Apple Watch workout apps might seem like a dime a dozen, but that’s not quite the case. Despite a lot of competition out there, the truth is that there are many apple watch workout apps out there that aren’t worth your time.
What separates the apps that are worth it from the pretenders comes down to functionality. The best workout apps just work. They don’t cause your health to decline over the stress of using them. They make your workouts easier.
In other words, the best best Apple Watch workout apps take full advantage of the Apple Watch. They don’t fight against the smaller device but embrace it. Once you start using them, you just might learn to love your Apple Watch just as much.
Here are some of the best Apple Watch workout apps.
Activity
Let’s start with something simple. The Activity app might be included with your Apple Watch, but this app is anything but standard. Granted, it only lets you set simple goals, but the beauty of this app is its accessibility. Activity was designed to take advantage of the Apple Watch’s benefits. It lets you cleanly see when you’ve burnt enough calories or even just stood up enough for that day.
If you’re looking to get started on getting in shape, Activity is a great way to set early goals. For more ambitious goals, you might want to supplement it with other apps.
Nike+ Run Club
Nike Run Club has always been a go-to, but a series of recent improvements make it one of the Apple Watch’s best apps.
Nike Run Club is now optimized for the Apple Watch Series 4. What that means is that the app is now designed to fit a much more viewable screen. That makes it easier than ever to look at the app’s information while running. As always, that information you view includes details of your run, goal progress, and so much more.
This is quite simply an essential app for those looking to incorporate running in their workout.
Strava
There’s something to be said for simplicity when rating Apple Watch apps. The Apple Watch’s small screen means that the best apps are sometimes the ones that don’t try to do too much.
So far as that goes, Strava is simply brilliant. This running app’s bare bones interface lacks some features, but it makes up for them in usability. You simply tap to begin your run and use the clean interface to monitor your progress. Strava then keeps detailed records on your exercise history.
Strava is one of the best ways to keep track of simple information.
Runkeeper
Nike Run Club might have the name value, but Runkeeper might be the best detailed running app out there.
Run Club excels once you start to dive into its features. Included in the app are a variety of workout programs, narrator motivator, and excellent updatable routine program. It’s all designed to help you create a manageable starting program and adjust your habits as your workout grows.
In fact, Run Club’s excellent starting features make it one of the best in-class for beginners. Whether you ever choose to move on to anything else is opitonal.
Streaks Workout
One of the biggest hurdles towards getting in better shape is time. You might not have time to go to the gym, time to do a full hour workout, or time to go five days a week. Well, Streaks is a workout app designed to take advantage of the time you do have.
Streaks creates custom workouts that last 6, 12, 18, or 30 minutes. The exercises it uses require no additional equipment or set-up. Even better, the app tells you what form to use for each exercise.
This is a fantastic companion for simple, everyday workouts.
Gymaholic
Are you already in the habit of going to the gym? Do you have a workout that works for you? If so, then you might want to consider downloading Gymaholic.
While Gymaholic lacks some motivation and workout design features, it is one of the absolute best weight lifting apps out there. In it simplest form, Gymaholic lets you easily keep up with sets and reps. However, the real jewel is the app’s ability to show you how to perfectly execute a variety of lifts.
Few apps do weight lifting better than Gymaholic.
Pedometer++
Truth be told, if this app was just a good pedometer, we’d probably recommend it. After all, the Apple Watch is the perfect platform for quickly checking how many steps you’ve taken. Thankfully, Pedometer ++ really is so much more.
The Apple Watch version of Pedometer excels at relaying a variety of information to you without overwhelming you. It accomplishes this through a flexible display that can be tailored based on which exercise you’re performing.
The app’s diverse display ensures that you’re always informed on what you need to know and never swamped with unnecessary data.
MyFitnessPal
While exercise is certainly important, the fact is that you lose weight in the kitchen. Maintaining a proper diet is important no matter what your goals are. That’s why you need to get on top of your diet before anything else.
MyFitnessPal is designed to help you establish and maintain healthy eating habits. Yes, it’s a calorie counter, but it’s so much more. It’s a tool that teaches you what’s really good for you and what’s really in your favorite foods.
By using MyFitnessPal, you gain a real understanding of what you’re putting in your body.
Runtastic
The best way to keep track of progress when getting in shape is how your clothes fit and how you feel. However, there is a value to keeping detailed logs of your exercise progress so far. It helps ensure that you’re setting new goals and hitting your old ones.
Runtastic is one of the better ways to keep track of your running progress. Its record system isn’t the most advanced, but that’s kind of the point. The information it does keep fits perfectly on the Apple Watch.
For data nuts who rely on their watch, this app can be a gold mine.
Spotify
No, Spotify isn’t strictly a workout app. It won’t teach you about nutrients or exercise techniques. However, this may be the most essential workout app for Apple Watch.
