27 Best Workout Apps To Improve Your Fitness In 2024

SHRED scored well above average for most categories, though it only earned 3 out of 5 stars for interactive features and accountability. If you want a plan that’s truly customized to your needs and goals by a human coach, you may want to consider a platform like Future. Now, Amanda brings her expertise in fitness to the GGR team by testing equipment and writing authentic, honest reviews on everything you might need to stock your home gym. This Earth Day, every 3 workouts you complete in Lasta helps plant a real tree. We assessed how easy it is to get started with each app, from downloading and creating an account to completing fitness app comparison onboarding steps.

Types of Fitness Forms

With guided workouts as short as just a few minutes, fitness apps are great for those with busy schedules. Meskille adds that apps are ideal for frequent travelers to keep consistency on the road. Through testing the best workout apps for women, our team experienced these benefits tenfold—along with a whole laundry list of physical and mental gains from regular exercise. While we tested the best workout apps for women, we often used the apps to sneak movement in throughout the day.

Schedule Your Workouts Like Appointments

best workout apps for staying consistent

Her experience involves supporting fitness-related topics with clear, structured, and accessible content. Through consistent involvement with fitness-focused platforms, she has developed familiarity with coaching workflows, client communication, and the informational needs of fitness professionals. Yes, Nike Training Club (NTC) is 100% free with no hidden subscriptions or paywalled workouts. Other high-quality free options include FitOn, which offers a massive library of celebrity-led classes, and WorkoutGen, a newer 2025 favorite that provides 100% free gym-specific programs without ad spam. Workout apps often provide personalized workout plans tailored to individual fitness goals, ensuring every user receives the right guidance and motivation for their unique journey.

Best fitness app for race training

A 3-star rating meant the app offered a typical seven-day free trial. Our expert product testers tested all of the fitness apps for at least several workouts, while many were tested for a whole month or even longer, especially the apps we really loved using. Our product testers were tasked with evaluating multiple fitness apps and rating them on a 1-to-5-star scale across a variety of categories. Our in-depth methodology covered categories ranging from overall value and ease of use to workout variety and equipment demands.

LeanBites – Healthy Dining

  • It’s also nice to have the option to do one-off videos on your own, rather than feeling like you’re giving up on a program if you want to do something else one day.
  • If you only have access to a home gym or something like a small apartment gym with limited equipment, you can tailor the workouts to whatever’s available.
  • Workout apps can be very effective when you use them consistently and choose plans that match your fitness level and goals.
  • With the app, you can connect with your swim community for support and compete against other swimmers on a global leaderboard.
  • This naturally encourages volume-based training, helping shift your mindset toward muscle building rather than just chasing one-rep maxes.
  • Several of the options on our best workout apps list will log your exercise data.

“There are many beginner-friendly routines to help individuals get started, especially if going to the gym or attending a class seems a little scary at first,” she says. Workout apps won’t do much good if they don’t have high-quality instructors. We reviewed the content on each app to help determine whether the instructors are knowledgeable and certified.

best fitness apps that help you stay fit and focused on your healthy routine:

Workouts are delivered directly in the app with in-workout coaching cues, and plans can be adjusted in real time for things like injuries, travel, or changing energy levels. In my month of testing Fitness Online, I was impressed by the wide range of programs and the customization options. A couple of our favorite free apps for tracking strength training is Jefit. It allows you to track your own strength training workouts with their library of exercises, each with written and visual instructions. Another good workout tracker is Hevy, which has a robust community of support where you can share your workouts and view, like and comment on others’ workouts.

What is the best fitness app out there?

The app is very easy to use, and Amanda rates it a 5 out of 5 in its ease of use. GGR staff writer Matt Dustin, CSCS, PN-1, has used this app for over six months and loves the tracking, ease of use, and ability to build your own custom training plan if you want. Despite the touted two-way video aspect of the studio-style classes, NeoU also felt more impersonal than the other apps I tried. There was no questionnaire when I signed up, so it’s up to the user to sort through NeoU’s (impressive) collection of workout videos. This is fine if you know exactly what kind of workout you like doing, but it could be daunting if you don’t. That said, I found some of the strength and cardio video classes a little hard to follow.

