Best Fitness Apps for Apple Watch

The Apple Watch, like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac before it, has grown into a fertile platform for developers to release new apps via the App Store.

From task managers to voice notes, to plenty more, there’s an awful lot you can do with your Apple Watch – but it really shines with the best fitness apps on watchOS.

Whether you’re a beginner, a seasoned weightlifter, or a marathon runner, there’s an Apple Watch fitness app for you. Here are our favorites.

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Strava (Free, with premium membership option)

Strava is one of the most popular mobile apps for tracking cardio exercises, whether that’s running, cycling, or just a long walk.

The Apple Watch app is excellent, too, at linking to your Health data to log your exercise against activity rings. It uses your Apple Watch’s GPS tracker, too, so it can follow your route even if you leave your phone at home.

Liftr ($3.49)

As the name suggests, Liftr is for lifting – and it’s a gorgeously designed app that acts almost as a diary for your workouts, meaning you can leave that notebook at home.

Liftr has a database of around 250 workouts and space for custom options, and keeps constant track of your bests, as well as warmups and more. The Apple Watch app is an ideal rest timer between sets, too, plus we’re a big fan of the iPhone version’s widgets that mean you can see your rep counts and PBs right on your home screen.

Streaks Workout ($3.99)

Streaks is a habit-forming app that racks up the days you spend doing (or not doing) certain things, and that makes it a powerful base to build a workout-focused version.

Streaks Workout is such a product, offering sets of 6, 12, 18 and 30 minute workouts that don’t require any equipment and can be mixed and matched. It writes to your Health data, and you can set the cadence for your workouts. It even has Apple Music integration so you can keep the music coming while you work out.

Pocket Yoga ($2.99)

Yoga can be tough to get into, particularly if you’re not feeling all that confident in front of strangers. Pocket Yoga is a great way to get started, though, and while you can track your workout through your phone, the Apple Watch version is ideally placed for gently reminding you when to switch position.

It’ll also track your calories burned and heart rate, as well as offer a timeline of how long is left of your workout – meaning you can squeeze in a lunch break session, or do a few exercises while you have a few minutes.

SmartGym (Free, with in-app purchases)

SmartGym is a jack of all trades that offers over six hundred workouts that are curated by health professionals and trainers, while also leaning on AI and Machine Learning to build fresh setups.

It contributes to your health data, and there are sets offered for all kinds of workouts – be that leg day, upper body, or just working out from home when you have a few minutes spare. The Apple Watch version can work without your iPhone, too, making it the closest thing to a personal trainer on your wrist.

Note: You will need to pay a monthly subscription fee of $9.99 to unlock the full list of exercises.

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Those are our picks for the best Apple Watch fitness apps. Which have you tried, and did your favorite make our list? Let us know!

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