10 best sports apps

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

A smartphone can replace many things, goods and services for a modern person. For example, with the help of special applications it is much easier to keep fit, monitor health and nutrition.

Rating of the best apps for sports

Nomination	a place	application	Rating
BEST SPORT APPLICATION RANKING	1	Fitbit Coach	5.0
	2	Nike + Training Club	4.9
	3	8fit	4.8
	4	Freeletics	4.7
	5	7-Minute Workout	4.6
	6	Sworkit Fitness	4.5
	7	Workout trainer	4.4
	8	GYMUP	4.3
	9	MyFitnessPal	4.2
	10	Runtastic	4.1

eat. The editorial office offers you an overview of the most interesting, useful, convenient and popular applications in 2020 for sports and related purposes.

Fitbit Coach

Rating: 5.0

A well-known American manufacturer of wearable fitness electronics makes sure that branded gadgets are equipped with proprietary software. The Fitbit Coach app is a kind of extension of the original Fitbit Ace fitness band, but it can be used as a stand-alone product. The basic functionality is free, then – a subscription at current rates.

This is a comprehensive application that allows you to approach the issues of physical fitness, psychological state and health as consciously as possible. Fitbit Coach allows you to individually develop a lesson plan to achieve your goal, calculate the optimal diet for this, and, if necessary, connect individual consultations of specialists.

The application is convenient to use in the format of audio or video training. The base contains a large set of thematic videos with explanations and practice exercises. All of them are logically and clearly sorted into categories, so finding the right techniques for specific muscle groups is not difficult.

When you start working with Fitbit, you are asked to enter the basic parameters of a person – weight, height, age, etc. Almost immediately, the application will offer tariff plans. The free mode includes basic functionality, which is generally enough for familiarization, but for real work on yourself with tangible results, you still need a subscription.

The program's largest updates have given Fitbit an important addition – Fitstar's intelligent dynamic content system. The bottom line is that as you progress in the exercises, the application adapts, studies the dynamics and develops its own recommendations for further training.

In the official manuals for the program, the manufacturer unequivocally hints at the purchase of the Fitbit Ace fitness bracelet, which will significantly expand the capabilities of the application. This is actually the case, the bracelet will really significantly increase the accuracy of the application's algorithms in diagnostics and recommendations.

A separate area of ​​application of Fitbit Coach is participation in online classes with professional trainers. Here there is a significant difference from videos with the same classes – direct contact with the trainer in real time.

Advantages

• a lot of teaching materials;
• intelligent recommendation algorithms;
• dynamic adaptive content Fitstar;
• clear and accessible lessons;
• the opportunity to participate in live trainings;
• personal activity tracker.

disadvantages

• pretty much depends on the performance of the Fitbit fitness bracelet.

Nike + Training Club

Rating: 4.9

The program, in the name of which appears a sports trade mark familiar to absolutely everyone – Nike. Indeed, this is a Nike product, and several hundred available training programs are compiled according to the recommendations of the company's specialists, coaches, and professional athletes.

The main advantage of NTC is the combination of professional quality material with an affordable presentation. For most of the exercises, you don't even need any special equipment, so you can do it both at home and in the open air.

The principle of the program is as follows. At the very beginning, the program collects data about a person, and on the basis of the obtained physical profile, it can already form the first recommendations with a selection of exercise complexes of different durations – 15, 30 and 45 minutes. In the choice of workouts, you can determine the direction – exercises for strength, endurance or the development of stretching and mobility. There are subtypes of complexes available – short mini-workouts, exercises without equipment, posture exercises, and more. Almost each of the proposed options lends itself to additional adjustment – exercise time, intensity, etc.

The high technical level of application development is visible immediately, during the first minutes of acquaintance with the program. The design is stylish, lightweight, pleasing to the eye. Convenient and understandable menu, high-quality photo and video materials of content and design.

The creative approach to content deserves special praise. So, here Nike tried to make every theme, every section lively and dynamic. This even manifested itself in the names of exercise complexes and individual classes.

The application is attentive to the user's well-being and periodically reminds of the need to record states – fatigue, muscle reactions, and the like. Unfortunately, Nike + Training Club cannot read data from fitness trackers and master it in any way, so the data must be entered manually. For at least some automation of the process, the program allows synchronization with services such as Nike + Running or Apple Health App.

In addition to the workouts selected by the user himself, in the application you can define a generally strictly individual program. And here the application will try to adapt to the current results, while creating a reasonable schedule and providing the user with additional motivational content.

Advantages

• stylish interface design;
• convenient search;
• recommendations and content from professional athletes;
• creative approaches;
• flexible settings of training modes;
• high motivational component;
• aesthetic accompaniment.

disadvantages

• does not monitor nutrition and the state of the body.

