The Best Workout Apps

For those who like to follow their trainers in the comfort of their own homes, workout apps offer the convenience and flexibility that helps to keep fitness motivated. These apps often have built-in classes that can be streamed on your favorite cardio equipment, on a yoga mat or on the floor of your home and can even include motivation from celebrity trainers. They also allow you to set goals, track progress and feel part of a group, even when you're exercising solo.

Many of these workout apps have a subscription fee, but many offer free trials or a monthly subscription that rolls over annually, which can help to lower the cost per month. It's important to look for a well-rounded app that covers all of the exercise types you enjoy doing. "Some of the best workout apps have a variety of shorter and longer classes, so you can choose one that fits your schedule," says Smith. She suggests looking for an app that offers a mix of trainer demos, full training programs and personalized heat maps to get the most bang for your buck.

Those who love to cycle should look for a workout app that supports cycling stats and provides detailed analyses of your ride data, such as speed, distance, elevation, heart rate and more. Strava, available on both iOS and Android devices, is one option that provides a range of basic features for free, while upgrading to a premium account will give you access to personalized training and a personal heat map of your ride.

There are also workout apps designed for runners and cyclists that can be used to measure and improve your performance on the go. For example, a simple but comprehensive free app called Jefit offers a full range of tracking features including a workout timer and the ability to compare performance over a period of time. Users can also customize rest timers to fit their training needs. Another good choice is Strong, which caters to weightlifters and includes all of the essential features for tracking workouts. These include a library of exercises, an intuitive way to log sets, a calculator for 1RM, proper keyboards and more.

The popular Peloton app is designed for users who have the brand's bike or treadmill but can be used without them, as classes are offered live and on-demand in a wide variety of styles including HIIT, strength, yoga, Pilates and breathwork. During testing, our experts were impressed by the sheer number of class options and the sense of community the app encouraged.

For those who prefer bodybuilding and weight lifting, an app such as Fitbod will be more suitable. It lets you define exercises and combine them into routines, and it provides graphs to visualize your progress. It also has a database of muscles and body measurements. The free version of the app is limited to three custom routines, but you can upgrade to a Pro version for unlimited custom routines and more advanced features.