13 Fitness Apps for Any Fitness Level

Everyone has different motivations for wanting to stay fit. Whether you’re self-motivated or could use an extra push to get up and get moving, there is a workout app that can make your fitness planning and tracking easier. There are now many specialized apps that can help you meet your fitness goals if you are running a marathon or simply want to find ways to be more active outside or in the gym. Below, we’ve listed a few standouts and how they can help you.

Personal Coaching

1. Couch to 5K:  If you’re starting from a lower fitness level, this app is for you. Couch to 5K is like having a running coach in your ear, encouraging you to pick up the pace at a safe and healthy speed. The best feature of this app is its gradual training schedule, so your “coach” isn’t pushing you too hard, too fast.
2. Pear Personal Coach:  Another app that uses your device’s audio to coach you through workouts is Pear Personal Coach. The app takes your fitness data and uses it to coach you via interactive audio workout, no matter where you are. Whether running outdoors, biking, walking, or strength training, this coach can help you meet your fitness goals.
3. CardioCast: Like to listen to hit music while you exercise? This is a personal coach for you. Choose from different workouts and fitness levels, and this app will provide you with a prerecorded, music-driven audio workout. World-class instructors will coach you through sessions so you can workout anytime, anywhere.

Workout Recommendations

4. Aaptive:  Another great personal coaching app is Aaptive, which will help you plan workouts no matter where you are (from strength training or indoor running or biking outdoors). The app plays music and provides trainer-led audio workouts.
5. Nike Training Club:  Nike Training Club is a free workout planning app that adapts plans based on your fitness growth and adjusts based on your lifestyle. The app will recommend workouts based on your focus (strength, cardio fitness, etc.) and allows you to manually enter all of the other ways that you stay fit. From playing a pickup game of basketball after work to walking to dinner, your manual entries will adjust the fitness plans that the app provides.

Fitness Trackers

6. Runkeeper:  There are a lot of fitness trackers out there for runners, but there are also a few apps that can do the tracking for you. Runkeeper allows you to set goals, follow a plan to achieve them, and stay motivated.
7. Endomondo:  In the fitness tracker world, Endomondo sets itself apart for its ability to track more than just runs. The app is ideal for tracking biking, walking, and other various outdoor activities. It can also be set to send you audio notifications to help you keep your goal pace and let you know if you are falling behind.  (Note: since posting, this app has been retired.)

Workout and Rep Trackers

8. Jefit:  Gone are the days of walking around the gym with a pencil and paper for tracking reps on different machines. Now, you can do it with an app like Jefit. The benefit of this app is a straightforward interface that works across devices. The app will also suggest personalized workout routines so that you can be sure you’re hitting all of your target areas.
9. Gymbook:  Gymbook is all about strength tracking. Record reps and add notes for future reference. One special feature of the app is heat mapping so you can see exactly what areas your workouts are targeting and where you could focus in the future.

Monetizing Workouts

10. RunBet:  If you’ve tried everything to try to motivate you to get fit, it may be time to start betting on yourself (literally). RunBet lets you join a game at your level of fitness and bet money on whether you’ll complete your goals or not. If you don’t follow up, you could lose the money you bet on yourself. If you beat your goals, you could win even more money than you put down.
11. Charity Miles:  Sometimes, we’re more accountable if we know someone is counting on us. This is the concept that Charity Miles embraces. This app lets you earn money for charity for every mile that you run or bike. Choose from 31 different charities and truly get moving for someone who can’t.

Gamification  

12. Zombies, RUN!: For those that need a little extra running motivation, try Zombies, RUN! Turn on the app while you’re walking or on a run to hear your mission. Then, the app will alert you when “zombies are chasing you” to get you to speed up. It’s a version of interval training that helps you get fit in your world and become a hero in another.  

No matter what types of workouts you like or what are your motivations, technology can help you set and accomplish your fitness goals. Whether could use a better tracker for your weight reps or you’d like some guidance for how to best start an interval training program, these apps are for you. So get up and get moving and use the tools that you have to get fit!