delivered on the user experience, and kept us returning to our workout plan. Consider these picks the ones we will never delete (even if we are running low on storage!). Alo Moves is the most widely used and highly recommended fitness app among NBC Select’s staff.

Best Workout App for Beginners: Muscle Booster

  • Every week you also get a message from your coach, where they give you tips on factors such as technique and mobility.
  • Additionally, a person should warm up and stretch properly before working out.
  • Pace calculators are useful for both new runners and expert runners.
  • Gymverse basically takes the place of a personal trainer—so if you need a lot of guidance, it could be well worth the price.
  • This article explores workout and fitness apps in further detail, including how they can help and how to choose one.
  • The My Plan dashboard provides custom training plans based on a person’s answers to a series of questions, or a person can select from the ready-made schedules.

That’s because it tackles the specific, often overlooked challenges of losing weight after age 40 instead of offering one‑size‑fits‑all diet advice. Some are free or offer free trials for a week or month, which lets you test out the app before officially committing to it. Others can cost less than $10, under $50 or as much as $100 a month, depending on how personalized the experience tends to be. Do you just want to get moving more often, or are there specific fitness milestones you want to hit (like running a certain speed or lifting a certain amount of weight)? Some apps let you personalize your goals or even connect with a personal trainer to help you meet them.

Pricing guide for monthly subscription

Workout apps can be especially appealing for beginners because they provide both convenience and guidance. Many offer beginner-friendly routines with clear, step-by-step instructions, making it easier to get started or ease back into exercise after a break. When starting, look for videos labeled specifically for beginners and make sure your doctor clears any new exercise routine. Most apps also include video demonstrations for each movement, along with progress tracking and structured plans to help you stay consistent and accountable. The best workout app isn’t the same for everyone, but the ones we love share a few key qualities.

The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. Participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS Digital Health’s publication criteria as it currently stands.

Best workout app overall

From more advanced sleep tracking to workouts and mindfulness exercises, Fitbit Premium offers a little of everything. Its killer feature, however, is the Daily Readiness Score which helps pool all of your data into a single figure that shows just how fatigued you are, and whether you need to take a rest or not. Many of us have had that moment when we look in the mirror and feel like we need to lose a few pounds, or perhaps our doctors have advised us to lose weight for health reasons. Maintaining a healthy diet is essential not only for weight management but also for overall well-being. A balanced diet can reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure while also improving energy levels, mood, and sleep quality.

How Fitness Apps Help with Daily Exercise

The app has loads of on-demand classes you can try, including yoga, Barre, and mobility, as well as different challenges to join to keep you motivated. Once you’ve chosen your program, you check in once a month to keep track of your progress. Intuitive in-app features, clear metric monitoring and world class instructors are just some of the perks of being a Fiit member.

Programs on a Budget: The 12 Best Free Workout Apps (

You can also search by muscle group, workout focus, and equipment to find a class. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Anyone new to exercise may wish to consider speaking with a doctor about the types of exercise suitable for them. The company website states that it is weight-neutral, body-positive, and inclusive. It is worth noting that the iPhone version of the app has a significantly higher user rating than the Android app. This app may be best suited to people who want to gamify their exercise to make it more enjoyable.

Top apps offer a wide variety of original workouts for all fitness levels, led by knowledgeable, motivating instructors who push you to challenge yourself while keeping things fun. Previous research has reported uptake ranging from 20% [65,66] to 40% [35,67] amongst European countries and Australia. Given that the most common purpose is contact tracing, this low uptake is concerning as digital tracing apps rely on a high adoption rate to work effectively [9]. Research has suggested that the reasons for low uptake are mainly privacy and functionality concerns fitness apps with clear pricing (e.g., battery drain, apps not working as intended) [35].

Health Coach

Besides running, the app can track you when performing cardiovascular activities, including walking, cycling, hiking, and skiing. Fitness+, Apple’s tracking app connects to your Apple watch and displays fitness data collected by the device. You can view a daily summary of your steps, time spent exercising, and time on your feet. The Nutrisense app works with continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to provide insights into blood sugar management and help you optimize your health.

Best Running App

If you are on the hunt for a free workout tracker, Hevy enables users to create routines, monitor progress with exercise charts and personal records, make exercise-specific notes, and connect with other users. If you’re looking for guided workouts, ClassPass can be used in two ways. The first, and more well-known aspect of ClassPass, is that you can search for and participate in local fitness classes—HIIT, boot camp, kettlebell classes, plus salon appointments. This requires a paid subscription plan, where you get a monthly amount of credits to use towards dropping into a class. You get  28 free credits for your first month of ClassPass for anyone looking for deals. Nike Training Club is a free fitness app with a robust workout library that includes one-off workouts as well as periodized programs led by certified instructors.

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Free Step Challenges for Groups

It costs on par or above most Fitbits, but you’ll save money in the long run without the need to rely on a subscription like Fitbit Premium. Combines your sleep score with heart rate, HRV, and breathing data to calculate your overnight recovery and give you guidance to manage stress, avoid burnout, and train smarter each day. The best thing the Garmin Vívofit 4, a former pick for basic fitness tracking, has going for it is that you don’t need to charge it, since it runs on a watch battery that’s good for a year.

Why do I need a subscription and what plans are available?

