Fitness and health are closely linked to achieving calmness and happiness in life. As the world today has become tougher and more competitive, burying ourselves with work and other means of coping has become the norm! Clocking in eight hours (or more) at work is common. Often, we fail to look at the long term effects of overworking that we tend to forget our mental and physical well-being. Leading an unhealthy lifestyle can cause weakness, mental stress, sickness, and other health problems leading to more serious diseases like diabetes, coronary heart disease, insomnia, and many more.
For the most part, finding the time to exercise is challenging. Monitoring our overall health and fitness, sadly, became not that big of a concern to many. Today, technology presents us with so many useful apps to check our fitness and general health in the most convenient way!
Types of Health and Fitness Apps
From educating users about fitness to tracking their results accurately and motivating them to keep their health in check, health and fitness apps present a wealth of excellent features! Think of health and fitness apps as a personal coach in your pocket, sans the expensive cost!
There are numerous health and fitness apps, but generally, they come in three types: activity tracking apps, diet and nutrition apps, and workout or exercise apps.
Some fitness and workout apps allow you to choose a trainer or coach by name and even the level of physical training you want. The list of apps in this category is huge both on iOS and Android.
- INSIGHT TIMER
- ALL OUT STUDIO
- HEADSPACE
- D MINDER PRO
- APPLE COVID-19
- CLUE
- LIFESUM
- RUNKEEPER
- MySwimPro
- SWORKIT
- WATERLOGGED
- SLEEPSCORE
- TIMESHIFTER
- FITBIT
- WW (Weight Watchers)
- PEAR Personal Fitness Coach
- WORKOUT TRAINER by SKIMBLE
- PELOTON
- SHRED
- SEVEN
- NIKE TRAINING CLUB
- JEFIT
- YOU ARE YOUR OWN GYM
- AAPTIV
- KINETICOACH
15 Best Health Apps
Ever heard the cliché “There’s an app for that”? This is very popular. After all, you can easily find an app for practically almost everything you need today. Because of too much stress surrounding everybody, using health apps are more practical and useful than ever in reshaping and managing our lives. Whether you want to learn a new skincare routine, sleep more, find a moment of peace, or even develop healthy eating habits, you can be sure to find the apps worth your download. Here are the top 15 of the best health apps to try.
INSIGHT TIMER
Insight Timer is an online community and a smartphone app for meditation. This app features music, talks, and guided meditations by contributing experts.
Insight Timer made it to Time Magazine’s 50 Best Applications for 2016. In 2018, The New York Times cited this app as “the most popular and in-demand free meditation app.” Barely two years after that, in 2019, the app had more than seven million users. This was developed originally by Brad Fullmer before Australian brothers Nicholas and Christopher Plowman purchased it in 2015.
Best Features:
- Almost 9,000 free meditations guided by professional teachers worldwide
- Allows you to search each session by length
- The app tells you how many other users have meditations at the moment
ALL OUT STUDIO
This app is the home of exclusive on-demand workouts from Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, and so much more. It offers video training programs, cutting-edge workouts, expert trainers, and the motivation to help you get fit and stay fit. This app puts together all the best and most in-demand workouts from practically all the most trusted titles into one easy-to-access place. You can choose from the best-created workouts covering every discipline and experience level like strength training, pilates, and cardio.
Best Features:
- Hundreds of on-demand workout classes from certified trainers
- New programs added monthly to keep you on track with your goals
- Different science-backed fitness methods that target specific areas of your concern
HEADSPACE
When you feel like you need to get into a happier and calmer mindset, get the headspace app. This app is full of meditations designed to help balance your mental state and push you in a productive direction. Headspace made meditation simple. You will learn so many life-changing mindfulness and meditation skills just by spending a few minutes on the app daily.
Take advantage of their 10-day beginner course that will guide you through to the basics of mindfulness and meditation. This will help you in forming a more solid foundation to build your practice on.