8fit

Rating: 4.8

Now let's look at the program that the developers positioned as a mobile trainer. Our experts admitted that 8fit is not only a personal mobile trainer, but also a nutritionist – almost as much attention is paid to proper nutrition in the application as to training itself. Unfortunately 8fit is not translated into Russian.

The advantage of the program is that it minimizes the need for a special place and equipment for effective work on oneself. In the descriptions it is emphasized that with the help of 8fit you can develop a good shape and tidy up the figure, exercising even in the house, even in the hotel, even on the street.

The application is based on a special technique that focuses on a soft but forced change in lifestyle, the development of new habits. That is why there is such an emphasis on nutrition. And here, unlike many other fitness applications, weight loss and sports programs are formed individually, taking into account the characteristics of each organism.

The step-by-step personalized guide is 8fit's essential all-in-one tool. It includes: an initial fitness test that defines a baseline; training plans developed; an individual meal plan, taking into account the diet that the client can already follow; detailed step-by-step recipes for recommended dishes; automatic shopping lists.

The original hit of the 8fit app is the special high-intensity interval training – HIIT workouts. Their increased efficiency has been proven many times over compared to classic cardio workouts. One such session can be flexibly stretched or compressed in time from 5 to 20 minutes.

All 350 exercises in the application database also have their own difficulty levels. The program has a built-in pedometer that can sync with Google Fit.

Basic 8fit functionality is free and not nearly as limited as the Fitbit Coach. To access special sets of exercises, you will need a paid Pro version.

Advantages

• availability for development;
• independence from place and inventory;
• individual programs, taking into account the characteristics of the organism;
• significant emphasis on nutrition with specific recipes and shopping lists;
• high-performance, high-intensity exercise;
• step by step personalized guide.

disadvantages

• there is no Russian language.

Freeletics

Rating: 4.7

Another interesting and useful application, focused to the same extent on general goals – the development of agility and strength, endurance, getting rid of excess weight, putting in order the figure, general strengthening of the body. It has its own approaches, which may be the most effective for many.

The essence of Freeletics is in the selection of individual sets of exercises, which will alternate throughout the entire training session according to the program. The exercise does not require special conditions and inaccessible shells. Most of the exercises are original, and they can be performed anywhere, and for some you may need a horizontal bar or its home analogue, even less often – a territory for running.

The “ trick '' of Freeletics is not so much the exercises themselves, especially since no one has come up with anything new here – the training programs include rather mechanistically simple exercises that are well known to many who at least once in their life did consciously morning exercises. And the service developers themselves call the secret of efficiency a carefully calibrated system of control and motivation of those involved.

Freeletics does not take anyone's word for it, and takes the time spent on each specific exercise as criteria for monitoring and evaluating. “Knowing” the features of the exercise and the time spent (it can be acceptable to vary from 5 to 45 minutes, depending on the participant's preparation and other points), the program can form an opinion about the progress. You can even see your place in the world ranking of app users.

Interaction with the service begins after registration in the system. Next, the engine will ask for basic data and goals, develop an individual program. The database contains hundreds of video tutorials with tips and timings. The social component of the application is noteworthy – for sports and other achievements, the user is entitled to a virtual reward with the prospect of getting on the board of honor.

Freeletics allows you to train anywhere, anytime with a minimum need for special equipment and equipment. The exercise time can be flexibly varied from a symbolic 5 to 45 minutes per session. Equally effectively develops strength and endurance in both men and women. For beginners, the app contains a special lightweight program.

Advantages

• individual training programs;
• user-friendly interface;
• high-quality Russian translation;
• high social component;
• individual approach;
• lightweight program for beginners.

disadvantages

• does not monitor nutrition;
• completely paid after a few weeks of use.

7-Minute Workout

Rating: 4.6

Now let's consider a simple and, as usual, ingenious project that has won tens of millions of fans around the world. The combination of simplicity, affordability, versatility and effectiveness of 7-Minute Workout training has generated tremendous interest and even related genres.

The essence of the 7-Minute Workout application is to allocate no more than seven minutes for a workout, and anywhere, anytime. To perform the exercise, you do not need equipment, the maximum is a chair. By themselves, training is a set of exercises with a fairly decent load. Maintaining motivation compensates for the short duration of the entire workout, and helps psychological comfort.

One of the secrets of the technique is the alternation of high-intensity intervals with rest. The duration of such an interval is 30 seconds with a break of 10 seconds between sets. Even scientific studies have been carried out using this technique, the results of which are published in the American College of Sports Medicine's Health & Fitness Journal. It is said that the effect of training is comparable to a long run or a regular workout lasting at least an hour.

From a technical point of view, the exercises in the proposed applications are not unusual. These are the well-known squats, jumps, running in place, bends, push-ups, twists and more. That is why the program is suitable for many beginners due to the minimum entry threshold.

