Best Fitness-Tracking Apps for 2024

An easy way to keep up with your health and wellness is to find workouts that you enjoy, whether running, weight training, or yoga. These apps include Strava, Nike Run Club, MapMyRide, Nike Training Club, and Down Dog.

Michelle Fleming

Michelle Fleming is a sophomore at the University of Texas at Austin majoring in Public Health, focusing on biostatistics and informatics and minoring in Health Communications. Michelle is passionate about bridging the gap in health inequalities through advocacy and policy, especially within minority groups.

Best Apps for Different Workouts

Using a fitness app is beneficial because it can teach you proper form and offer training plans as a beginner. You can also track your performance metrics to analyze your progress. While browsing the many options for fitness apps, we considered the following criteria: workout class options, cost, community, and the availability of other features like nutrition guides. When choosing the best app for you, consider these and your fitness goals. We found that apps specific for certain workouts, like cardio, weight training, or yoga, tend to cost more than apps specific for running or cycling. Thus, we listed out the best overall fitness app and app options for specific workout types you may be interested in.

Strava: Best Overall

Strava is a fitness app that tracks almost all sports and workouts, making it perfect for everyone. It is affordable and has a significant community aspect of connecting with people and sharing your fitness journey to see your progress and stay motivated. It also includes device syncing to record your performance metrics (heart rate, elevation, etc.). You can create custom goals and training plans to monitor your progress further. Below is a table displaying important information about Strava.

Strava Information

| Cost | - free version
- $5/month or $59.99/year for premium | | Supported Sports | - most foot, cycle, water, winter sports + weight training, yoga, and workouts | | GPS Tracking/Routes | - includes GPS tracking
- options to find and download new routes | | Performance Metrics | - can connect to devices like smart watch or accounts (like Peloton)
- calculates distance, pace, elevation, heart rate, time, calories, etc. | | Goals and Training Plans | - includes running/ cycling plans and ability to create custom plans
- can set goals for distance, time, elevation, etc. | | Community | - ability to share photos and comments with friends
- can find local clubs to join surrounding all sports
- competition with other users as motivation and fun | | Additional Features | - Beacon feature allows real-time location tracking for emergencies
- can add gear such as shoes or bicycles and track the total distance on them |

Nike Run Club: Best for Running/Walking

After comparing the Nike Run Club app to the other major running apps, we found that Nike Run Club offers the essentials and more, all for free. Its main distinguishing feature is the guided-audio-based runs, telling you when to speed up or slow down and providing encouraging words. After using the app, we found that the user interface is easy to use and appealing and requires a Nike account to join. Like most other apps, it allows you to input goals and custom training plans and tracks your weekly progress. It tracks some performance metrics and will enable you to connect to some devices to track even more. Below is a table displaying the important features that Nike Run Club provides.

Nike Run Club Information

| Cost | - free | | Supported Sports | - running, jogging, walking, including treadmill runs | | GPS Tracking/Routes | - GPS tracking displays a map of run routes | | Performance Metrics | - tracks pace, distance, and elevation
- can connect to devices and track more performance metrics such as heart rate | | Goals and Training Plans | - training plans are offered
- can track personal weekly progress and alter training plans
- can set personal goals and challenges | | Community | - can connect with friends and see each other’s progress, add each other to challenges and goals | | Additional Features | - includes audio-based guided runs, indicating when to speed up and slow down
- audio is encouraging and motivating
- includes wellness tips
- can add pair of shoes to track mileage and let you know when to buy a new pair |

MapMyRide by UnderArmour: Best for Cycling

While apps like Strava can track cycling, we found that MapMyRide is the best app for those who only want to track cycling rather than various workouts. It is more affordable than others and includes the essential features a cycling app should have. Its distinguishing feature is its ability to provide new cycling routes to keep variety in your fitness journey. Below is a table of the most critical features that MapMyRide offers.