Best Features:
- Perfect for the uninitiated
- The first ten days will help you solidify your foundational aspect of meditation
- Focused on secular, mindfulness-based meditation
- Features a simple reminder system to keep you at bay with your meditation
D MINDER PRO
This app is designed to track the sun and lets you know when you can get your Vitamin D. Meaning, no matter where you are in the world, getting that much needed Vitamin D is as easy as a few taps on your phone. It features a stopwatch to let you set your session target either by time or the amount of D you need. Then, this counts your down or up to your target, applying all the necessary parameters that will determine the amount of D you can get according to age, skin tone, weight, and the amount of skin exposed. All your other doses of vitamin D, either from the sun or supplements, are used to continuously estimate your current level.
Best Features:
- It has a tracker to keep track of your vitamin D exposure efficiently
- D Minder helps you get vitamin D without you worrying about burning your skin
- It notifies you of the best time of day to get your sun exposure
APPLE COVID-19
The global health COVID 19 pandemic is far from over. Good thing iPhone users have the option to download this free app. Apple and CDC developed this app primarily to monitor one’s symptoms and help figure out if you need to self-isolate or not. You can also get so much amazing information about the virus, along with local guides and other prevention measures.
Best Features:
- Up-to-date guidance and information for users in the US
- Provides the latest guidance and information from the CDC
CLUE
Tracking your period and ovulation has never been this convenient. Clue is a period tracker application that makes it easier for you to get in tune with your body. Aside from the basics like giving you a relative sense as to when you are expected to ovulate or get your next period, Clue also allows you to input helpful data that tracks your mood and sleep. With the app, you will feel better and prepared to go through the inevitable PMS symptoms and other hormonal fluctuations.
Best Features:
- PMS, period and fertile window predictions you can trust
- Tracked data can be seen in the overview
- Provides 30+ tracking options like skin, cramps, hair, sleep, and so many more, so you will understand further how the body works
LIFESUM
Lifesum is an app that helps you keep track of your calorie intake based on your diet plan. Whether you are doing intermittent fasting or following a Keto diet or the Mediterranean diet, this digital self-care app will help you reach your weight and health goals through better eating. It also has many suggestions and recommendations, thus making this the perfect app to use if you are on the road to making changes to your diet.
Best Features:
- Many plan options and highly customizable
- Excellent support for dietary restrictions
- Easy to use
- Nutritional information included with their premium plan
- Low price
- Good food database
RUNKEEPER
Runkeeper is a GPS fitness-tracking app launched in 2008 and available for iOS and Android devices. This app tracks your fitness activities like running, walking, and cycling using the GPS sensor of your device. Once you complete an activity, this app will give you basic statistics about your activity. Especially if you are running, this app will track how many miles you have racked up or how much improvement you have with your pace.
Runkeeper also has a solid community of fellow runners, making it easier for you to get motivated by your running sessions. It also comes with a personalized training plan befitting your schedule and helps you achieve your fitness plans.
Best Features:
- You can race train with expert plans developed by ASIC Institute of Sport Science
- Scheduled and prescribed workouts are available based on your running ability and how often you prefer to run
- You can get access to detailed stats showing how your performance is doing overtime.
MySwimPro
This is the best app that tracks your swimming, whether you are a beginner or an avid swimmer. This helps you plan custom workouts, thanks to its numerous personalized training plans. Following a swimming session, the data collected will help visualize your training and provide you with an in-depth tracking of your progress. It has a detailed swim and dryland workout log and helps you set your goals based on your performance data.
Best Features:
- Personal training plan
- Helps you analyze your data
- You can use your smartwatch to load your workouts
- Has a wide global community that you can connect and share your workouts with
SWORKIT
Do you want to lose weight, gain muscles, improve your flexibility, increase your endurance, maintain your weight, or simply tone? Sworkit is the perfect app for you! It has workout plans designed to help you achieve your fitness goals simply and quickly.