The majority of people find it easier to workout to music. It helps distract you from the exhaustion and motivates you to try harder. Spotify has been one of the best available music streaming apps for years, meaning that it’s the perfect place to curate that workout playlist. The service even offers special workout music features.
Now that Spotify is on Apple Watch, it’s one of the most essential exercise companions.
Carrot Fit
The old carrot and the stick motivation method is a time honored tradition. It’s based on the idea that you need to balance reward and discipline when you’re trying to achieve your goals. However, when it comes to exercise, some people need more of the stick.
Well, that’s exactly what Carrot Fit offers. This surprisingly funny workout app chastises you in hilarious ways for missing your goals. It might sound cruel, but it’s mostly in good fun. It helps you stay on top of your goals while remembering to go ahead and laugh about it all once in a while.
Smart Gym
Do you really want to understand what goes into all your workouts? Are you dying to know exactly which routines give you the best results? If so, you’ll need SmartGym’s advanced data collection systems.
While SmartGym isn’t the most optimized workout app for Apple Watch, it might be the deepest. Its report system can give you detailed metrics on every single workout. These metrics tell give you an idea of not only the progress you’re making, but where you should be devoting your efforts.
In terms of data management, this is as close as an app gets to being a personal trainer.
Fitness Point
Creating a workout can be difficult. If it’s been a while since you’ve looked into various exercises, you might be surprised to find how many options there are. It’s almost too daunting at times.
Fitness Point Pro helps ease the learning curve a bit. It features an array of exercises and helpful instructions for each one. Even better, it lets you build you create your own workout “playlist” for what works best for you.
If you’re going into the gym completely blind, Fitness Point Pro is a great way to find your favorite routine.
Equinox
Starting to exercise again can be intimidating. That’s especially true if you’re trying to get back into the gym. However, some people feel like they perform better if they workout with others. That’s why exercise classes are more popular than ever.
Equinox is an app that helps you find classes near you. That probably sounds like a simple feature but having all that information available to you in one place makes it that much easier to join a class.
If you’re serious about joining a class, Equinox is the best starting point for seeing what’s out there.
Hello Heart
There’s a healthy debate out there concerning what’s really healthy for you. Some people say that you need to cut down on fats, while others say you can’t have enough of them. However, the one thing everyone agrees on is blood pressure. If you’re blood pressure is too high, it’s never a good sign.
Hello Heart helps you keep track of your blood pressure and related stats. If you’ve never kept track of that information before, this is a fantastic way to understand why this information matters. Once you’re on top of that, better health isn’t far behind.
Pocket Yoga
It’s funny, but even though yoga is more popular than ever, there’s still something of a stigma surrounding it. People seem hesitant to join and even doubtful that they’ll be good at it. The truth is that removing that stigma can be the hardest part.
Pocket Yoga goes a long way towards removing the barriers. This app sets you up with some basic workout routines of various difficulties. It then lets you know just how effective these exercises really are.
If you’re looking to find a portable and practical yoga trainer, this is a great option.
WaterMinder
Drink more water. You hear that advice all the time, but do you really pay attention to it? Drinking water offers nothing but benefits, but it’s something that too few people actually do. Waterminder helps make sure you establish good water drinking habits.
By that, we mean that it reminds you to drink water and tells you how much to drink. It might also alert you to just how little water you were drinking in the first place. Honestly, even if you’re not trying to lose weight, this is an app everyone should be using.
Map My Run
Under Armour has made quite a splash on the app scene with Map My Run. In a genre typically dominated by the Nike app, Map My Run has managed to carve out a little niche for itself as a true viable alternative.
It might ultimately come down to preferences, but one thing that Map My Run does offer is enhanced usability. Map My Run not only tracks your run but offers a variety of vital stats across several screens. Its ability to relay that information at a glance really does help elevate the Apple Watch version of this fine app.
Human
Human bills itself as the simplest way to understand your daily activity. While that’s somewhat debatable, human does offer the most…human way to monitor your activity.
Human gives you perspective on your activities. That includes the usual array of workout stats, but it also extends to offering perspective on how human it is to be active. By showing you the people around you completing activities and telling you how you compare, Human tells you that you’re not alone.
On top of that, Human does still function as an effective general workout app that just happens to have a more social element.
Misfit
Misfit isn’t really all that different from the other major workout apps out there. However, it is one of the more complete apps of its kind.
One of the things that sets Misfit apart is the way it treats sleep. Few other workout apps place such an emphasis on sleep. The reason that matters is because sleep is one of the most underrated elements of a healthy lifestyle. Misfit helps you understand how your sleep patterns fit into your overall health plans.
Misfit’s approach to health certainly helps you gain a better overall understanding of your body and your needs.
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