After some heavy-duty research on Google’s Play Store, we found that there’s a great number of fitness apps for Android, developed with various uses in mind: from measuring your pulse to measuring your daily calorie input. Before we go ahead and nominate the 10 best fitness apps for Android devices, let it be mentioned that all the recommendations require no additional equipment other than an Android device (and the various sensors such devices incorporate). 15 Best Android Fitness Apps for Staying in Shape in 2021 The 6 Best Fitness Watches for Swimmers 6 Best Samsung Smartwatches and Smart Fitness
Best fitness apps for Android
1. Noom Weight Loss Coach – Free and Paid [$4.99/month]
1.a Free Version
There are plenty of calorie counters, pedometers and weight loss coaches available in Google’s Play Store, but there’s one app that integrates all the categories above and even adds some motivation on top of that. The name of the app is Noom Weight Loss Coach, an app from a Top Google Play Developer. Besides tracking your meals and calorie input, Noom Weight Loss Coach will also track how many steps you make during a day and input that data in your calorie budget automatically. This app can remind you to log after each meal so that your data is accurate (this leads to better coaching and more useful stats), and it even has a workout scheduler that you can use to remind yourself of your fitness plans. These are the features available in the free version of Noom Weight Loss Coach:
Meal log with calorie counterPedometerWorkout schedulerCoaching system
Notable Feature: Level up system for increased motivation Downloads: 5,000,000 – 10,000,000 Android Version: 2.3 and up Size: Varies with device Price: Free
1.b Paid Version (4.99/month)
The Noom weight loss app really comes into its own if you’re willing to upgrade to a PRO membership. These are the features available in the PRO version:
350 unique tasksMore coaching via unique challengesSchedule supports multiple exercises per dayInterval training workoutsAccess to an extensive knowledge base
The upgrade to a PRO membership is done in-app.
2. Instant Heart Rate – Free and Paid [$1.99]
2.a Free Version
Instant Heart Rate is a small but very useful app for Android devices that does exactly as the name implies: it monitors the heart rate of its users. To measure heart rate, users have to place their fingertips on the smartphone’s camera, wait a bit for the algorithm to stabilize, and that’s about it. Instant Heart Rate uses the smartphone’s flash and built-in camera to detect changes in your skin color, changes that are directly correlated to our pulse. An interesting component is the HR Zone screen, one that explains the characteristics of the various heart rate zones. This can help you delimit your anaerobic/aerobic/fat burn zones during your workouts for achieving the best performance. If you have trouble with measuring your heart rate manually (with your fingers and a watch), or if you’re on the lookout for an app that can help you keep track of heart rate variations, Instant Heart Rate is the app you’re looking for. Unfortunately, in the free version of Instant Heart Rate, the timeline is limited to 5 measurements. These are the features included in Instant Heart Rate:
HR Zone info screenHeart rate timeline and charts
Notable Feature: Detects heart rate Downloads: 10,000,000 – 50,000,000 Android Version: 2.1 and up Size: 4.9 MB Price: Free
2.b Paid Version ($1.99)
The paid version of Instant Heart Rate unlocks the unlimited timeline and the charting feature. If you’re serious about tracking your heart rate across various situations in time, we recommend that you purchase the full version of this app. Downloads: 100,000 – 500,000 Android Version: 2.1 and up Size: 4.9 MB Price: $1.99
3. Calorie Counter – My Fitness Pal – Free
Calorie Counter – My Fitness Pal is an Android app that helps you track calorie and nutrient counts for an efficient diet. Once you fill in a short form you’re given a calorie goal that you’ll want to match every day. Calorie Counter – My Fitness Pal uses a database of more than 3,000,000 foods and meals that you can select. Additionally, there’s a barcode scanner that will recognize most popular beverages and snacks. If you’re cooking you’re meals yourself, there’s also a recipe panel available, one that users can turn to for figuring out the calorie and nutrient counts of their home-cooked meals. In addition, My Fitness Pal also has an “Exercise” panel where you can input the type of exercise (browseable from the database), the number of repetitions and the weight used per repetition. Your routine is then translated into a negative calorie count that should balance with your input towards achieving your daily calorie goal. While this may seem like tough work when you first start tracking your diet, the whole process gets much easier as you progress, given the fact that all the meals will be remembered for quick-add at any point later on. My Fitness Pal also lets you share your progress on Facebook, which adds a social tone to diet tracking. Please bear in mind that a healthy diet is essential even if you’re not looking to gain or lose any weight. These are the main Calorie Counter – My Fitness Pal features:
Nutrition diaryRecipe calculatorBarcode scanner
Notable Feature: database of 2,000,000 food types Downloads: 10,000,000 – 50,000,000 Android Version: 2.1 and up Size: 4.9 MB Price: Free
4. Run Keeper
4.a Free Version