Sworkit is a workout-on-demand app that offers you several ranges of exercise that you can do anytime, anywhere, without the need for equipment. It has audio and video coaching that will lead you through every session. While there are mostly premade routines, you can also design your own if you wish to. It is free to download for iOS and Android devices. Free versions are for everybody, while you can upgrade to the premium version for $2.99 a month.
Best Features:
- Workout-on-demand app with a relatively fair premium price
- You can create your custom workouts
- Offers a wide range of exercises
- Includes premade workouts
WATERLOGGED
This very simple yet extremely helpful app lets you track your daily water intake. We always hear the phrase “drink eight to ten tall glasses of water every day” from our doctor, personal trainer, health coach, or anybody else. And while drinking water is relatively easy to achieve, tracking it down seems to be the challenge.
When you download the app, you simply add your favorite glasses or bottles to drink from and input the amount of water you took– daily, weekly, or monthly, and check how you’re doing as you go along. To practice good water habits, you can also sign up for reminders to keep you on track with your drinking.
Best Features:
- Easy and fun tracking, thanks to its attractive interface
- Easy to use
- Correction of entry option
- Different fractions of glasses are available to help you break down your liquid intake more precisely
- Features a graphic option to check how you are meeting your goals, or simply show to your healthcare provider
SLEEPSCORE
Sleepscore is an app that measures your sleep quality every night. It uses a scientific-based method in tracking your sleep patterns every night. This will help you get the sleep you need so you can feel your best the moment you wake up. Sleepscore measures your body movements and breathing as well, and you can also receive helpful details of your sleeping stage in a score computed from 0-100. Over time, you can track these figures and monitor your sleeping habit, thus giving you more room to improve.
This revolutionary app tracks, analyses, and delivers advice to improve your sleeping patterns better. Want to know if you snore or grind your teeth when sleeping? This app helps you discover that and teaches you how to stop them.
Best Features:
- Windblown sounds to help you feel relaxed
- Inbuilt smart alarm system for that refreshed feeling upon waking up
- Sleep stages and overall sleep score features
TIMESHIFTER
This is the jet lag app. Timeshifter utilizes the latest research in circadian neuroscience to better help travelers quickly recover from jetlag. This app is used by top CEOs, elite athletes, and even astronauts and was developed by Steven Lockley, a Harvard Medical School Associate professor.
To use, simply input your flying hour and your home and destination time zones. You will then be provided with a three-day schedule so you can smoothly adjust your sleep. This app uses three key information: your sleep pattern, your chronotype (a night owl or a morning person), and your itinerary. These metrics are used to generate a more “personalized” jet lag plan.
Best Features:
- Effectively eliminates your jet lags with personalized advice
- Designed based on sleep and circadian neuroscience
- Simple and easy to use
FITBIT
When you have a Fitbit device, and you pair it with the app, you take advantage of all the necessary health readings in one place like exercise, sleep, steps, and even your calorie consumption. While there are several Fitbit devices today, the most recent is the Fitbit Versa 3. Apart from the many fitness and health features, this smartwatch also has a larger screen than its predecessors. It features an integrated GPS for distance and pace tracking and a blood oxygen sensor.
Best Features:
- Integrated GPS
- Attractive design with bigger and always-on color display
- Quick charging and battery can last for days
- Blood oxygen is measured even when you’re sleeping
- Supports Fitbit PAy, Spotify, and Amazon Alexa
WW (Weight Watchers)
Formerly called Weight Watchers, WW is now a branded app meant to guide you towards making healthy food choices. You scan a food item or just enter it, and the app will tell you the number of points based on the app’s scale. WW is a perfect program for those who are wanting to achieve long term weight loss. And since it comes with a very supportive community, losing weight has never been this easy and encouraging.
With their guiding sentiment that says “say goodbye to dieting, and hello to healthy living,” WW changed their program when the company rebranded. This time, they offer three variations on a food-logging, points-based system. You will be assigned to either the green, purple, or blue plans to help you shape how you can properly manage your meals.
