Introduction
Fitness apps have revolutionized the way we approach health and fitness. Once needing expensive gym memberships, personal trainers and nutritionists, we now have access to all these services and more at our fingertips. Let‘s explore six great reasons you should download a fitness app today.
Reason 1: Personalized Plans and Goals
Fitness apps provide workout and diet plans tailored specifically to you. After entering details like gender, age, weight, fitness level and goals, the app creates a customized program to help you lose weight, build strength, improve endurance or meet other targets. Plans evolve as you input your progress. It‘s like having a personal trainer adjusting your regimen to meet your needs!
Reason 2: Comprehensive Health Tracking
Fitness apps let you track far more than just workouts. Monitor your nutritional intake with their extensive food databases. Record your weight, sleep cycles, hydration levels and more to identify health trends. The app becomes your daily health diary, storing all data in one place. Even women can track details like menstrual cycles and symptoms. This oversight provides tremendous insight.
Reason 3: Keeping You Motivated
Sticking to a routine is tough without motivation. Fitness apps provide plenty through features like rewards badges, competitions with others in the community, and reminders from your virtual trainer. Tracking tangible progress compared to others also boosts motivation. It becomes almost like a fitness video game on your phone!
Reason 4: Access to Health and Fitness Education
Beyond plans and tracking, most fitness apps offer extensive health tips and videos for continuing education. Learning proper workout form, nutrition guidelines specific to your needs, and wellness advice is done easily and for free. It‘s knowledge that empowers you to succeed on your fitness journey.
Reason 5: Adaptive Workouts and Feedback
Great fitness apps provide feedback on logged workouts – was your run too short? Is your heart rate ideal for fat burn? They also suggest modifications like reduced sets or simpler moves within guided workouts based on your feedback. This personalization ensures you exercise effectively and avoid injury. It‘s your virtual spotter.
Reason 6: Affordability and Convenience
This one is simple – fitness apps provide incredible value, service and convenience at a fraction of a gym membership or personal trainer cost. Having your health data, communities, education and workouts in one place on your phone is hugely convenient too. It streamlines reaching your goals.
Choosing the Best App for You
With hundreds of apps on the market, choosing the right one matters. Consider your goals, fitness level, workout preferences and budget. Apps like Future, Sweat and Nike Training Club customize workouts and provide coaching while many others simply track. Do you enjoy running outdoors? Try a app like Strava to log and analyze your performance. Read reviews and free-trial offers carefully before committing.
Top 5 Fitness Apps on the Market
1. Future
Founded in 2020, Future pioneered pairing users with personal certified trainers for custom regimens. Swapping trainers is easy within their large roster if your needs change. Everything about Future aims to bring personal trainer flexibility and convenience to an app.
2. Sweat by Kayla Itsines
Celebrity personal trainer Kayla Itsines launched Sweat in 2015 after success with her Bikini Body Guides. The female-focused app offers workout programs specialized for post-natal women, gym beginners and more. Sweat also syncs exercise tracking data with Apple Watch.
3. Nike Training Club
Nike Training Club (NTC) features one of the largest workout filtering systems available. Pick your muscle focus, time, equipment, activity and intensity to assemble a custom session. NTC went entirely free in 2020 and offers compatible Apple Music integration for the perfect exercise soundtrack.
4. Peloton
While known for its trendy stationary bikes and treadmills, Peloton offers an extremely popular app too. Access thousands of equipment-free on-demand or live-streamed classes in strength, HIIT cardio, yoga and more led by enthusiastic instructors. Eclectic song playlists motivate you.
5. Strava
Focused squarely on runners and cyclists, Strava provides advanced statistics like pace, power output and heart rate while training outdoors. The app maps your routes via GPS and uses challenges to help athletes push performance. A social community aspect is available too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I look for in a fitness app? Consider your fitness level, workout preferences and health goals. Seek apps with intuitive interfaces, personalized plans, knowledgeable trainers, comprehensive tracking and community elements that align with your needs.
Can these apps replace gym memberships? For many people, absolutely. The workouts, accountability, education and tracking provided mimic most gym benefits through your smartphone. For those wanting pools, certain equipment/classes or a change of venue, apps likely supplement gyms rather than replace them outright.
Is my health data I input secure? Reputable apps take data protection seriously given the personal nature of the content. That said, carefully review privacy policies before sharing health information. Also consider disabling location sharing and other tracking features that may seem extraneous.
How much do quality fitness apps cost? Pricing varies greatly. Several reputable apps offer extensive free versions alongside paid upgrades with more features. Paid memberships with live-streaming, personalized coaching and advanced analytics average $10 to $20 monthly but can reach over $40.