Instead of extreme deprivation, many users find better long-term success by pairing their workout tracking with sustainable nutrition frameworks like the diet. A 2026 Surfshark analysis of 16 popular fitness apps found that they collect an average of 12 different types of user data. Approximately 75% share user data with third parties, often for advertising purposes. The most data-hungry apps in the study were Fitbit (24 data types), Strava (21 data types), and Nike Training Club (20 data types, including sensitive information).

Built to Go Faster

That said, they can interfere with some daily activities, such as sleep and computer work, for example. There has never been a better selection of fitness trackers, but with choice comes confusion. We’re here to help you narrow your options and find the best fitness tracker for your needs and budget. The affordable Fitbit Air is the best screen-free tracker we’ve tested, while the Fitbit Charge 6 remains a top pick for its integrated GPS and color display. Whether you’re an avid exerciser or you’re just starting out, our list of the best fitness trackers has you covered.

Polar Pacer

Apple has always been at the top of the game for fitness tracking. The Ultra 3 offers all the typical metrics of the older Apple Watch models—activity rings, over 60 workout modes, blood oxygen, ECG, etc. But the Ultra 3 can be used as a dive computer, an emergency siren, and a compass that retraces your steps (ideal for those prone to getting lost mid-hike). Its menstrual tracking is among the most advanced in wearables, too, using manually entered data and continuous skin temperature reading to predict ovulation, cycle phases, and even early pregnancy signs.

For health tracking, you can monitor heart rate, blood oxygen, intensity minutes (how many minutes of moderate exercise you get per week), stress, hydration, respiratory rate, and menstrual cycles. Samsung’s Galaxy Ring has similar features, but its accuracy fell short of the Oura Ring 4 in our testing. The Amazfit Active 2 is designed like a smartwatch but priced like a fitness tracker. It has an AMOLED screen and over 160 workout modes with downloadable maps with turn-by-turn directions.

Display

  • The Bip 3 Pro’s interface is intuitive and didn’t require so much as a glance through the user manual.
  • Once you’ve made sure your system software is up to date and that Motion Calibration & Distance is enabled in Location Services, try using Apple Fitness to track your activity again and it should work.
  • Fitness22 Running Distance Tracker is exactly what the name implies.
  • We also evaluate features such as step counting and sleep monitoring, distance calculations, and when applicable, GPS and heart rate accuracy.
  • Find the top-rated tools to help you stay motivated and achieve your fitness goals.
  • From simple fitness bands and rugged sports watches to rings, these are the best trackers you can get.

I started Body Muscle Matters to share my journey and passion for fitness. What began as a personal mission to build muscle and feel stronger has grown into a space where I share tips, workouts, and honest advice to help others do the same. Strava can log each 15-minute segment as a separate activity or one combined session. Apple Fitness+ offers guided 15-minute cardio classes that slot perfectly into this structure. For manual logging, Hevy and Strong both allow custom cardio entries.

fitness apps with activity tracking

Fitbit Sync From Apple Health

Out of all of the trackers I tested, the Venu 3 was the most accurate while still being easy to use. Its large 1.4-inch touchscreen and bright display made it easy to check my stats mid-workout and cycle through different health features (of which there are many). Amazfit’s AI-powered Zepp Coach “adjusts your workouts based on how your body is feeling, helping you recover smarter, progress faster and avoid setbacks,” per the company.

Fitness Tracking Apps to Try Out

It’s the most well-rounded smartwatch for iPhone users, offering polished fitness tools and seamless integration with your daily life. The Whoop 5.0 is the best screen-free fitness tracker for anyone who wants silent, auto-detected training and mad muscles review recovery insights that actually help you become a more balanced, well-rested athlete. Post-run, it delivers training effect scores, run power zones, and suggested recovery times. The watch also offers daily workout suggestions each morning and an on-watch countdown to your next race.

fitness apps with activity tracking

Engraving Pros & Cons: iPad, AirPods, Apple Pencil & AirTags

With up to a week of battery life, Fitbit Air keeps up with your busiest schedule — from work to workout, a night out to a good night’s rest. The low, lightweight profile is so comfortable, you’ll forget it’s there. With comfort at the core, you’ll never miss out on the benefits of sleep tracking that are central to getting the most holistic view of your health. You can even swap between your Pixel Watch during the day for Fitbit Air for sleep without missing a beat. Many apps allow users to track strength workouts and monitor heart rate during resistance training. The app integrates with Apple Watch through Apple Health, allowing users to track workouts, activity levels, and training performance alongside other health metrics.

Does It All—Including Precise Heart Rate Monitoring

According to Men’s Health contributor Korin Miller, this Garmin can take a beating. “I accidentally banged it into several doorways and even scraped it against a kettlebell during a clumsy gym moment—it still looks brand new,” Miller says. The latest Apple Watch boasts improved battery life and 5G connectivity (on the cellular model).

How to Use the Apple Fitness Tracker App on an iPhone

You likely want to know your step count and VO2 rate, and you also want to be able to hear a coach’s instructions over your music. POLAR Street X is the urban sports watch built for life in the city. The simplest and least expensive trackers often lack a display, so you can’t check your step count without looking at your smartphone. The Fitbit Luxe may be a bit long in the tooth, but it’s one of only a very small handful of stylish and affordable fitness trackers out there that don’t skimp on capability. If no GPS is a deal-breaker, instead, consider the Amazfit Active 2. It’s a little bit bigger than the Charge 6, but quite slender and easy-wearing on the wrist.

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