Cell phone capabilities have come a long way since their invention almost 50 years ago. Today, most of us use our smartphones to send texts, read emails, and scroll through a variety of social media platforms. But did you know that your smartphone can also be a very helpful fitness tool? The best fitness apps can help you manage your fitness goals, access workouts, and stay motivated.
Fitness apps are easily downloadable on handheld devices like your cell phone or tablet. While some are free and others require a subscription, all fitness apps work to provide consistency and discipline as you work toward your goals. Because there are so many different workout apps available, choosing the right one can seem overwhelming. To help you decide, our ACTIVE Reviews Team has put together a list of the best fitness apps to download in 2022.
Why Trust Us?
The ACTIVE Reviews Team is made up of fitness experts that include athletes, coaches, and certified trainers who bring years of knowledge and experience to each review. More importantly, each member of our team is a fitness enthusiast. Fitness may be our job, but it is also our passion. Therefore, we strive to bring you products that we trust and would personally use.
The Best Fitness Apps in 2022 - Our Picks
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- Best Fitness App for Weight Loss: Future.co
- Best Free Fitness App: MyFitnessPal
- Featured Fitness App: Noom
- Best Fitness App for Nutrition: Cronometer
- Best Alternative Pick: MetPro
- Best Fitness App for Running: MapMyRun
- Best Fitness App for Strength Training: Fiit
- Best Fitness App for Beginners: BetterMe
- Best Fitness App for Live Classes: Bande
Best Fitness App for Weight Loss - Future.co
Specs
- Personalization: Custom workouts
- Goals: Decided with coach
- Device integration: iPhone, Apple Watch
- Activity summaries: Workouts personalized by coach based on goals
- Notifications: Regular communication with coach
- Videos/Tutorials: Yes
- Community: One-on-one with coach
We each have unique fitness goals and personalized training can help us reach them. With the Future.co app, members receive one-on-one coaching from fitness and health experts. These coaches work with you to determine your specific exercise goals, helping you come up with a weight loss program that works with your schedule, goals, experience level, and available equipment.
On your fitness journey, your coach will check in daily to keep you accountable and track your progress. Future.co utilizes Apple technology, specifically your iPhone and an Apple Watch, to achieve your fitness goals. If you don't already own an Apple Watch, Future.co will loan you one to use while you are a member. Future.co's personalized program lets you have all the benefits of a personal trainer right on your iPhone.
What We Like
- Personalized workouts
- One-on-one attention from coach
- Easy to use
What We Don't Like
- Only available on Apple products
- Higher monthly subscription cost
Check out our top picks for weight loss apps here.
Best Free Fitness App - MyFitnessPal
Specs
- Personalization: Yes
- Goals: Weight loss
- Device integration: All smartphones
- Activity summaries: Food diary and exercise tracker
- Notifications: Yes
- Videos/Tutorials: Recipes
- Community: Forum
MyFitnessPal helps you reach your fitness goals by focusing on your nutritional health. This free fitness app allows you to track your meals so that you can learn more about your eating habits and begin eating more mindfully. MyFitnessPal's database has nutritional information for over 14 million different foods. You can scan the barcode of a food item and easily see its calories, nutrients, and serving sizes.
This fitness app also provides you with healthy recipe ideas and fitness inspiration. You are able to enter information about your workouts to determine how many calories you've burned. MyFitnessPal factors these calculations into your daily calorie consumption. Additionally, this app's forum is one the largest fitness communities which can provide you with 24/7 support, advice, and health tips.
What We Like
- User-friendly
- Large database of nutritional information
- Free to use
What We Don't Like
- Only nutritional goals can be personalized
- Includes ads
Featured Fitness App - Noom
Specs
- Personalization: Yes
- Goals: Weight loss
- Device integration: All smartphones
- Activity summaries: Food intake and exercise habits
- Notifications: Yes
- Videos/Tutorials: Daily lessons
- Community: One-on-one coaching, support groups
Through science and psychology, Noom helps you better understand your relationship with food so you can make long-lasting changes that actually stick. Noom takes your age, sex, and current weight and height into consideration when creating personalized approaches to weight loss, so you can get the support you need for your specific body.
Noom's personalized lesson plans and tracking tools are designed to empower you to reach your fitness goals at your own pace. You can spend as much or as little time as you need to on each lesson plan. Noom's personal coaches offer support as you work toward your fitness goals. Instead of limiting certain foods, Noom uses a color-coded system based on food weight to help you make behavioral changes that will help you keep the weight off. The goal of the Noom system is to be focused on progress, not perfection.