Movement as Medicine: How Regular Activity Supports Lifelong Well-Being

best workout apps for staying consistent

If you’re new to working out, a few sessions with a personal trainer could be helpful to get you started. Hevy is the best strength training app I (the writer) have used, and I always recommend it to my personal training clients. You can easily plan and view your workout program calendar along with training progress and total volume so you can make adjustments to keep pushing toward your goals. Create your own personalized fitness plan or filter classes by duration, fitness level, and what equipment you have access to.

Best Apps for Tracking Your Exercise Goals

Lifters, old and new, may not appreciate BetterMe as the majority of the workouts are bodyweight with several dumbbells-only workouts. Still, it gets a 5 out of 5 for equipment demands, as people can do these workouts almost anywhere, but it’s not the best app for strength training. If you’re looking for another great app that also offers personalized coaching from a certified fitness professional, you may want to consider Future. It also costs $199 per month, but GGR readers can get their first month for free.

Best Workout App for Tracking Progress: Burn.Fit

Start your journey today, discover the best workout app for you, and unlock a stronger, healthier, and more confident version of yourself. Yes, there are free workout apps with no ads, but they’re usually limited in features or offer ad-free access only in their basic versions. Some of the best free workout apps focus on bodyweight training, offline workouts, or community-driven programs to stay ad-free. For advanced features like personalized plans, progress tracking, or coach support, most apps eventually offer optional upgrades. While AI is a powerful tool in 2026, 2026 research from the University of Michigan proves that human-led coaching results in 74% more weight loss and significantly higher adherence.

Choosing the right workout app starts with knowing yourself—your goals, schedule, budget, and how much structure you actually enjoy. A good fit will feel realistic to stick with most days of the week, not just exciting for the first few workouts. This roundup review highlights the sheer depth of quality when it comes to online fitness programs and apps that are available at the moment. Features and price vary quite dramatically, so you’ll need to think carefully about your personal preferences, budget and fitness goals. Not necessarily, but many people find that combining a workout app with a nutrition tracker gives the best results. A popular combination would be using Muscle Booster or Fitbod for training alongside Yazio for food tracking and habit building.

23 Best Workout Planning Apps to Maximize Your Fitness Results

However, buying this equipment isn’t available to everyone, but that’s where the Peloton home workout app comes in. It’s not exclusive to their equipment, although some statistics are specific to these devices. Find the top-rated apps to enhance your fitness routine, whether you’re a gym enthusiast or prefer working out at home. It’s best to determine your budget before purchasing a subscription. Some workout apps, like YogaRenew, also offer a week-long free trial period to see if it fits your needs.

  • If you’re working on your running, an app that can track your GPS location will be extremely helpful.
  • For an app to earn higher, 4- or 5-star ratings, the workout program needed to clearly follow the principles of progressive overload.
  • The first was that, in almost every video, the instructors push Beachbody’s protein shake brand, Shakeology—if I’m already paying for a fitness plan, I don’t want to be told to buy something else.
  • One of the most frustrating things about browsing an app store on your Android device or iPhone is that almost every workout app says they’re free, but with in-app purchases.
  • The best fitness app will depend on a person’s exercise goals, ability, and the type of exercise they would like to do.
  • The gamification is genuinely deep — deeper than most fitness-specific apps.

Evaluating UX, Equipment Demands, and Community Features

This makes it valuable even without coaching, though the premium experience delivers significantly greater value. The free version provides access to basic workouts and workout tracking functionality, allowing you to test the platform before subscribing. Shred Premium unlocks full program access, detailed analytics, and advanced AI coaching features. The app uses algorithms to provide customized coaching programs for various goals, with workouts including trainer-led videos and detailed exercise tutorials.