7-Minute Workout also provides such a secondary benefit as belonging to a huge multi-million community of program users around the world. The good news is that this super popular complex has been well translated into Russian. The license, of course, is paid, but not too burdensome.

Advantages

• high efficiency in minimum time;
• suitable for many beginners;
• flexibility of training conditions;
• negligible time for one workout;
• scientific justification of effectiveness;
• huge community.

disadvantages

• the set of workouts is unique and limited;
• food is not taken into account.

Sworkit Fitness

Rating: 4.5

It is also a fairly simple, convenient and affordable application, aimed mainly at general form maintenance. The idea consists in a large database of video trainings, from which themed ones are selected on an individual basis.

Sworkit Fitness, just like many other fitness apps, allows you to flexibly adjust your workout time. Here, this range is from 5 to 60 minutes. The main training groups are strength exercises, cardio, stretching, yoga.

The most sophisticated and well-implemented function of the application is flexible customization of an individual training program with precise consideration of important features. So, when drawing up a program, even the influence of a sore knee can be taken into account. The user has hundreds of different exercises at his disposal.

Sworkit Fitness is not least based on solid scientific evidence. So, here is the technique of interval training, which was discussed in the review of the previous appendix. In fact, the meaning is the same here, but with a slightly different form and presentation. This probably partly explains the fact that Sworkit Fitness is not too far behind in popularity from the legendary 7-Minute Workout, in any case, not by orders of magnitude.

It is also worth mentioning some features of the program. The application is paid, there is a small trial period. Advertising is not broadcast in the program itself and on video. The user can set the training intervals at their own discretion. You can save your own workouts in an unlimited number. For beginners and elderly people, a light regime is provided. For operational informational assistance, you can use the 'Ask the trainer' function.

The program can be accessed from all supported devices, including Apple TV and proprietary browser application. As of May 2020, Sworkit Fitness has an audience of over 25 million users.

Advantages

• easy to learn application;
• simplicity of exercise programs;
• scientific justification of effectiveness;
• interval approach;
• adjustment of intervals is allowed;
• you can save your own workouts without restrictions;
• many difficulty levels;
• you can edit workouts.

disadvantages

• food is not taken into account.

Workout trainer

Rating: 4.4

Another application that has won worldwide fame and recognition from a huge audience. It is noteworthy that it does not 'leave' only due to striking features alone, but due to the fullness of the material, accessibility, simplicity and overall efficiency.

Before doing anything, the program will offer you to register, and in the process it will ask important questions, specify the desired time for classes, the preferred intensity of the exercises, the goals. Actually, goals can be not only obvious, like 'lose weight', but also not quite standard, for example, to reduce sweating. The program will take into account such subtle nuances.

Based on the data obtained, the program determines the appropriate training program. Each such program was developed by professional trainers with the advice of related specialists. The training cycle is designed for a duration of 2 to 6 weeks. At the end of the cycle, the goal is to be achieved.

The Workout Trainer does not have any 'obligation' regarding the training programs. If the program formed on the basis of the initial biometric data does not suit the user with something, he is free to choose any other. Some of the programs are even provided free of charge within the trial mode, but such offers are few.

Ready-made programs, even by themselves, lend themselves to division into parts – if there is no desire or opportunity to complete the entire program, you can start working out only individual workouts. And in this case, there will already be a huge number of them – everyone will be able to choose the option that suits best and will be the most effective.

The program has a funny implementation of the communication interface. The user is prompted to select the avatar of a specific trainer, and the trainee will already hear his voice and follow the recommendations.

With the Russian localization of Workout Trainer, things are still not going well, so at least a basic level of English would be very desirable. Even if there is no such preparation, it does not matter either, since the exercises are supplied with detailed and intelligible illustrations. The duration of one exercise is from 30 to 60 seconds. To help there is a countdown, accompanied by sound signals.

Advantages

• convenient control;
• informative and easy to understand illustrations for those who do not speak English well;
• the ability to 'split' programs into separate exercises;
• low threshold of entry;
• efficiency in achieving the set sports goals.

disadvantages

• English only;
• does not include nutrition.

GYMUP

Rating: 4.3

Another powerful, flexible, efficient and versatile app for maximizing your fitness awareness. GYMUP is a training diary by its format. Only behind this banal term lies a large-scale organizer that can, as a side effect, significantly improve the quality of life of the user.

In the environment of the program, complete freedom of choice in terms of self-development. Dozens of selected sports programs from renowned coaches are available. In order to find the right workouts that suit your goals, just use a simple and convenient filter. The criteria are the place of training, the gender of the student, the estimated frequency of classes, the current level of physical fitness, etc.

