Fitness and technology have never been more intertwined. Go to any gym and you’ll see people sweating with their phones always close at hand.
You can make your smartphone part of your workout by tracking your running route, recording your lifting form, or even just timing your HIIT circuits. You’ll get the best use out of your device, though, by using any of the millions of apps created specifically to kick your fitness into high gear.
These 15 smartphone apps all serve a distinct purpose. Some act as a digital trainer, guiding you through new, tough workouts. Others help you to track your activity and diet, giving you new insight to your nutrition. Some just help you chill out. All of the apps are free to download (although many require in-app purchases and subscriptions to unlock all their features), so it’s worth your time to at least give them a shot.
Aaptiv
Aaptiv
Android, iOS
If you love group fitness classes, Aaptiv is for you. The audio-only app gives you access to high-level instructors you’d find in a studio setting right on your phone.
You can choose from over 2,500 unique sessions in 12 categories, led by 20 top-level trainers, so you’ll never repeat a workout. All you need is headphones to hear the directions.
ClassPass
ClassPass
Android, iOS
ClassPass started out as a service that allowed its users to try out just about any type of fitness class they could imagine, but it’s evolved into a fully-fledged workout platform.
ClassPass Live now offers subscribers unlimited at-home HIIT workouts, which can be streamed through a Chromecast device directly into your TV set.
MapMyFitness
MapMyFitness
Android, iOS
If you’re exercising outside and you want to know exactly where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re about to go, this GPS-powered app from Under Armour is for you.
You can track just about any activity and get feedback and stats about your workout, but that’s not all. Share your routes and stats with friends and on social media, or even use custom training plans to hack your progress.
MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal
Android, iOS
Track everything you eat to stay on top of your nutrition with MyFitnessPal. The app is consistently one of the top downloads in the health and fitness category because of its massive database of foods, quick bar scan capabilities, and easy connectivity with other popular apps like MapMyFitness and Fitbit.
Nike
Nike Training Club
Android, iOS
You’re probably wearing some Nike gear to the gym — so you can work out with the Swoosh, too. The Nike Training Club app features more than 180 routines from trainers in categories like yoga, strength training, and more.
Train with your bodyweight or a full gym setup, from quick sessions to 45 minute burners. Added bonus: content from Nike athletes and personalities like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kevin Hart, Serena Williams, and more.
Fitbod
Fitbod
iOS
If your goal is to get fit, bulk up, or maintain a routine at the gym, then Fitbod is your app.
Fitbod uses artificial intelligence to learn from your past workouts to recommend personalized exercises based on your preferences, struggles, and available gym equipment.
8fit
8fit
Android, iOS
8fit makes it easy to skip the gym and opt for an at-home program without compromising the quality of your workout.
This app focuses on tabata, a high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout that alternates between intense exercises to keep your heart rate up and rest periods to keep you going. 8fit not only makes HIIT exercises more accessible, it offers nutritional guides to boost your results as well.
Strava
Strava
Android, iOS
Finding the perfect route for your long-distance workout can be even more difficult than completing the workout itself. Strava makes this simple.
The app boasts features for athletes, made by athletes. You can challenge yourself by picking routes that athletes near you have curated, then compete head-to-head with them.
HowUDish
HowUDish
iOS
We all know that while eating healthy at home is relatively easy, it’s going out to eat that becomes a struggle with maintaining your diet goals. HowUdish aims to make that easier.
The app offers location-based menu suggestions based on your dietary needs, making it an ideal option for avid travelers or foodies.
Freeletics
Freeletics
Android, iOS
Skip out on the gym and all of the equipment that goes along with it with Freeletics. The app aims to offer a digital personal trainer experience through bodyweight HIIT routines, allowing you to workout anytime, anywhere.
User input tweaks the experience, allowing the app to “coach” you by suggesting new methods to improve your technique and approach to your workouts.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness
Android, iOS
The Mindfulness app offers timed meditation courses that range from three-to thirty-minute sessions with built in reminders and tracking to help you keep going.
Adding meditation to your routine could prove to be the best move you make toward achieving your fitness goals as you improve your focus.
Pear
Pear
Android, iOS
Pick your own personal trainer with Pear. You can choose from a roster of certified trainers for pre-designed workouts, or create your own plan.
If you connect a wearable, you’ll get even more out of Pear. The app will use the biometrics to give you feedback in real time, including VO2 Max estimates using heart rate data.
Daily Yoga
Daily Yoga
Android, iOS
Whether you are a beginner or an expert at practicing yoga, Daily Yoga lets you squeeze in a session on any device at any time. This app adds serenity to your life by offering more than 100 yoga classes, personalized data, and even playlists to help you get your “om” on.
Sworkit
Sworkit
Android, iOS
Have a jam-packed schedule? Sworkit allows you to customize your own workouts that can range from 5 to 60 minutes.
The app is friendly for all fitness levels, too, with guided videos from real personal trainers to make sure every move is clearly explained.
ACTIVEx
ACTIVEx
iOS
ACTIVEx is more than just a build-you-own-HIIT workout app — it’s a community space to get fit. The app allows you to create a “Pack,” a group of likeminded friends committed to following the same exercise plan.
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