Best Features:
- No food restrictions
- Very supportive weight loss community
- Options to add in-person meetings
- Coaching may be done thru text and phone
10 Best Fitness Apps
If getting physically active and leading a healthier lifestyle are some of your major plans for the new year, your first step is to download the best workout and fitness apps. Today, it’s easy to find fitness apps that can help you start your exercise plans. No matter what your choice of a workout routine is– cycling, running on treadmills, or strength training, it’s good to know that there are apps readily available to be your workout partner so you can meet your exercise goals seamlessly. Below are ten of the best health apps you might want to try.
PEAR Personal Fitness Coach
This app is all about hands-free and eyes-free coaching, designed to provide its users with several guided workouts for various fitness intensities and levels that adapt according to your performance. Once you download the app, you get to access a wide array of workout coaches and packages. Plus, this app plays very well with various fitness devices and trackers, making it easier for you to track your performance and even share your metrics with other fitness apps.
PEAR has a free tier where you can enjoy a limited selection of workouts. Get the premium subscription to get the most out of this app. Premium subscribers get unlimited access to the app’s library and its extra features.
Best Features:
- Fitness app with several training programs
- Supports weight-lifting, running, yoga, treadmill workouts, and so many more
- Videos are usually included
- Perfect for beginners and experienced users who work out
WORKOUT TRAINER by SKIMBLE
The Workout Trainer app by Skimble provides you training and exercise routines ideal for both beginners and gym veterans. Upon startup, you will answer a questionnaire to assess your overall physical fitness. This then generates recommended workout plans and exercises curated to your fitness goals. Reminders, notifications, and streak and stat monitoring help you keep your focus. You can even tap for a one-on-one trainer with a particular fitness specialty.
This workout app has a premium subscription where you can access a more expanded workout program. You can also customize your exercises and workouts, and other extra features like integrating a wearable fitness tracker.
Best Features:
- Fresh, fun, and dynamic coaching programs
- Expert-certified coaches lead custom training programs
- Specializes in bodyweight-only high-intensity workouts
- Easy access to an online trainer
PELOTON
Cycling/biking has long been proven as one of the most effective ways to keep healthy and fit. But the cost of fancy stationary bikes can sometimes hinder you from taking advantage of this healthy routine. Thankfully, Peloton fitness at home is available for you.
The Peloton at-home fitness app allows you to download and enjoy live and on-demand classes to help you with your cycling, running, and strength exercises. If you have a Peloton bike, you can avail of the app’s free membership. This app will practically offer you guided workouts in every exercise possible: from yoga to stretching and even do cardio. Recently, Peloton has updated their app and introduced the Tags feature. Here, you can join group workouts and check which of your friends are also exercising so you can help push each other to stay and remain fit.
Best Features:
- The music was upbeat but not overwhelming
- Workouts are generally challenging, but you can modify them
- Designed to push your limit
SHRED
Because of the global health crises, many miss their gym days. Some do not frequent their fitness sessions as they normally would. But this doesn’t mean that your usual workout and fitness routines should stop. The Shred app is designed to serve you with daily workout routines. It has a wide collection of training styles to keep you fit and healthy, even in the comfort of your home.
As you join Shred, your training options are endless. Whether you are into gym training, bodyweight, or cardio, Shred offers several routines to help you push yourself further until you reach your goals. This app also has interactive visuals and activity logging features so you can check your progress regularly. For that extra motivation, Shred has an online community where you can interact with other users and motivate each other to work even harder.
Best Features:
- Step by step coaching and tracking
- Fun motivation from a solid community all across the globe
- Diverse workouts across different varieties of training styles and durations
SEVEN
Taking care of your kids, running errands, working at home, and all those daily demands are enough to tell yourself that it’s a luxury to find time going to the gym. After all, nobody has too much time on their hands nowadays. This makes the Seven App the best workout app for your quick daily exercises. You need 7 minutes daily for seven months, and you should be good to go. It also comes with a tracker screen so you can easily check your progress.