What We Like
- Focus on long-term results
- Personalized coaching from certified health coaches
- Psychological approach
What We Don't Like
- Coaching is not face to face
- Reporting all meals is a big commitment
Best Fitness App for Nutrition - Cronometer
Specs
- Personalization: Yes
- Goals: Nutrition
- Device integration: All smartphones
- Activity summaries: Meal tracking
- Notifications: Yes
- Videos/Tutorials: N/A
- Community: Tip forums
If you're looking for the most accurate way to track your nutrition, Cronometer is the fitness app for you. Every meal you log on Cronometer is verified to ensure that each submission is correct. This fitness app allows you to track your macro- and micronutrients which helps you determine how you can adjust your diet to better reach your fitness goals.
Cronometer allows you to easily track a variety of biometrics, as well as your meals and exercise, and will give you regular reports. All of this data paints a picture of your overall health which is important for determining what improvements you can make. With Cronometer, you can take your nutrition tracking to the next level!
What We Like
- All food submissions are verified for accuracy
- Detailed biometrics and nutritional data
- Fasting timer
- Custom diet settings
What We Don't Like
- Food library is not as large as other fitness apps
- Amount of data may be overwhelming
Best Alternative Pick - MetPro
Specs
- Personalization: Unique plan based on metabolic profile
- Goals: Decided with coach
- Activity summaries: Meal tracking, workouts, workout suggestions
- Notifications: Nutrition coaching support
- Metrics: Weight, macros, metabolism
- Community: Oversight from credentialed personal trainers and registered dietitians
MetPro offers the whole package, with fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle coaching. Use the app to access hundreds of workouts, chat with a coach, track your macros, and more. Dive into the science of metabolic behavior and track it over time.
Your plan will adjust as your metabolism fluctuates. Each individual’s experience in the app is catered to their own specific goals, body, and needs. Plus, the experts at MetPro are available to answer any questions, provide workout or meal suggestions, and offer coaching through text.
Reach your goals faster with personalized support and science-backed programming from MetPro.
What We Like
- Hundreds of workouts
- Food tracking abilities
- One-on-one attention from coaches
- Easy to use
What We Don't Like
- Higher cost
Best Fitness App for Running - MapMyRun
Specs
- Personalization: Yes
- Goals: Fitness
- Device integration: All smartphones
- Activity summaries: Run tracking
- Notifications: Yes
- Videos/Tutorials: N/A
- Community: Connects with social platforms
Whether you're a beginner or looking to beat your own personal record, tracking your runs can give you the data you need to meet your goal. MapMyRun is a fitness app that records your route, speed, distance, calories burned, elevation, and so much more. While MapMyRun is geared toward running, it can also be used for other workouts such as swimming and cycling. With access to your workout data, you can make changes and track your progress.
MapMyRun's Community Feed allows you to view the routes of other runners in your area and all over the world for inspiration. You can also connect with friends who use MapMyRun. This can help foster accountability and friendly competition with other runners. Based on your running data, MapMyRun will provide you with personalized coaching tips to help you reach your fitness goal.
What We Like
- Personalized coaching tips
- Use social media to challenge yourself
- Large database of running routes
What We Don't Like
- Free version is subject to ads
- GPS is not always reliable
Check out our top picks for the best running apps here.
Best Fitness App for Strength Training - Fiit
Specs
- Personalization: N/A
- Goals: Fitness
- Device integration: All smartphones
- Activity summaries: At-home workouts
- Notifications: Yes
- Videos/Tutorials: Guided virtual workouts
- Community: Interact with other participants
If your fitness goals are focused on building strength, Fiit is a fitness app that can help you do just that. Fiit's on-demand classes, group workouts, and training plans are available right on your smartphone or TV. This means you can build muscle from anywhere, whenever it fits into your schedule. In addition to strength-focused classes, Fiit offers a variety of other options including HIIT, airbike, and mobility.
The virtual classes are suitable for anyone at any fitness level. By featuring two trainers per class, this workout app provides exercises for both experts and beginners. With so many options, you are able to pick classes that match your specific goals. To assist with workout selection, classes are organized into categories like weight loss, muscle building, and mind & body. Fiit also has progress tracking which can use data from your Fiit Tracker, FitBit, or Apple Watch. Fiit makes it easy to improve your strength from the comfort of your home.
What We Like
- User friendly
- 100+ workouts
- Options for all fitness levels
What We Don't Like
- No personalization
- No nutritional tracking
Best Fitness App for Beginners - BetterMe
Specs
- Personalization: Yes
- Goals: Health and wellness
- Device integration: All smartphones
- Activity summaries: Customized workouts and menus
- Notifications: Yes
- Videos/Tutorials: Recipes and workouts
- Community: N/A
If you are new to the fitness world, knowing where to start and what to focus on can be overwhelming. With BetterMe you can confidently begin your health and wellness journey. This fitness app is ideal for beginners because it provides you with easy-to-understand information on the basics of fitness. Your personalized plan will be filled with quick and effective activities that can help you reach your fitness goals. BetterMe takes a holistic approach and they recognize the importance of nutrition, so 10 personalized meal plans are also included.
