You needn't be a fitness freak to care about your personal fitness of course. In the modern era, where sitting is the new smoking, you wouldn't be alone if you are concerned about developing a fitness regime. Modern technology is often blamed for causing all harm as we happily type away our work on our computers all day (or put our fingers to not so good use on the smartphone), however, used the right way, technology can actually help you stay healthy and live longer. Don't believe us? Well, hopefully, by the time you finish this article, you will. For now, read on.
Fitness apps have been around for some time but have been immensely popular in the recent years with the rise of much more capable smartphones and portable devices you can carry everywhere you go. A fitness app will basically install itself on your phone just like any other app and help you stay in shape. It's like a strict (add friendly and customizable) personal training who stands guard all day long so you can live longer.
The Best Fitness Apps of 2018
Here are our picks of the 6 best fitness apps of 2018 put there, which will help you pursue your fitness goals with ease. We have already sorted the apps for you based on our tests, with the best ones on the top. Keep in mind that the apps at the bottom are still a part of this list of the best fitness apps and are definitely worth a try, for, they have passed several other apps in this very crowded space, securing a place for themselves in this list. Ladies and gentlemen here are the list of best apps for fitness based on our in-depth research and tests so you can sit back and get ready for some action later on.
1. Pocket Yoga- Your Personal Yoga Studio
If there's one app that can really make a difference to your health, Pocket Yoga really is a very strong contender. We cannot all have the luxury of having a personal Yoga instructor at our disposal when we need him but Pocket Yoga sure makes up and helps you enjoy Yoga and its many benefits wherever you are, whenever you like. The app has voice-guided poses with soothing music running in the background so all you need to do is relax and concentrate on the asanas. It literally 'Recreates the Yoga studio' as the app website states.
This is a multi-platform app, which means you can install it on an Android device, iPhone, iPad or even your Mac. With its full Yoga classes and offline functionality, this is indeed one of the best fitness apps of 2018. What this means is that you can take your Yoga classes with you even on that exotic holiday to the remote frontiers of the planet where the internet is yet an unheard phenomenon.
Overall, the app has received rave reviews online with the Amazon average rating being 4/5 for the Android app. Users have called it the 'Personal Yogi' and the 'best app for varying levels of workouts'. One reviewer even called it 'the only app like a real Yoga class'. Well, that speaks volumes of Pocket Yoga.
2. Freeletics Bodyletics- 900 Easy Workouts At Your Fingertips
'You only need your body', says the Freeletics Bodyweight website, 'and 10-30 minutes'. If you were under the impression that you definitely needed a gym and an instructor to lose some fat, you were wrong. Freeletics Bodyweight makes it even easier to lose some weight by following some very simple yet highly efficient exercises.
The app records your feedback and learns from it, recommending the best training plan that is expected to be the most beneficial. You can also connect with the other app users in the app or at special training spots indicated by the app. With Freeletics Bodyweight, you get more than a coach. You get an intelligent coach who personalizes your progressive training programme.
The 12-week coaching plan comes with a pricing of $35 and entitles you to other benefits such as fitness assessment and targeting and chasing specific goals. The free version will be more than enough for the average user, though, for it has nearly 900 workouts of various types.
The app enjoys a rating of 4.6 on the Google Play Store and 4.5 on the App Store.
3. Runtastic- Run & Track
Runtastic is a well-known app that has been in the fitness space for quite some time now. The company provides a number of different apps to choose from, each serving a particular function. The basic functionality, however, is that of fitness activity tracking, wherein, the app tracks GPS and fitness data, analyzes it and presents the user with beautifully detailed graphs of routes and activity levels.
It doesn't matter whether you're jogging, running, biking, or hiking. Just turn Runtastic on and it will record activities with an unparalleled level of precision. Gym and other equipment users needn't be disappointed, they too can track their fitness levels as they exercise. You can set your everyday running goals and share success stories with friends and family in your social circles. The app includes Voice Coach functionality as well.
Amongst the Runtastic app suite is several individual apps such as Runtastic Steps, Runtastic Results, Road Bike, Altimeter, Push-Ups, Sit-Ups, Squats, RunTasty, and Runtastic Balance. Each of these performs a specific function and you might try choosing the ones that you find useful in your day-to-day fitness activities.
The Runtastic app has been rated 4.5 on the Google Play Store and 4.7 on the App Store.
4. Aaptiv- Stay Active With Aaptiv
Aaptiv has two main pricing plans to choose from, you can either choose the monthly plan, which will cost you $14.99 a month or choose the yearly plan, which costs $8.33 a month.
Users have time and again praised the app for the fact that it can easily be used from home and that it has a large variety of programs and fitness activities that can be chosen at will. The UI is intuitive and the app is well designed. You can choose from elliptical, indoor cycling, treadmill, stretching, outdoor running, etc. The app truly acts like a personal trainer and will help you stay in shape. You can even take it with you to your gym and select from amongst the beginner, intermediate, and advanced modes.
Users have also highly appreciated the apps great music features and have loved the soundtracks, doing some of the workouts just for the sake of the music! Many feels, however, that absolute beginners who are using fitness equipment for the first time might be better off using an actual DVD to see how the activities and poses are really.
The app enjoys a nice rating of 4.9 on the App Store and 3.7 on the Google Play Store. Well, the Android app does have a lower rating but the iOS App shines.