Run Keeper is the most popular activity tracker available from the Google Play Store. Up from the start it should be mentioned that Run Keeper is a very complex app. The main feature of Run Keeper is the advanced tracking of your fitness activities: from running/walking to biking and hiking, chances are that all your sports activities can be tracked with Run Keeper. Run Keeper can be set up to share stats and progress via your headphones during your jog or walk. Once the activity is over, you get advanced stats on the duration, the distance, pace, or the number of calories burned. If you don’t know just how much you should push yourself at first, you can choose one of the many training plans, ones that have been developed by professional coaches and span across up to 159 days. If you stick to these plans and achieve your goal, you’re rewarded with bragging rights over Google+ and Facebook (these social networks can also be used to keep track on how your friends are progressing). Furthermore, if you dispose of a fitness band, Run Keeper can also track your heart rate during your workout. These are the features that stand out most from Run Keeper for Android:
Track fitness activitiesAdvanced stats
Notable Feature: Training plans Downloads: 10,000,000 – 50,000,000 Android Version: Varies with device Size: Varies with device Price: Free
4.b Paid Subscription ($4.99/month)
Although Run Keeper is a free app, users that want even more advanced statistics on your progress over time, or even suggestions on how to improve are prompted to opt in for a paid subscription. The PRO subscription costs $4.99 monthly or $19.99 yearly.
5. Runtastic
5.a Free Version
Run Keeper is a very good and complex fitness app, but as it turns out, there is an app in Google Play that’s not quite as popular, but similarly complex and with the added benefit of being much more fun. RunTastic can help you track more than 50 activities including sports such as soccer, tennis, curling, and even yoga or sledging. The statistics and charts are roughly comparable with what you get with Run Keeper, and that’s about all the functionality you can extract from the free version of this app. These are the features that are available to you in the free version of Runtastic
Activity trackerActivity charts and statistics
Notable Feature: None in the free version Downloads: 5,000,000 – 10,000,000 Android Version: Varies with device Size: Varies with device Price: Free
5.b Paid Version
The paid version of Runtastic unlocks a lot of very interesting and fun features that every amateur jogger would need and benefit from. Features such as the voice coach, the powersong feature (you can select a powersong that you can “summon” when you’re out of juice but want to keep pushing your limits), or the auto pause system do their best to improve your activity. The paid version of Runtastic also comes with a “Story Running” feature: the user is placed in the shoes of a hero in a story. The narrator will urge you to speed up, slow down or turn corners in order to escape from zombies or advance the storytelling. At the moment, there are 4 stories available. Each one costs a bit above a dollar (aside from the price of the PRO version of Runtastic). The charting and statistic features that are unlocked by the PRO version of Runtastic are also very useful, as we were especially interested in the colored activity chart that visually indicates the changes in pace, elevation or even heart rate (if you have a fitness band). These are the features that are unlocked by the PRO version of Runtastic:
Voice coachColored traces3D Earth View
Notable Feature: Story Running Downloads: 100,000 – 500,000 Android Version: 2.2 and up Size: Varies with device Price: $0.99 Also read: Choosing the Best Android Watch for Fitness and Weight Loss 10 Must-Have Apps for Samsung Gear S2 in 2021 Top 3 Best Samsung Smartwatches for Men in 2021
6. Workout Trainer
6. a Free Version
If you’re looking to gain/tone your muscles, improve your flexibility, or even lose fat while at the gym, outdoors or in your living room, there are routines and programs that a trainer can explain to you. Fortunately, the trainer you need can be found in the Google Play Store hidden under the name of “Workout Trainer”. Please note that while the Workout Trainer is free to install on any Android device, there are certain exercises and virtual trainer voices that are accessible only if you’re a paid subscriber. Once you download the app, you can browse the workouts list (most of them do not require a paid membership). You can find and then complete the workouts that preponderantly target the chest or the legs, depending on what you’re looking for. Unfortunately, only some of the workouts are accompanied by videos, but chances are that the slideshows (along with your virtual trainer’s voice) are everything you need to understand how to properly perform a routine or an exercise. Notable Workout Trainer features:
Workout DatabaseWorkout videos
Notable Features: Audio cues, visual explanations Downloads: 5,000,000 – 10,000,000 Android Version: 2.2 and up Size: 12 MB Price: Free
6.b Paid membership
If you are willing to pay for the $6.99 monthly subscription, you’ll be granted full access to the Skimble training programs, ones that are designed by professional personal trainers and will help you achieve your goal during the span of multiple weeks. There is no separate app to download, just perform the purchase in-app.
