Apple Watches have become a staple in the everyday wardrobe. With a quick glance at your wrist, you can read messages, see who is calling you, and check how you slept through the night. However, did you know that your Apple Watch is designed to help get you fit? Of course, you still have to put in the work, but the best fitness apps for your Apple Watch are on par with fitness trackers such as the FitBit, while still providing you with a host of other services.
In this review, we will break down why you should be running to the app store to download these tools to keep your exercise routine rolling along. The best Apple Watch fitness apps will have handy workouts and other valuable exercise and nutrition information right at hand.
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The Best Fitness Apps for Apple Watch - Our Top Picks
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Noom
SPECS
- Price: $60 per month or paid-in-full custom plans
- Features: Focuses on your relationship with food and educating yourself about it, one-on-one coaching available
Noom concentrates on your relationship with food and activity. This app's main goal is to provide education about how diet and exercise affect your life and how to make lasting changes that will help you lead a healthier lifestyle. Noom uses personal coaches who create customized plans and provide support along the way.
When it comes to exercise, Noom does not offer specific, structured plans. However, the app promotes incorporating regular exercise into your daily routine. It sets daily step goals and provides a basic workout guide, and you can log your physical activity in the app.
What We Like
- Education-focused
- Easy to follow program and user-friendly app
- Focuses on changing habits and long-term goals
- Optional Mental Wellness Coursepack
- Focuses on progress, not perfection
What We Don't Like
- Basic exercise component
- Can be overwhelming to track and report every meal
- No free trial
BUY: Noom
Lumen
SPECS
- Price: $249 (6-month track), $399 (12-month track), $699 (12-month track with personalized support)
- Features: Handheld, portable device that analyzes your metabolism through your breath
Lumen is a portable, handheld device that measures your metabolism by analyzing your breath to help you “hack your metabolism.” You will receive this device when you sign up for your subscription through the Lumen app. Once the device has measured your metabolic rate, you will receive information about how your body is using energy and recommendations on the type of food you should be fueling your body with, via the app.
Lumen teaches you how and when to fuel your body to enhance and optimize your fitness regimen. This app does not provide specific fitness plans, but it will show you how your training is impacting how you're burning fat.
What We Like
- Easily integrated and smooth connectivity with Apple Watch
- Food recommendations shown right on your watch
- Device included with subscription
- 30-day, risk-free guarantee
What We Don't Like
- Doesn't have specific exercise plans
- Expensive
BUY: Lumen
MyFitnessPal
SPECS
- Price: Free version, premium membership $19.99 monthly or $79.99 annually
- Features: Workout and recipe plans, barcode and food scanning, app-generated goals
MyFitnessPal is great for those looking to combine calorie tracking and workout plans into one app. In addition to logging your food, this app allows you to track your training sessions, including weights, sets, and reps. Furthermore, MyFitnessPal offers self-guided workouts.
This app plays very nicely with your Apple Watch and has rave reviews from iOS users. Take advantage of tracking two of the major components of your health and wellness journey straight from your watch.
What We Like
- Highly rated app with iOS users
- Free 30-day trial of MyFitnessPal Premium
- Extensive food database
- Free basic plan and affordable premium plan
What We Don't Like
- Some calorie inaccuracies in food database
- Does not use much personal information before making recommendations
BUY: MyFitnessPal
Future
SPECS
- Price: $149 per month, 1 month free trial
- Features: Customized plans based on your schedule, fitness level, and available exercise equipment
Using professional trainers, the Future app brings personalized training plans directly to your Apple Watch. These plans are based on the exercise equipment you have access to, your abilities, and your time constraints.
This easy-to-use Apple Watch app allows your trainer to monitor your heart rate and the number of calories that you're burning during any workout. Although this app is on the pricey side, it is much less expensive than one-on-one personal training, and your Apple Watch will help keep you on track.
What We Like
- Personally-tailored workout plans
- App works great on Apple Watch
- Trainers will accommodate travel and work schedules
- Workout anytime, day or night
What We Don't Like
- Expensive
- Not an extensive nutrition component
BUY: Future
FiiT
SPECS
- Price: $119.99 annually (unlimited), $19.99 monthly (unlimited), $7.99 monthly (only plans)
- Features: Extensive workout library
Featuring an extensive library of cardio-centric workouts that range from beginner to advanced, the FiiT app for Apple Watch is an excellent way to work up a sweat. These HIIT style workouts will help you increase your aerobic capacity and muscular endurance.
