After I’m done testing, some of the devices go back to the brands, others I store for follow up tests and comparisons. You can visit our Who We Are page to learn more about our testing processes. A few months ago, I wanted to begin increasing my strength and build muscle to reach goals I set for myself.
Day 14: Deep Core + Abs (Unlock in NML App)
We selected Caliber as best for personal coaching because it successfully replicates the personalized training experience at a fraction of in-person training costs ($200/month versus $100+ per session). Progress tracking is comprehensive, with visualizations showing strength gains, volume progression, and consistency metrics. The app’s ability to identify plateaus and automatically adjust programming helps prevent stagnation.
It uses the sensors in the phone to calculate steps taken and distance walked throughout your day. Plus, the Mobility section of the app will show your walking speed, walking asymmetry, step length, and double support time (how long both feet are on the ground). Beyond fitness, the app has spaces for you to log your menstrual cycle, medications, moods, and much more. ITOUCH ACTIVE 4 fitness tracker is lightweight, comfortable and fashionable for everyday wear. The ultra-flexible silicone rubber watch band can be interchanged to different colors or types of bands.
As Featured in
There are guides that help with form – which I find extremely helpful. Build strength, balance, and control while supporting better movement efficiency and long-term consistency. The battery life is much improved and now beats many fitness watches with up to 14 days on a charge. If you need more there’s also a handy clip-on battery pack to add a further 30 days.
BodyFit (Bodybuilding.com)

The app has workouts for every skill level and equipment access, provides video demonstrations, and allows you to track your progress. Now you have access to various workout programs that can be done at home or in the gym, such as yoga, strength and Pilates, all taught by different women personal trainers. The app also offers meal plan options if you’re looking for healthy recipe ideas. The Nike Training Club is our pick for the best overall workout app because it’s free and offers a variety of classes, like HIIT, strength training, mobility and yoga. You can even follow a program over the course of a month and decide how often you’re looking to work out.
The 7 Best Workout Apps You Can Use in the Gym and at Home
I found the template creation interface easy to navigate, and the exercise library was helpful to broaden my exercise horizons. I also particularly liked the analytics that the paid subscription unlocks, like best set tracking. With its simple interface, detailed logging, progress tracking, and social features, it lets you log workouts in just a few taps, analyze your performance, and stay motivated. It is the only app designed specifically for women 40+ navigating hormonal changes, offering 200+ hormone-friendly workouts, cycle and symptom tracking, and expert-led content from doctors and nutritionists.
Social/Community Features
There are also YouTube Shorts, and many fitness creators are posting their shorter, simpler techniques on these less-than-60-second videos. We found FitOn to be the best app to keep you on track if you struggle to work out regularly. It allows you to record your activity and share your location with three designated safety contacts. There’s also a community function within the app, allowing you to connect with others on your wellness journey.
Suggested Reads about Health & Fitness
This app was also featured as one of Healthline’s picks for the best fitness gifts. You can also search by muscle group, workout focus, and equipment to find a class. However, the partnership didn’t last and the workouts were removed from Netflix in March 2024, according to What’s on Netflix. The Netflix and Nike deal was meant to see if Netflix could compete with Peloton for streaming workouts, but it seems the company didn’t want to progress any further. If you’re not into weights or the fast tempo of BodyPump and Body Attack, there’s plenty of other classes to choose from. The Functional Strength classes are a great way of working on your movement patterns if you’re a complete beginner, and the Pilates, core, and tone classes were all engaging.
This includes contenders from big name brands such as FitBit and Garmin, alongside some lesser-known entries that surprised me with their quality. The seven day battery life beats most classic smartwatches and the sensor suite is comprehensive for something this small. You get built-in GPS (though it wasn’t always reliable), optical heart rate, SpO2 monitoring and a skin temperature sensor that unlocks menstrual health insights. You can also beam your heart rate in real time to cardio equipment from NordicTrack and Peloton. The Garmin Forerunner 165 Music is my pick for the best fitness tracker for running. It’s also one of the best fitness trackers for heart rate monitoring despite using Garmin’s older optical sensors.
It also calculates how many calories you’ve burned according to your height, weight, age, and sex. Then, if you choose to start using a Fitbit device all of your data will be saved in the app already. Plus, if you are looking for a place to log the food you eat, the Fitbit app has features for that, too. If you’re looking for group support and motivation, Pacer, has lots of walking groups to join and challenges to participate in. You can even form your own group with friends or coworkers to push one another to walk more. It uses sensors in your phone as well as your phone’s GPS to https://madmuscles-review.com/about-us/ track walking, running, hiking, and cycling.
Exercises for a Healthy Heart
- If better fitness isn’t enough of a motivator to get you on your feet, maybe raising money for a good cause will do the trick.
- We looked at cost, whether content can be downloaded for offline use, and how frequently new classes or programs are added.
- If you’re new to running, the dynamic goal-setting experience is worth a little bit of frustration.
- It’ll prompt you to adjust this set daily goal once per week, but it’s ultimately a fitness app—not a recovery app.
- The most accurate nutrition tracking app with lab-verified food data and the ability to track up to 84 nutrients.
- The Inspire 3 doesn’t have built-in GPS, but it can connect to your phone for route tracking during runs, walks and bike rides, with workout data viewable in the Google Health app.
Do you want a private logger with a good UI, no distractions, and no social pressure? Alternatively, choose BetterMe or Nike Training Club for follow-along workouts with built-in logging options. If you’re looking for more basic workout tracking, such as mainly tracking your consistency, a number of apps will get the job done. The focus is on traditional strength/gym workouts, but you can also log home/travel sessions, cardio, sports, HIIT, and more. Whether you want a gym logger, a cardio app, or something geared more toward general fitness, we’ve got you covered. If you are also wondering about hardware, reviewing the top device fitness apps which one is right for you can help narrow down your choices based on your smartwatch.

Hevy — Best for Social Motivation and Progress Tracking
Since having my son, I’ve religiously used Joe’s The Body Coach app to rebuild my core postpartum, and I’ve loved the flexibility and challenge of the Body Coach plan. However, if you use a non-Apple fitness tracker, you may be a bit limited for now. For example, I wasn’t able to connect my best Garmin watch to the SWEAT app.
Lifesum
While it skips a few advanced health metrics, such as ECG and hypertension alerts, most people won’t miss them in day-to-day use. It also has a shorter battery life than the rest but it holds up to a full day of real-world use, including a 40-minute outdoor workout (GPS-enabled) and sleep tracking. Testers also loved the energizing, motivating workouts for all levels, as well as the wellness series focused on sleep, nutrition, and self-care. Many classes are filmed in stunning locations and led by instructors like Emily Sferra, Anabella Landa, and Bianca Wise, who keep sessions interesting and never boring.
In this particular guide, I also include activity trackers that aren’t wrist wearables, like smart rings and chest straps. “Targeted plans, specific muscle focus, full-body—you name it, they got it,” says Savary. Evlo Fitness is a strength training app with classes that include elements of Pilates, barre, yoga, and light cardio created and exclusively taught by physical therapists. Evlo is about what it calls “gentle consistency,” which means you’ll be doing efficient, targeted movements to build strength while avoiding exercises that leave you overly sore or burned out. Hevy is a clean and user-friendly workout log apps designed for lifters who want fast, distraction-free tracking. It offers intuitive workout logging, progress visualization, and easy sharing of routines with friends or coaches.







