The Best Fitness Apps of 2026, Tested & Reviewed NBC Select

“Glo also has live yoga classes if you prefer more social or streamed content,” MacPherson says. While Daily Burn offers a variety of workouts — yoga, Pilates, and pregnancy and postnatal, to name a few — MacPherson recommends it for HIIT and steady-state cardio. While MacPherson recommends Obé for its strength offerings, you can also do cycling, HIIT, yoga, dance, mini trampoline, boxing, and power.

Workout apps can be a powerful companion on your fitness journey, you just have to pick the right one. My colleagues at Cybernews and I have read hundreds of expert and user reviews to help you find it. So, check out our best workout apps breakdown, pick a solution you like, and test it through a free trial if available. Remember, the most important part is staying consistent and finding a routine that actually fits your lifestyle.

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These short audio-only sequences include stretching and Asana along with breathwork, and setting an intention for the day. This mind-body workout is super convenient and great for someone like me who needs to slow down, in order to be truly healthier overall. There’s a seven day free trial, then it will cost you $5.99 a month. It’s less about jumping jacks and more about holding a particular pose (like a half squat) until you’re crying.

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The Whoop MG performed well across all our tests, on par with our picks in tracking workout distances, steps, and heart rate. But for most people who just want those basic data points, it’s overkill. The Fitbit Inspire 3 gives precise readings, has a good battery life, and includes plenty of features to appease people with varying health goals. In some ways it’s a throwback, with its simple interface and small size, which we appreciated.

• The amount of workouts you can get in a week will vary depending on your schedule outside of the gym, as well as your fitness level, but a good workout split is four workouts per week, with three days of rest split across the week.
• You’re interested, motivated, and just looking for visuals, expertise, and possibly a virtual community to share fitness with.
• If you can cope with all these things, @asanarebel is a jewel of the genre, covering yoga from beginners up but stretching into Hiit workouts, mindfulness, toning and diet.
• Yet, you’ll also always have the option to diversify the routine, picking from standalone workout types for anything from back pain to postpartum recovery.
• There’s so much focus on the benefits of strength training at home, but not every workout app actually shows newcomers in the gym how to use basic equipment like dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, and even resistance bands.
• I’ve done couch to 5k, then back to couch, then up to 3k and back to couch again, and hearing my coach of choice, Michael Johnson (there are five, you can choose a funnier one), say “well done” never gets old.

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If you want, you can upgrade for $1.99 to get more personalization options and the ability to log your workouts. That’s basically the effort level most will need to strive for, and if you’re not fit to begin with, it’s an effort level you have work up to. Most of the apps have different workouts for beginners, intermediate, and advanced fitness levels. The screenless Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG provide more activity detail and biometric data than most wearables.

Johnson & Johnson 7 Minute Workout App

These may include virtual personal trainers, live classes, or AI-driven feedback to ensure proper form and progress tracking. For those who prefer a more personalized touch, look for apps offering one-on-one coaching sessions or tailored workout plans. A little coaching can go a long way in keeping you dialed into your schedule and on top of your goals, though it makes sense that some folks may not be interested in the extra stress of keeping up with a coach. While working out, it’s important to have a routine, or, something to follow that guides you through exercises and toward your health goals. If you don’t have a personal trainer or experience putting programs together, a fitness app is one of the best places to start, says Ansley Davis, a master trainer and yoga teacher at YogaSix.

Bodylura fitness app

It features hundreds of exercises focusing on specific muscle groups, as well as activities such as running, walking, and stretching. It also offers audio and video sessions for meditation and sleep, as well as dance tutorials, supporting recovery and overall well-being beyond workouts. We are swamped with advertising for gyms, yoga studios and personal training so it’s easy to assume that getting fit or improving a technique will be expensive. But there are plenty of free or affordable classes and programmes online. Compared to some of the other apps on this list, this app is also pretty affordable.

Best Workout App for Weight Loss: Noom

During each workout, Atkins is right there with you, providing helpful cues and modifications for all fitness levels. The classes are designed to be 30 minutes or shorter, but if you have extra time, we recommend taking advantage of the stretching and foam rolling videos as well. It’s also a favorite of tester Kelli McGrane, MS, RD, who appreciates that the large selection of 20-minute classes makes it easy (and fun) to squeeze a sweat session into her day.

You can pick the length of your class, what trainer you want to work with and what exercise type or skill you want to focus on. Most people use fitness apps at home, although they’re also ideal for traveling and can give you guidance at the gym if you don’t know where to start. Nike Training Club is free to join, which is ideal if you’re already paying for a gym membership but want the guidance and support of classes, or if you don’t have room in your budget for an additional expense. You can choose from nearly any type of workout, and the app has informational videos about mindset, movement, nutrition, recovery and sleep.

Best personal trainer-led fitness app

It has an AMOLED screen and over 160 workout modes with downloadable maps with turn-by-turn directions. However, we found its battery lasts around eight days on a full charge (the company claims a battery life of 10 days). In running workouts, we observed the app’s tracking sometimes differed from the watch readouts and on two runs on our test distances were off by more than 0.1 miles. The pace on the watch also seemed to have some wild jumps during runs, although the overall pace measurement was usually closer to accurate.

Personally, I love the filter in the search tab for this app, allowing you to pick and choose your preferred workout modality, available equipment, length, etc. The app is generally easy to use and follow, including easy-to-follow exercise videos for the non-live workouts. Fitness apps can also be great for creating a studio-like training experience right in your own home. In our opinion, iFIT’s library of over 17,000 on-demand fitness classes is prime for these needs. The service is compatible with a variety of the best cardio machines from NordicTrack, ProForm, Freemotion, and Matrix, https://megagrass.com/community/question-and-answer/forums/4133-general-questions/topics/2805151-mad-muscles-for-fat-loss-anyone-tried-it so there’s ample opportunity to get your daily fix. With two coaching subscriptions to choose from (one group oriented and one individualized), Caliber can be an excellent tool for guiding your fitness journey.

Our most personal smart ring ever

Some use social media to encourage and support other athletes, while other apps will connect you with a coach who will help keep you on track for your program. With a variety of training types and workouts ranging from bodyweight exercises to using functional trainers, the app and its workouts can meet you where you’re at. For a beginner using Aaptiv, you can start from wherever you are, making it very accessible. The app is easy to navigate, and you can search for new workouts with filters on equipment needed, workout length, and fitness level. Our tester Amanda Capritto, CPT, CNC, CES, CF-L1, rates the ease of use of the app as a 5 out of 5.

Best workout app for beginners

The thin, half-inch band doesn’t feel clunky during workouts or everyday use, and the Inspire 3 weighs just 0.32 ounce — lighter than a typical USB flash drive. Basically anybody that can use a smartphone, tablet, or computer can access our simple and fun brain training programs to improve and monitor their scores over time and learn more about how to improve brain health as we age. These results are being noticed by doctors, who recognize the value of brain training for their patients. In fact, many medical professionals suggest incorporating cognitive exercises into their patient’s care plans to help improve overall mental health.