Fun Fitness Apps

There’s an app for just about everything you can think of. But in your busy day-to-day schedule, how often are you thinking of fitness? These days, so many of us are attached to our smartphones, so we might as well get some health benefits out of our addiction. There are so many that may connect you to a community of people, cheer you on, provide support, add competition, coach you through workouts or nutrition, or do all of the above, yet the most successful fitness apps are the ones that let you set your own goals and maintain a pace that’s right for you. Here are a few of our favorite fitness companions that are highly rated, offer something unique, and are user-friendly.

Physi  

Free, iOS and Android 

This unique app connects athletic adults with each other at the exact moment they want to play their favorite sports. Need a partner for tennis? A sub for your basketball game? A group to run with at night? Whether it’s that weekend, that day, users can log on and find teammates to be active with together. A new group feature allows you to find a group of friends to play with, and everyone can receive the invite even if they don’t yet have a smartphone to install the app.

Charity Miles 

Free, iOS and Android 

If bikini season or zombies aren’t incentive enough to get your heart pumping, try Charity Miles instead. Every mile of running, biking and walking can earn money for dozens of different charities of your choosing. With the help of sponsors, this app donates 10 cents for every mile biked and 25 cents for every mile walked or run. The more miles you add up, the bigger the difference you can make for an organization that matters to you.

Lumosity

Free, iOS and Android 

You can exercise your muscles until you can barely lift a pencil or walk up the stairs, but your brain also benefits from working out. Lumosity provides a way to exercise just a few times a week, giving your mind a chance to expand and build along with the rest of your body. Play fun games curated from traditional tasks used by neuroscience researchers and watch your memory, attention span, and problem-solving skills improve. 

Headspace

$12.95/month, iOS, Android and Web 

Described as a “gym membership for your mind,” Headspace is meditation made simple. Even if you just commit 10 minutes each day to the app, you can develop the mindfulness needed to make positive changes in your life, like eating and sleeping better, worrying less, or becoming more creative. The games are crafted using scientifically proven techniques to optimize progress, and the makers continue to use new discoveries to make the app even more effective for users. Additionally, Headspace is part of a matching program—for every subscription purchased, they donate a subscription to someone in need (thus, making the world a happier place). If you treat your head right, everything else will follow.

ipiit

Free, iOS and Android 

Staying on track with diet and exercise can be difficult at times, especially when it comes to knowing what exactly is in the products you purchase at a store. Sugar, gluten, wheat and dairy are just some of the ingredients that healthy eaters tend to shy away from. An obstacle for grocery shoppers is that the ingredients are not always easy to identify because they’re listed under uncommon names on ingredient panels. With the ipiit app, healthy eating can be as easy as scanning a barcode. When an item’s barcode is scanned, the app will display an icon to indicate if a product is approved to consume based on the choices and restrictions the user makes.

CycleCast

30-day free trial or $9.99, iOS 

CycleCast makes studio-quality indoor cycling more accessible than ever by delivering hit music and motivational instructors straight to your iPhone. CycleCast works with any indoor bike and brings the energy, intensity and community of indoor cycling directly to you whenever you want—either at home or the gym. Just choose an instructor, class length, and press play. Curated playlists and expert coaching get you moving as Apple Health integration allows you to easily sync and track workouts, calories, and heart rate data. Working on a time crunch? The app also allows you the option of spinning in 20, 45, or 60 minute intervals.

Blue Goji

$119, iOS and Android 

The Austin-based company behind Blue Goji delivers fun games that require movement and are played while exercising on cardio machines. Mom approved video games? Check. Kids and adults exercising? Check. Healthier, happier household? Check and check! Blue Goji was founded by the creators of Guitar Hero, so you can trust they know how to build a great game. Simply attach the gaming system to an elliptical, stairmaster, stationary bike or treadmill and choose from a number of interactive games to guide your cardio workout.

Zombies, Run! 

$3.99, iOS and Android

We joke about the possibility of a zombie apocalypse, but it can’t hurt to train just in case, right? In the Zombies, Run! app, users get rewarded for every step they walk or run by earning supplies and tools that help save the human race from the impending zombie attack. Plug in to listen to the story through your headphones and then take off to complete missions and “survive.” Even if you’re a novice, you’ll soon feel like you’re running for your life.