MapMyRide Information

| Cost | - free version
- $5.99/month or $29.99/year for premium | | Supported Sports | - cycling | | GPS Tracking/Routes | - GPS tracking to map routes
- can find new local routes to ride | | Performance Metrics | - duration, distance, speed, elevation, calories burned
- can connect to devices and track cardiovascular health and nutrition | | Goals and Training Plans | - can input personal training and nutrition plans
- can add personal goals | | Community | - can connect with friends and see their cycling records
- is more individualized than other apps | | Additional Features | - add shoes to track their mileage
- can add starting point and distance and generate new routes in the area |

Nike Training Club: Best for Weight Training/Cardio

Nike Training Club was the best option for weight training and cardio workouts. It includes over 185 workouts created by experts and can be filtered to find what best fits your preferences. An added helpful feature is audio-guided workouts, ensuring you know the proper form and get the best out of each workout. After going through the app, we found that the user interface is easy to use and appealing and requires a Nike account to join. Below is a table outlining important information about the Nike Training Club app.

Nike Training Club information

| Cost | - free | | Workout Types | - weight-training, cardio, yoga, zero-equipment, at-home
- can filter through workouts based on level, available equipment, location, intensity, and muscle groups you want to target | | Workout
Format | - variety of on-demand workout types taught by different coaches
- audio-based workouts with voice guiding what to do and how to keep proper form
- includes 14 training programs to choose from and do along with on-demand workouts | | Goals and Training Plans | - custom plans are offered based on your personal goals, equipment availability, number of workouts, and activity level | | Community | - can add friends and share progress
- NTC organizes local events in communities with group workouts | | Additional Features | - includes a nutrition tips tab with recipe ideas
- has videos and short articles on tips for training, nutrition, recovery, and mindset
- can connect to devices (such as Apple Watch) and monitor heart rate and calories
- can set reminders for workouts |

Down Dog: Best for Yoga

Down Dog seems to be the best app to learn and track yoga workouts. Other apps are much more costly and are often only yoga-inspired rather than classic yoga training. The app is excellent for anyone of any experience, as you can customize the workouts to your preferences. Below is a table of the important features that Down Dog offers.

Down Dog Yoga App Information

| Cost | - free version
- $7.99/month or $49.99/year for premium | | Workout Format | - customize type, pace, level, targeted muscle groups, and duration to generate a workout
- video with music and instruction audio to follow
- audio includes reminders to breathe and adjust to having a proper form | | Community | - no community features are included in the app
- Facebook page available for users | | Additional Features | - teaches proper yoga terms and classic yoga practices
- music is meant to align with proper breathing |

Fitness-Tracking Apps Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the Benefits of Using Fitness-Tracking Apps for someone new to fitness?

Fitness-tracking apps help you if you're new to consistent workouts. They allow you to keep track of your progress and performance metrics. They can offer training plans and help with proper form to ensure you get the most out of your workouts.

Furthermore, in-person weight training or yoga classes are often much more expensive than apps. Using an app is also more flexible in choosing the best time for your workout schedule. With that comes the need for self-motivation to ensure you keep up with your workouts, which is why some apps include helpful reminders.

Are There Any Dangers to Using Fitness-Tracking Apps?

There are some dangers to using fitness-tracking apps, especially for those with previous issues with body image or eating disorders. Such problems can be induced or exacerbated by these apps because people can become obsessed with reaching the goals they set for themselves or seeing physical progress.

This can lead to them missing meals or pushing the intensity of their workouts to burn more calories and lose more weight. Thus, it is essential to be mindful and keep up with your well-being and nutrition. Talk to your doctor before starting fitness-tracking apps.

How Accurate Are Fitness-Tracking Apps?

Fitness-tracking apps use GPS-tracking to measure distance and elevation gain and pedometers to monitor steps. Research finds that such tracking is generally accurate, although we can never be 100% sure. Other performance metrics, such as heart rate and calories burned, are tracked through devices like smartwatches, so the accuracy of these measurements lies in those devices. Fitness-tracking apps will display the data collected from the connected device. You can expect your app's analyzed metrics to be a good indicator of your performance.

Bottom Line

Fitness-tracking apps are a great way to keep up with your health and wellness, especially if you want to see your performance progress as you work out. Many apps include training plans and beginner options and are customizable to best fit your needs and goals. If you want an app that can track all sports, the Strava app is a great fit for you. There are other options if you are looking for an app specific to a particular sport, like running or yoga. Consider cost, performance metrics, training plans, and guides when deciding what app to use.