Based on the data provided, the user is selected a set of workouts that are most suitable for the tasks. Each workout is amenable to manual adjustment with full adjustment for yourself. The number of exercises themselves is estimated in many hundreds. All of them are well structured, described, keywords are highlighted. When searching, even very exceptional criteria may be available, such as muscle group, level of desired effort, etc.

The application offers a wide and convenient toolkit for maintaining statistics and analyzing the results. In a visual form, the results can be presented in the form of infographics. You can record the results in any convenient form – circular workouts, trisets, supersets, etc. The timer will not let you relax, which will sound a signal at the right time to start the exercise. A separate useful function – all kinds of sports calculators, allow you to quickly get a general idea of ​​the effect of a particular innovation in training or diet.

GYMUP is very popular all over the world and has acquired a large community over the years. Virtual meetings are held regularly, discussing various training programs and individual exercises. Everyone can hear expert opinion from recognized authorities and express their own.

Overall, the program makes an advantageous impression. There are minor flaws like lack of synchronization between devices.

Advantages

• low weight of the application;
• speed of work;
• creating your own workouts;
• creation of a photo diary;
• no advertising;
• can be used without registration (to a certain extent).

disadvantages

• no automatic syncing between devices.

MyFitnessPal

Rating: 4.2

As an exception, consider one application that is not sports in its purest form, but can become useful, or even irreplaceable as an auxiliary. We are talking about the MyFitnessPal nutrition control application. Our experts decided to include it in the review, since many exercises and training styles are contraindicated for overweight people, and in order to use an application for sports, you first need to find the same one, but for weight loss.

It is one of the most popular weight management apps with over 50 million downloads on the Google Play store. The advantages here are so many and varied that we will only mention a few of them as an example.

MyFitnessPal contains the largest food and related food database for conventional calorie counters. The number of positions exceeds 6 million. It is advisable for the application to immediately report its own food preferences, and the algorithms will remember your favorite dishes, the composition and nature of which will be further taken into account.

A separate functionality of the application is dedicated to creating your own culinary masterpieces. Here to help beginners and pros alike, food compatibility data, nutrient content, and a nutritional value calculator for whole recipes will be available. Metric and Imperial units are supported. Even a barcode scanner is provided for automated product search.

The program is not devoid of a sports component, although it is presented here as a secondary one. So, a decent set of 350 exercises is offered to choose from – strength, cardio, fat burning. Detailed statistics on completed exercises, repetitions, etc. are automatically kept. You can create an unlimited number of your own exercises.

MyFitnessPal supports full synchronization of the wearable gadget with the server and web version, respectively. If you want, you can add friends to sports programs, motivating them to join the workouts. Numerous studies clearly show that those people who work out in the company of friends and acquaintances demonstrate the best athletic performance during the same time, often significantly – up to three times.

Advantages

• the largest product database;
• intelligent algorithms for determining optimal nutrition;
• ease of management;
• barcode scanner for product database;
• availability and flexibility;
• low threshold of entry;
• unlimited own recipes;
• hundreds of sports exercises.

disadvantages

• training is a secondary area.

Runtastic

Rating: 4.1

The review of the best sports programs will complete the application, which is familiar even to children who are not yet particularly concerned about age-related problems. Runtastic is both classic and modern, the result of the work of developers and years of user experience.

Runtastic is a multi-platform runner app. Its main role is to completely replace a fitness bracelet, using sensors built into any modern smartphone. The application simply monitors the user and the pace of his movement – based on the distance traveled for a certain time, it calculates the speed. When the tempo drops significantly, the program can automatically play motivating music in the headphones. You can create your own media library.

But it's not just runners that limit the target audience. The program has built-in operating modes adapted for other sports – table tennis, badminton, etc. The widest and most interesting functionality is available in the full version, which is paid. But the dollar price is worth the convenience, simplicity and efficiency that Runtastic guarantees.

In the full version, self-determination of the route will also be available with elements of interval training, when intensive running and complete rest in walking alternate.

The Olympic champion Dieter Baumann, a German athlete, a well-known popularizer of a healthy lifestyle, applied his ideas to the creation of the service. He offers his own methods for those who already want to achieve noticeable sports results. Such programs may already require a certain minimum level of fitness.

It is noteworthy in Runtastic that there is a kind of 'mode for the lazy', when, in order to eliminate monotony and additional motivation, the user is offered scenarios in which running becomes a characteristic quest, a game of speed.

Advantages

• one of the most popular sports programs;
• simplicity and ease of management;
• accessibility to the general public;
• individual enhanced programs;
• elements of high performance interval training;
• mode 'for the lazy';
• affordable price;
• synchronization with other devices.

disadvantages

• does not include nutrition;
• user complaints about the latest update.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.