She adjusted this number up just a bit, since she’s active and currently breastfeeding (although this is an option in the app to select), but the app provided exactly what she downloaded it for. This involves timed notifications that remind you to drink up every hour (or whatever cadence you want). Overall, Amanda gave it a 5 out of 5 for value, and says this is an app she thinks is definitely worth paying for if you are trying to establish better sleep patterns and feel more rested upon wakeup. Amanda gave Headspace a near-perfect score (4.75 out of 5) for ease of use, stating that the app interface is very clean and it’s a pleasant user experience.
Sleepiest: Sleep Meditation
The videos are clear and well-produced—perfect for people new to strength training. As someone who’s tried almost every workout under the sun, I wanted to create a best-of list that you can actually trust. For this list, I evaluated over 25 different fitness apps, from running apps to weightlifting logbooks to all-around activity trackers. The app is user-friendly; it contains a live coaching feature as well as a large social community to help keep users motivated. In addition to tracking food, users can also log water and daily physical activity.
This online portal provides you with hundreds of training programs from top fitness professionals and experts—folks like Dr. Eric Helms, Dr. Swole, or Jim Wendler, creator of the 5/3/1 workout. While BetterMe is more affordable than the average workout app, it doesn’t have quite as many strength-training plans. We also like that the app allows you to create three programs for free; some of which can last up to eight weeks.
Best Workout App for Running: Nike Run Club
“I felt that the app was really clear about what to do with your phone, where to put it, etc. in order to have the best experience. There’s also a tab in the app that houses some helpful lessons, such as tips for bedtime, how to optimize your lighting situation at home for more restful sleep, and sleeping with a bed partner,” she says. The one knock here is that there’s no filtering option, and Amanda thought being able to filter by length or overall health goal would have been helpful. The app asks a couple questions about why you’re changing and what you need, then will give you a few alternative therapists to choose from.
- However, if you prefer to communicate via text, the basic program could work for you.
- Testers also loved the energizing, motivating workouts for all levels, as well as the wellness series focused on sleep, nutrition, and self-care.
- Turns out Peloton offers more than just their high-tech spin bikes and treads.
- Alo Wellness Club is a fitness and wellness app from parent company Alo Yoga — yes, the trendy brand responsible for getting us all hooked on the famous Alo Yoga Goddess Leggings.
- An iFIT subscription is available for $39 monthly, but we appreciate how the platform offers discounts for more dedicated subscriptions, meaning you can save money with longer commitments.
- Hevy also worked nicely with my Apple Watch, which meant I didn’t have to hold—or keep checking—my phone the whole time.
This can be a little subjective, but this score is based on whether we feel the cost justifies what you’re getting. To earn 3 out of 5 stars for value, we feel that what you get for the price is fair, while high scores are given to apps that provide exceptional value for the cost. If you’re past the beginner stage and want a little more progressive overload in your strength training, we recommend a workout app such as Boostcamp. There’s a basic community feed that allows you to view others’ workouts, but not much else. It’s a simple, streamlined app that’s very beginner-friendly, but it’s not the best choice if you prefer to have access to more advanced features. Despite the easy setup, the app offers plenty of great features to help you stay motivated and make sure you’re continuing to make progress over time.
What Is the Difference Between a Fitness App and a Health App?
The app can track distance, speed, elevation, calories burned, heart rate, power, and cadence. Tell Sworkit the type of workout you’re looking for (strength, cardio, yoga, or stretching) and the amount of time you’ve got (anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour) and the app delivers the moves to fit your sweat sesh. You can check out all the progressive overload apps workout programs and customize them according to your schedules and other preferences. You can also develop your own meal plans after taking inspiration from over 200 of Casey’s recipes for the 28-Day Reset. It has step counters, provides calorie-burn calculations, heart rate monitoring, and more.
Best tried-and-true fitness app
It is not the right tool for experienced lifters who want granular weight tracking, but for anyone who wants a structured, adaptable plan and the accountability to follow it, it delivers. To cut through the noise, we tested over 40 of the most popular fitness apps and programs over several months, evaluating each one on price, ease of use, workout quality, and enjoyment. If you struggle to stay consistent, you may want coaching, check‑ins, leaderboards, or reminders that nudge you to show up. If you’re already in a routine, simple streak tracking, calendar views, or progress charts might be enough.
The higher-intensity classes—HIIT, treadmill, cycling, and rowing—use something called a “burn bar,” which compares your stats to others who have taken the class and shows a visual comparison of where you stack up. I liked that graphic—I thought it provided competition without feeling overwhelming—but if you don’t, you can hide it from the screen. To use Apple Fitness+, Apple’s workout app, you must have an iPhone, but you’ll get even more out of it with a paired Apple Watch Series 3 or newer. Depending how deep into the Apple universe you are, that’s either good or bad news.
We’ve tested the best workout apps to help you train at home
The in-app chat feature allows users to communicate with trainers on the fly. Shred offers impressive variety, from guided strength training to HIIT, cardio, yoga, and sport-specific programs. You can filter workouts by body part, equipment type, duration, and difficulty level. If you’re curious about personal training, the Future app is the next best option to working with an in-person instructor.
Best meal-tracking fitness app
In testing, we appreciated the assortment of available on-demand workouts and programs, but admittedly focused on the 171 available yoga flows. Our tester had no issues navigating through the available sessions, giving this yoga app’s user interface a 5 out of 5. We appreciated the clear labels that explained the duration of each flow, along with the intended intensity level. Now, to track your daily caloric intake, Noom does require you to log each meal. While this level of involvement may not suit everyone’s needs, our tester said that this process was easy given the simple user interface. We also liked that it increased accountability, giving this category a 3.5 out of 5, as some apps have more involved accountability measures.
The Best Nutrition-Tracking Apps
The app is generally easy to use and follow, including easy-to-follow exercise videos for the non-live workouts. Considering the sheer variety of well-designed workouts, our testers gave their overall experience a 5 out of 5. Interested in Pilates as a go-to fitness discipline for your home workouts? Centr is the best workout app for most people thanks to its impressive library of strength training, HIIT, and cardio sessions. But if you’re worried that an app designed by Chris Hemsworth, known for his muscular stature in the Marvel superhero films, would be all about bulking up, that’s not the case. Advanced lifters looking for an app made for pushing real weight will love the Juggernaut AI.
What our tester says
Whether you are new to meditation, intermediate or advanced, Headspace is your magic wand to putting you in a calmer, happier place. GH testers can’t rave enough about these easy-to-follow guided meditations. There are hundreds of mindfulness and breathing exercises to choose from, including ones geared toward improving anxiety to helping with focus and concentration with the soothing sounds of musician John Legend. Start with 3-minute meditations and build up to some of the longer practices if that’s your goal. If you’re a serious runner or cyclist, you need one place to keep track of your most recent runs and rides.
Plus & Peak Subscription
Additionally, iFIT offers an AutoAdjust feature on their compatible devices, which automatically toggles your incline and speed settings in tune with your instructor’s commands. The user interface, in general, is incredibly easy to use, earning iFIT a 5 out of 5 in this category. Jane McGuire is Tom’s Guide’s Fitness Managing Editor, which means she looks after everything fitness-related – from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past ten years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. Fortunately, many of these sessions are now available for free in the Nike Training Club app. We’ve tried these apps ourselves to see if they’re easy to use, fun, and worth the money you need to pay in subscription fees.