These types of workouts translate to improved athletic performance and overall health. Furthermore, having the option of a tiered monthly or annual subscription means that there is a plan for almost every budget.
What We Like
- Extensive workout library
- Several price options
- Great HIIT workouts
What We Don't Like
- Lower-priced plans have limited workout options
- Complaints of some stat inaccuracies
BUY: FiiT
CoPilot
SPECS
- Price: 14-day free trial, then $99 per month
- Features: Weekly workouts monitored through your Apple Watch, trainer prompts throughout workout and summary at the end of each session
With the CoPilot app for Apple Watch, you'll be paired with a professional trainer who will put together a sustainable health and wellness plan to help you meet your goals. After your initial meeting with your trainer to gain a clear understanding of your goals, they will create a workout plan that consists of exercises targeting specific areas of your body and that is customized to you.
Your Apple Watch makes it easy to see the exercises as you go. Furthermore, it will keep track of your stats and when your session is over, your coach will send you a workout summary. Your coach will use the data collected to make any additional adjustments to your workout plan.
What We Like
- Workouts are easy to navigate on an Apple Watch
- Trainer designs personalized plans and updates them as needed
- Provides movement prompts during the workouts
What We Don't Like
- App can be slow or glitchy
- Fairly pricey
BUY: CoPilot
Beachbody on Demand
SPECS
- Price: Free 14-day trial, then $119.88 annually, $89.94 for 6 months, or $74.97 for 3 months
- Features: Combines exercise and nutrition, offers a lot of variety
Beachbody on Demand has been around for a while, but that doesn't mean that it has gotten stagnant. This app offers affordable plans that address both fitness and nutrition. It now offers both Beachbody on Demand (BOD), which gives you access to a large selection of recorded classes, and the interactive plan, BODi, which provides you with interactive and on-demand classes.
The classes are designed around home workouts so you won't have to worry about investing in a lot of equipment. However, Beachbody does pair with the MYX bike to provide a more intense and immersive home cycling class. Having the app on your Apple Watch allows you to access your workouts more conveniently and helps hold you accountable.
What We Like
- Affordable
- Extensive catalog of classes
- Interactive community
What We Don't Like
- Reports of being difficult to cancel
- Not as customized as other plans
BUY: Beachbody on Demand
WRKout
SPECS
- Price: Packages widely vary based on frequency of trainings
- Features: Personalized training with face-to-face interaction
Touting itself as the future of on-demand fitness is a pretty bold claim given the stiff competition, but the WRKout app for Apple Watch does a lot of things well. This app helps users find trainers who will not only provide them with killer workouts, but will mesh with their personality and training style.
Once you have picked your personal trainer, you will have a one-on-one video session with them and they will provide you with a training plan. You can use the app on your Apple Watch to stay in contact and be held accountable.
What We Like
- Highly personalized
- Solo programming available
- Coaches can be picked based on training style and personality
What We Don't Like
- Very expensive
- Meeting with coaches can be intimidating
BUY: WRKout
FAQs About Fitness Apps for Apple Watches
Is an Apple Watch actually good for fitness?
An Apple Watch provides a lot of options when it comes to fitness apps and fitness tracking. It helps hold you accountable and gives you feedback on your stats.
Does the Apple Watch have its own fitness app?
Yes, the Apple Watch has Apple Fitness+ that is only available with Apple. It allows you to choose from a large catalog of video and audio workouts.
What is the best way to track a workout on an Apple Watch?
With an Apple Watch you can track your workouts through the Apple Fitness+ app or through a whole host of other fitness apps that seamlessly integrate with your Apple Watch.
About the Author
Sosha is a staff writer for ACTIVE.com and a CrossFit enthusiast. Her work’s been featured in The Washington Post, Huffington Post, MUTHA Magazine, Charlotte Magazine, and The Charlotte Observer. Her weekly column, Soshally Awkward, is featured on the nationally-syndicated radio show, Bob & Sheri.
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