To foster long-lasting health and wellness, BetterMe uses psychology to help you break old, unhealthy habits. Through the app, you will be prompted with timed daily tasks which are designed to change your mindset on food, weight loss, and exercise. You can easily track your progress on BetterMe with data summaries and visual graphs. Featuring informational sources and easy to understand health plans, BetterMe is great for beginners looking to make important fitness changes.
What We Like
- User friendly
- Easy for beginners to understand
- Holistic approach
What We Don't Like
- No free features
- Unable to change portion sizes
Best Fitness App for Live Classes - Bande
Specs
- Personalization: Yes
- Goals: Fitness
- Device integration: All smartphones
- Activity summaries: 2-way live workouts
- Notifications: Yes
- Videos/Tutorials: Virtual fitness classes
- Community: Other participants in class, instructors
Bande allows you to participate in fitness classes wherever, whenever. Two-way live workouts are led by elite instructors who you are able to interact with directly. On top of personalized attention, Bande's classes create a sense of community as you can communicate and connect with the other participants, giving you both the benefits of a studio setting and the convenience of at-home workouts.
There is a wide variety of workouts offered weekly (over 100), so you can sign up for whichever classes you enjoy that will help you reach your specific fitness goals. These live classes include a variety of styles, such as strength training, cardio boxing, dance, HIIT, and meditation, and are available seven days a week along with on-demand classes that can be taken anytime. The length of these workouts are 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or one hour. While some classes require more equipment than others, Bande recommends at least having a yoga mat and 3- to 5-pound weights.
What We Like
- Interact and speak directly with instructor
- Live schedule makes it easy to choose classes
- Ability to socialize with other participants
What We Don't Like
- Potentially more fitness equipment needed
- Only a 2-hour cancellation window for refund
What to Consider When Deciding on a Fitness App
There are several important factors you should explore before downloading and subscribing to a fitness app:
Use
Before choosing the best fitness app for you, consider what you will mostly be using it for. This is important because fitness apps can have several different functions. Some fitness apps are focused on providing personalized coaching and community through interactive live workout classes. Others are geared toward tracking your nutritional or exercise data. If you are looking for an app that achieves all of these things, there are multifunctional fitness app options out there, too.
Personalization
We all have different fitness goals. Because of this, it can be really helpful for fitness apps to offer ways to personalize your fitness plan. Examples of this include one-on-one coaching, individualized workouts, and offering a wide variety of classes. When your fitness plan can be tailored to your needs and goals, there is a higher chance of achieving long-term results.
Free Features
While some apps are subscription based and others are completely free, most fitness apps have both free and paid versions. It is important to evaluate what features are offered from free workout apps before making the decision to subscribe. Most paid versions of fitness apps do have additional features that are valuable to improving your health and fitness.
Why You Should Buy/Download Fitness Apps
Fitness apps can help you achieve your fitness goals in a variety of ways: With the data provided through meal-tracking apps, you can become more mindful about your eating habits. Fitness apps with one-on-one coaching give you access to personalized training. Apps with 2-way interactive classes give you a studio feel from the comfort of your own home—or wherever!
Ultimately, fitness apps give you personal data and informational resources that you can use to make changes to your health and fitness approach. These improvements can lead to long-lasting results.
Fitness Apps FAQs
Which fitness app is the best?
The best fitness app for you is one that offers the services you need to reach your goals. Because we all have separate fitness goals, the best app differs from person to person. It is important to evaluate what your fitness focus is before choosing which app is best for you.
Are fitness apps free?
While some fitness apps are fully free, most have subscription options. Subscriptions for fitness apps typically have different levels of commitment. The highest price often gives you unlimited access to all of the app's features, while you might be able to access a smaller number of features for a lower price, or even for free.
What is the number one fitness app?
Because fitness apps serve different purposes, many of our recommendations could be considered number one for their specialty. Smartphone App stores rank apps daily based on category and these rankings are constantly changing.
What is the difference between a personal training app and a fitness app?
Personal training apps provide exercises for users to follow. Some are more specialized, offering workouts to lose weight or build muscle, depending on your goals. Certain personal training apps may only offer exercises for cardio, strength training, HIIT, or cycling, while others offer a variety or combination of exercise types.
On the other hand, fitness apps cover a much broader realm. These apps can help you reach your fitness goals in a number of ways, whether through nutrition or exercise. Depending on the app, fitness apps may offer meal tracking capabilities, recipe ideas, workout options, one-on-one coaching, and more.
About the Author
Emily is a mental health, fitness, hospitality, and entertainment content writer. Emily’s work can be found on Recoveryworldwide.com, where she wrote about the importance of treating addiction and mental health with holistic health approaches. She can also be found on DVCShop.com where she currently works as the editor.
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