5. Sieben (Seven)- The Power of FOSS
If you're wondering why we have this app with an unusual name on our list, let us first introduce you to its most important feature, which is a rarity amidst these best fitness apps. Sieben is a Free and Open Source (FOSS) app, which means it is provided to users free of charge and is also released to them under GPLv3 license terms. The power of FOSS lies in its transparency: the entire app source code is available for inspection online, which makes it potentially much more secure and stable. Contrast this with the other apps running proprietary programs, which are beyond the reach of the everyday user.
Sieben (German) or Seven helps users benefit from fast workouts without having to purchase expensive fitness equipment like. You can practice push-ups, chair step-up, wall sits, triceps, pinks, abdominal crunches, amongst a host of other exercises for you to choose from. During your workout, the app will display an illustration as well as a countdown timer. Seven allows the user to time the workouts and customize them further as well. You can also pause your workout if you like and resume it when you are ready again. Jumping to the previous and next workout exercise is as easy as pie.
You won't find the app on Google Play Store. The recommended way to install the app is to install the F-Droid client first. You could also directly install the app by downloading the APK file instead but this is a less secure way to download apps in addition to also leading to a limited installation which will receive no updates. The only limitation of this app is that there is no version for IOS devices.
6. Workout For Women: Female Fitness Focussed App
The app provides extremely short but highly effective workouts that last a mere 7 minutes but leave you sweating. The app uses fitness activities that are scientifically proven to help stay in shape and this makes it a strong contender amongst our list of the fitness apps. The only drawback, however, is that the app only has an iOS version and no Android support.
The app integrates well with Apple Health and this enables you to track various weight, calorie, and other fitness related analytics. The app does not require you to own any gym or fitness equipment and can be used anytime, wherever you might be.
Best of all, the app is completely free and doesn't cost you a penny. One of the best apps for fitness. Workout for Women helps you lose those extra calories effectively and rapidly without having to purchase a gym membership or expensive fitness equipment. Well, this seems to be a common design purpose amongst all best fitness apps we have discussed in this article: they all help the user stay healthy with simple exercises and moves without having to invest in exorbitantly expensive fitness devices. Armed with nothing but their smartphones, users can lose weight and stay in shape using these apps and practicing regularly.
Factors To Consider
In the shortlisting of these best apps of 2018, we have thoroughly scrutinized the vast number of fitness apps available in the market today. The following factors were considered in making the final selection. We highly recommend you consider these parameters as well when choosing the best fitness app for your individual needs.
1. OS Platform
Well, it goes without saying that the app you intend to use must support your device OS. If you are planning to use a fitness app on your iOS device (iPhone/iPad) the app needs to have a native app for this platform. Similarly for Android. You'll note that most of the apps in this list are multi-platform support apps, which means you'll be able to use most of these on both Android and iOS devices. However, towards, the bottom are 2 apps that either support only iOS or Android. This largely is responsible for their placement at the bottom of the list- make no mistake though, even though these apps only support one OS each, they are both incredibly powerful.
2. Feature Set
You would want nothing but the best for your fitness needs, isn't it? Each of these apps has a rich feature set and incorporates a number of powerful features such as voice coach, music, start/pause functionality, etc, which makes them stand apart from the competition. Features vary widely, though, it must be remembered and having a clear vision as to your real purpose of using a fitness app will help you narrow down to the best app.
3. Pros and Cons
Fitness apps each have their own pros and cons. We have carefully considered and weighed each of these pros and cons and they've had an important bearing on the way we have selected the apps and further on the way we have sorted these apps themselves. An app might have lots of drawbacks but if it has this one crucial advantage or feature that you've been eagerly looking out for and that does not shine on the other apps, you know you've got a steal deal!
4. Pricing
Pricing, of course, will play a major role in determining the affordability of an app. A fitness app might have all the best features in the world but if it is so exorbitantly expensive that it is not within the reach of anyone but the wealthiest amongst us, it is literally of no use.
On the other end of the spectrum are the free apps- which, on the face of it, might look great but are often notorious for seriously compromising user privacy. As they say, nothing in this world is free. If it is free, you are the product. The same applies to fitness apps as well.
Free fitness apps, like others, will continuously sync your health data not only to provide you with intelligent AI-powered services but also gather vital analytics to help their services improve in the process. Some might also sell away user data to third-party advertisers so it is always a good idea to look into the privacy policy of an app you have set your eyes on.
Final Words
Choosing from amongst a large number of fitness apps available in the market today is a real pain but we have simplified the process for you above. We have sorted the best fitness apps in an order that appeals to us the most. All you need to do now is to choose the one that ranks higher on the list and has it all when it comes to factors such as price, features, and of course, OS platform.
User privacy is an important criterion in our view and you must remember to check the privacy policy of the app you intend to finally use. We believe FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) are particularly transparent in this regard since they have the entire source code available for auditing so there's nothing to hide. Such apps will be much more secure without a doubt. It is particularly important to be wary of free apps that use proprietary code, for, these might have a revenue model that exploits user data, which you might not be comfortable sharing. Most apps will only use aggregate, anonymized data anyway, but not all of us are comfortable with having an app on our phone that continuously tracks our every move and reports it to a remote server in the name of intelligent data gathering.
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