Gym goers and fitness enthusiasts were less than thrilled when their favorite workout spots were shut down during the COVID-19 lockdown. This unanticipated situation forced people to get creative with their workouts, but they rose to the challenge. Many people looking to get their workout on purchased in-home gym equipment, and even more turned to fitness apps to guide their exercise.
During the first half of the global pandemic, the World Economic Forum reports there was an increase in the downloading of health and fitness apps of 46% worldwide.
According to OnePoll (via Freeletics), during quarantine 74% of Americans used a minimum of one fitness app, and 60% of those users claim that they plan to cancel their gym membership. Of course, fitness tracking apps were popular prior to the pandemic, but with the sudden growth of these online exercise elects, we want to know which ones are the best — and why.
Best fitness app for beginners
According to Very Well Fit, Sworkit is the best fitness tracking app for beginners. Gaining popularity on iTunes and Google Play, Sworkit prompts you to input the amount of time you have available for a workout, and to choose your goals, classes, skill levels, and even pick certain trainers. The app then creates workouts for you based on these choices.
The app provides a nice variety of fitness routines and works with you to increase the intensity of the workout as your endurance, strength, and stamina improve. Cardio, strength training, yoga, and even stretching are included with this app, which, for full access, requires a subscription of $59.99 annually.
Sworkit also has a bonus feature, great for beginners, in which you can send a direct message to the app’s trainers if you are concerned or confused about something.
Fitness app pick for the super busy
If you are always on the run, seem to have trouble finding time for a 45 minute fitness class, or just prefer a shorter workout, then try the 7 Minute Workout fitness app. Designed by an exercise physiologist at Johnson & Johnson, the 7 Minute Workout uses science-based techniques in creating high-intensity circuit training for its users. The fitness tracking app offers workouts in the categories of glamour, cardio, arms, pilates, and alternative. You also have the option to formulate your own workout.
Claiming to be the number one fitness app in 127 countries, you may want to download 7 Minute Workout while it’s free. Everyday Health likes this app for its ease of use, instructional videos, and variety of timed workouts, which can be as short as seven minutes or as long as 32 minutes.
Best fitness app for weight training
If weight training is your jam then Jefit is the 2021 fitness app for you. Available on the mobile or the web, this app allows you to create custom weight-training workouts and track your progress with friends to maintain motivation. The app has a built-in timer for between lifting sets, provides post-workout analytics, includes a library of exercises, and can share stats among the user community.
You can choose from the basic, free membership, or elite membership. which is as low as $3.33 a month and includes advanced training reports, mobile features, stat sharing, and has zero ads. The app supports strength training, with a limited focus on other types of exercise.
According to Very Well Fit, Jefit is a Google Play Editor’s Choice pick, so if weight training is important to you, give this fitness tracking app a shot.
Overall best fitness app pick for 2021
If you are looking for an all-in-one health and fitness tracking app, MyFitnessPal is for you. The app includes a calorie counter with a database of over six million foods, and tracks your daily intake of nutrients including fat, protein, carbs, sugar, and water. There is a convenient barcode scanner that inputs the data of your food into your daily calorie log. The app logs your exercise, has a library of more than 350 workouts, and helps you stay on top of your health goals.
MyFitnessPal has an added bonus — a restaurant logger that helps you count calories even when out and about. The app can also integrate with over 50 other apps to help sync all your workouts into one. With an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars from 1.2 million users on iTunes, Very Well Fit agrees that this app is worth splurging for the membership of $9.99 per month (or $49.99 per year).
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