7. JEFITT Workout – Exercise Log – Free and Paid [$4.99]
7.a Free Version
While Workout Trainer is more useful for weightless routines, there’s a virtual trainer that you can use for bodybuilding as well. Called the JEFIT Workout – Exercise Log, this Android app is basically a bodybuilding trainer hidden in your pocket. With JEFIT Workout, you can choose from more than 1300+ weight training exercises (split into muscle groups) to choose from. Like with most other android fitness apps in this list, the app offers statistics (and records for each exercise) that you can either track for a better understanding of your routines, or for bragging rights on Facebook or Google+. Features:
Great statsNumerous training exercises
Notable Feature: Bodybuilding routines from professional coaches Downloads: 1,000,000 – 5,000,000 Android Version: 2.3 and up Size: 11 MB Price: Free
8. Sleep Bot – Free
While all the other apps on this list help you achieve better fitness while you are awake, SleepBot is an Android app that promises to help you sleep better. SleepBot is more than a very cool alarm clock app, but actually an app that can improve your entire morning. To properly use SleepBot, you’ll have to place your Android device under the pillow when you go to sleep. SleepBot will track your sleep movements (via the integrated accelerometer) to keep track of your sleep cycles. This way, the app can make sure it wakes you up when you’re not in REM sleep. By default, if you set the alarm clock for 8AM, SleepBot can wake you up whenever it detects that you’re not in deep sleep during 7:30 and 8AM. The statistics part of the app is very useful for figuring out your sleep debt and sleep patterns. One additional feature is the ability to record all sounds that pass a certain (modifiable) treshold. If you often talk in you’re sleep, with SleepBot you’ll be able to learn what exactly it is that you’re saying. In addition, the app can turn off Wi-Fi and data off and set the device on silent once you go to sleep. These are the features that Sleep Bot brings to the fitness app table:
Sleep trackerSmart alarm
Notable Feature: Can record the sounds that occur during your sleep Downloads: 1,000,000 – 5,000,000 Android Version: Varies with device Size: Varies with device Price: Free
9. Period Calendar – Free
Period Calendar is a popular and very highly rated app available in the Google Play Store that can help the ladies keep track of their period cycles and use a three-month average to predict the next period. Furthermore, this app also has a diary section, one that should be used to keep tabs on mood and symptoms. Furthermore, Period Calendar can be used to keep track of weight, body temperature, as well as birth control pills. These are the notable features of Period Calendar:
Period tracking and predictionOvulation tracking and prediction
Notable Feature: Mood and Symptom diary Downloads: 10,000,000 – 50,000,000 Android Version: 1.6 and up Size: 8.2 MB Price: Free
10. Zombies, Run – Paid [$2.99]
Although we already have two running trackers on this list, we have felt the need to also include Zombies, Run in our list of top 10 fitness apps for Android. The reason for this inclusion is obviously not tied to the tracking abilities of Zombies, Run (which are roughly inexistent when compared against Runtastic or Run Keeper), but because Zombies, Run is a unique way to bring out the fun in your jogs. The user is placed in the shoes of Runner 5, one of the few survivors of a zombie epidemic. Throughout the game, you’ll have to perform missions. These missions all translate into runs and will earn you critical supplies once the mission is passed. The decision of spending the supplies on either soldiers or citizens is up to you. The story of the game unfolds in your headphones by cutting out your music player with dramatic voice acting. The optional feature called Zombie Chases, the user will be prompted to speed up at certain points during the run. Features:
Cuts out your musicSpeeds up your workoutPerform missions
Notable Feature: A running game. Literally! Downloads: 100,000 – 500,000 Android Version: 4.0 and up Size: 22 MB Price: $2.99 Suggested reads: 5 Must-Have Accessories for Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2 in 2021 2 Best Android Wear Watches with NFC in 2021: Your Complete Guide The 10 Best Pedometer Apps for Android
Conclusion
Given that these apps span across a varied palette, there are quite a few app we’d like to recommend. But before we nominate our recommendations, bear in mind that all of the 10 apps listed above are great apps that you’d do well to use on a constant basis. With that in mind… First of all, try Calorie – Counter My Fitness Pal as your calorie counter, mainly because it also keeps track of most nutrients, not just calories. The fact that it’s free is also a welcome bonus. If ask me, the difference between Runtastic and Run Keeper as your main activity tracker ultimately consists on if you have a budget or not. Run Keeper has more features in its free version, but Runtastic more then matches up for it in the Pro Version. Our last recommendation is Sleep Bot, an app that does wonders for some users, and also lets you check out your sleep talk. Are there more apps that should be added to this list? Let us know by dropping us a comment in the section below!