Gym Workouts: Apps That Maximize Your Membership

Apps with intuitive navigation, clean design, and clear “what to do next” guidance ranked higher, especially for users who want to start working out without confusion. Log every workout, and the app will show you whether you’re actually progressing or spinning your wheels. Seeing your previous sets makes progressive overload straightforward—you know exactly what to beat. Strava integrates with virtually every fitness wearable—Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, Polar, Wahoo, and more. Strava requires GPS signal for outdoor activities but can track treadmill runs offline. Strong and JEFIT are powerful but don’t provide much guidance on program design.

How to Choose the Best Workout App for Beginners

best workout apps for staying consistent

Available modules include a four-week dumbbell muscle build program, a four-week metcon/HIIT program, and a six-week full gym strength gain program, among others. They provide structure, guidance, and motivation, which are key factors in achieving fitness goals. Apps with personalized plans and progress tracking, like Lasta, can be especially helpful in building long-term habits and maintaining results.

Does Netflix have free workouts?

Revered for its bike training, Peloton’s app now offers everything from running and HIIT to dance and boot camp classes. It includes both live and pre-recorded sessions led by enthusiastic trainers. It’s a great option for those who prefer following a trainer rather than exercising alone.

best workout apps for staying consistent

Build a Support System

In fact, I’d say that the videos are best watched on a tablet, laptop screen, or TV because the bigger screen allows you to pick up the moves better. Some apps try to shame you into working out, or bombard you with notifications, so I liked this approach. Nike’s app also offers push notification reminders (which you can turn off) to prompt you when it’s time to do a workout. best tai chi apps It’s hard to believe that in just a few months, the year will come to a close, ushering in a new year brimming with opportunities for health and fitness. To help you start the new year on the right foot, we’ve rounded up the best workout apps of 2024. These selections, available on the App Store and Google Play, will equip you with everything you need to embrace an active lifestyle through fitness apps.

This risk-free approach demonstrates confidence in their content’s effectiveness. The app includes a dedicated space where members support each other, share progress, and stay motivated. This sense of belonging to something bigger makes a huge difference in long-term adherence. The app is easy to use, and allows you to follow along to a structured program, as well as gaining access to a whole host of on-demand workouts.

Integration with Other Platforms

However—and this is a big however—to make the most of the app, you do need an Apple Watch, which comes with a hefty price tag. The mobile app can still track your daily steps and exercise calories without an Apple Watch, though it’ll be less accurate (especially if you set your phone down a lot). My husband, who’s an avid cyclist, mentioned that Strava also connects directly with bike computers and indoor road bike trainers like Zwift. Because I don’t bike enough to have that fancy schmancy equipment, I didn’t test either of these features—though I can see why they would be a huge plus for cyclists. Try new exercises, classes, or outdoor activities to keep things interesting.

Peloton: At Home Fitness

It’s where your fitness data is stored, and includes the steps tracked by your iPhone and works you completed in other apps. I use each app for several weeks so that I get a sense of whether I actually enjoy the workouts and if they’re effective. Boosting your fitness and getting some movement into your day is important, but there’s no reason it can’t be fun too.

Fitness

In addition to mapping your routes, the app tracks your progress, offers challenges, and even shares your location with friends for safety. It’s also a favorite of tester Kelli McGrane, MS, RD, who appreciates that the large selection of 20-minute classes makes it easy (and fun) to squeeze a sweat session into her day. Jane McGuire is Tom’s Guide’s Fitness Managing Editor, which means she looks after everything fitness-related – from running gear to yoga mats. Fortunately, many of these sessions are now available for free in the Nike Training Club app. That’s why we put each app to the test before including it in our guide.

Best Foam Rollers ( : Master Your Muscle Recovery Routine

These top-performing workout apps of the year are poised to offer even more benefits as you pursue your fitness goals with on-demand workouts. Starting weight training can be intimidating due to uncertainties about proper form, appropriate weights, and other factors. Jefit, a top strength training app, addresses these concerns by providing video demonstrations for each exercise, offering clear visual guidance on correct techniques. Additionally, users can create custom workouts by selecting from a comprehensive library of movements available within the app, ensuring a tailored and effective training experience. This app stands out from the others on the list as it doesn’t offer workout routines but serves as a powerful tool for tracking progress and organizing fitness plans.