The best fitness trackers and watches weve tested for 2026

If you like to run outdoors, for example, you’d likely want an app that offers location tracking. Similarly, when looking into a specific app, figure out whether its classes require you to have certain equipment on-hand, like dumbbells or a yoga mat. The app’s creators believe that connection is the best way to stick to your goals. There are plenty of coaches on this app with numerous years of experience in their respective fields.

“The instructors provide modifications for people of different fitness levels as well, so you can choose a specific intensity, but still expect to have modifications available for your level,” MacPherson says. ($39.99 per year or $149.99 for lifetime access) allows you to set customized step goals to be achieved through your movement program. Offerings include ashtanga, hatha, kundalini, restorative prenatal, vinyasa, HIIT flow, and kids yoga.

Holistic Wellness Apps

That access preserves your ability to analyze long trends elsewhere https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/losing-weight/index.html or move to a different platform without losing your history. Discover the Best Fitness Apps of 2026 to track workouts, stay motivated, and reach your health goals—right from your phone. While deciding which fitness app to sign up for, experts recommend thinking through the following factors, all of which I took into consideration while creating our list of favorites.

Best Basic Workout Apps: Adidas Running by Runtastic

Once AI algorithms have enough information, they can generate personalized fitness guidance, tailored routines, and adaptive feedback. Over time, the system learns from user behavior and performance to polish its predictions. Geared up with computer vision, real-time motion analysis, and gait analysis, AI fitness apps can not only tell the user what to do but watch it do it and course-correct them in real-time.

trendy fitness app

Best Free Fitness Apps

Apple’s Activity rings on Apple Watch boil your day down into three simple circles – Move, Exercise, and Stand – that you are nudged to close, one by one, as you go about your life. In this guide, we’ll look at how five popular apps use those ingredients to help you move more in 2026. New year, new you – and the same challenge of sticking with your workout goals once the January (or February) buzz wears off. The good news is that in 2026 you don’t have to rely on willpower alone.

Other Interactive Features

Some watches also come with a fast-charge option, which is a nice compromise for those who don’t necessarily need a two-week battery life but also don’t want to be glued to an outlet. Compared with true fitness watches like Garmin’s, however, the Galaxy Watch6 has a couple of limitations. While I liked the Galaxy’s personalized heart rate tracking, it doesn’t track heart rate variability (the time between each heartbeat), unlike the Garmin Venu 3, the Lily 2 and the Forerunner 265. The Venu 3 and the Forerunner 265 also edged out the Galaxy Watch6 when it came to GPS tracking and in-depth, post-workout insights.

The best overall workout app for women

Other high-quality free options include FitOn, which offers a massive library of celebrity-led classes, and WorkoutGen, a newer 2025 favorite that provides 100% free gym-specific programs without ad spam. For trainers who want to provide this elite level of consistency to their clients, FitBudd is the definitive 2026 comprehensive platform for high-performance results. As a comprehensive software for fitness trainer professionals, FitBudd empowers you to launch your own branded exercise workout app, giving your clients the “pocket coach” experience they crave. Consistency is not a personality trait; it is a result of a well-designed environment and digital feedback loops. The best workout apps leverage “Variable Rewards” and “Loss Aversion” to keep users coming back to the platform daily. There’s a lot to like about Obé, the pastel-hued fitness app that you may have seen on your Instagram feed.

Make Your Favorite Athlete Your Fitness Trainer Try GetFit AI’s AI Trainer App for Free Today 💪

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  • Workout and exercise apps offer privacy, motivation, and support, helping users make drastic fitness changes or stay in shape.
  • It features a gorgeous layout and interface, intuitive plan building, and great workout tracking.
  • At an additional cost, users can access personalized health coaching and have private chats with fitness coaches.
  • These apps make fitness fun, personal, and emotionally connected — ideal for couples looking to improve their health while spending quality time.
  • To use Apple Fitness+, Apple’s workout app, you must have an iPhone, but you’ll get even more out of it with a paired Apple Watch Series 3 or newer.
  • This app keeps fitness exciting by adding challenges, music playlists, and fresh content.

Metric VBT is so unique that it made its way into the WH 2025 Fitness Awards, so naturally, it deserves a shout-out here, too. It also shows the bar path so that you can address any technical issues. In LES MILLS+ workouts, you’ll find motivating coaches and good pump-up music, just unimeal reviews as if you had gone to your local studio. “It brings the feeling of group fitness into the comfort of your own home if you’re not able to get to the gym or if maybe you’re not comfortable in the gym atmosphere,” says Beebe. You can get exclusive programs from our top-notch trainers in one place, along with routines from other all-star content from Men’s Health, Prevention, and Runner’s World.

For example, while Strava can track your gym workouts through Apple’s Fitness app, it’ll struggle to give you useful information, as it won’t record any data points beyond heart rate and calories burned. On the other hand, it’s brilliant for running and cycling tracking, even in its free version. Some fitness trackers work better for specific types of activities, whereas others are more of an all-purpose wearable. Or do you want one that can keep up with you at the gym and the activities in between? If you have special health concerns or if you’re trying to conceive or are currently pregnant, you’ll want to find a more advanced tracker.

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The app suits experienced lifters but does not provide training plans, which might be a challenge for newcomers. Nike Training Club offers an extensive free library of over 300 workouts across strength, yoga, and HIIT modalities. While customization is limited, it integrates well with the Apple Watch. The app’s focus on a variety of formats helps appeal to all fitness levels, though some workouts may lack continuity for consistent progression. Workout apps often provide personalized workout plans tailored to individual fitness goals, ensuring every user receives the right guidance and motivation for their unique journey.

The best fitness tracker for Apple users

Nike Training Club is a free fitness app with a robust workout library that includes one-off workouts as well as periodized programs led by certified instructors. GGR staff writer Matt Dustin, CSCS, PN-1, has used this app for over six months and loves the tracking, ease of use, and ability to build your own custom training plan if you want. While there is a paid plan available, the free plan provides plenty for most users, earning a 5 out of 5 for value.

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