If you stick with the program, you can earn citations that allow you to unlock new activities. In case you need a little word of encouragement, you can find friends through the app and have a friendly competition. If you are still a beginner and left blank with the whole business of working out, this app has a 3D guide to help you get started and make a workout plan that you are comfortable with.
Best Features:
- You can get the maximum benefits in the shortest possible time
- Workouts are tailor-made, so you can easily target your goal area
- It’s easy and fun, and the daily motivation lets you come back religiously
NIKE TRAINING CLUB
The Nike Training Club app offers a wide selection of workout libraries with routines aimed at specific body parts or fitness objectives. This freemium app approach has workouts that stretch between 15 and 45 minutes and with varying intensities. The app’s guided workouts collection is designed to let you meet your fitness objectives. The workouts are available for bodyweight only or full/light equipment courses, along with several recommended exercises that spring out of your activity.
The app’s premium tier guides you to a 4-6 week program, wellness and nutrition guidance, and the latest workout formats for those who look for other ways to get fit.
Best Features:
- Flexible training plans
- Massive library of workouts led by world-class Nike Master Trainers
- Featured workout collections where you can see recommended workouts suitable for you
JEFIT
This app is for you if bodybuilding and strength training is your thing! JEFIT is packed with thousands of exercises and workout routines sorted by a specific target body part. Jefit comes with a fully-detailed instruction, an exercise log, a workout planner, a progress tracker, numerous timer options, and a sync feature with your JEFIT profile.
Best Features:
- Easily manage and keep track of all of your workout routines in one place
- Active workout community
- Compare routines with other members
- Perfect for all gym enthusiasts; beginners, and advanced
YOU ARE YOUR OWN GYM
You are your gym on Android, also known as Bodyweight Training: Your Gym on IOS teaches you how to use your body weight as your exercise ‘equipment.’ The app offers more than 200 types of routines and exercises, along with simple and easy to follow exercise tutorials.
You Are Your Own Gym is derived from Mark Lauren’s book and exercise system. It provides short routines, workout plans, warm-ups, cooldowns, and other forms of exercise that use nothing but your body. This helps you save a lot for that daily trip to your local gym. If you want to push further, they have in-app purchases for additional exercise and more expansive videos and tutorials.
Best Features:
- More than 350 hours of on-demand bodyweight workouts customized to your skill level
- Contents are available in English and German
AAPTIV
This app provides audio workouts led by certified trainers. It comes in a variety of goals and workout styles, accompanied by music playlists. You can select from their library of more than 2,500 routines in hundreds of fitness classes. So whether you are into cycling, running, 5K, marathon, or high-intensity interval training, you can find training routines in the app that you can stream or even download for offline use. You can configure the workout according to duration, intensity, distance, and calories burned.
Best Features:
- Unlimited access to more than 2,500 workouts
- 30 new classes introduced every week (and growing)
- Connect to Team AAptive and join more than 200,000 happy and sweaty members
KINETICOACH
This app is made to help frequent fliers and travelers to remain in top condition and physically fit despite their constant travels. KinetiCoach offers personalized workout plans suitable to a hotel gym’s limitations, alongside your fitness goals, available time, and level of experience and fitness. You can build your routine in the app from their more than 1,000 workouts. These workouts come with video instructions and GIFs, and even built-in timers.
Best Features:
- Versatile manual timers
- Personalized workouts based on your fitness goals, experience, stress, and time availability
- 300+ exercises and demo
We have seen how mobile fitness and health apps are designed to help us maintain our health. We now understand how technology can significantly guide us towards leading a healthier lifestyle. Today, many mobile app developers for the fitness and health industries are continuously creating and improving their dedicated workout apps. Now that you are fully aware of the most important reasons health apps will do you good, grab that smartphone now, and download the best fitness mobile app.
