The best fitness health tracking apps for Android

BY GreenBot Staff

Published 28 Jan 2016

Your phone is your workout ally
fitness apps roid

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Fitness apps are everywhere. l the big players like Nike, Under Armour, Fitbit, wbone, many others are rushing to be the defacto stard in our new age of smart fitness tracking.

The market’s actually quite saturated with such services, which can make it hard to decide which to go with. This is why I’ve taken it upon myself to give out an excessive amount of data over to such services to find you some of the best options. There’s no one ideal app for everyone: some are better at helping you lose weight, others help you bulk up, eat healthier, or meet other fitness goals. So prepare to get active as we present the top apps to create a new better you.

MapMyRun
mapmyrun

If you like to run, walk, or bike regularly then MapMyRun is an ideal companion for keeping track of all your stats.

The app is part of the extensive catalog Under Armour has built through acquisition creating its own apps from scratch. MapMyRun also has some capabilities to enter food personal health details, but MyFitnessl has more extensive options for hling those tasks. 

The signature feature is the way the app announces milestones on your journey, so you can leave your phone in your pocket listen for an announcement after each mile. If you pair it up with an Android ar watch the details are right there on your wrist, so you’ll know exactly for how long the torture has gone on. Try the free version is you’d like, or eliminate the ads with the premium option.

MapMyRun+ ($2.99)

MyFitnessl
myfitnesspal

The other key piece to Under Armour’s crown is MyFitnessl, which is focused on both workouts tracking nutritional information calories.

I’m not totally in love with the interface, but you can’t beat the huge crowd-sourced food database other statistical features of MyFitnessl. It tracks all the vital numbers if you’re watching your weight or want to just be more diligent with what you eat. You can also save recipes, though its search system is a little wonky at times.

l the premium choices like recipe suggestions priority customer support are tempting, but I’ve never been able to convince myself it’s worth $50 per year. That’s because in general the app does a solid job at the basics—just get ready for some ads an interface that could use some retouching.

MyFitnessl (free)

Fit
google fit

You can’t touch any digital solution without finding some type of offering from . But what once was a pretty bare bones fitness app has turned into a solid option, in particular if you have an Android ar watch.

You can track your stats while on a run/walk/bike ride do various challenges, like 10 push-ups each day or a round of sit-ups. The real strength from Fit comes in that it can collect your data from various other supporting apps, so it’s all saved in one place can follow you when you switch devices. It could do more here, as it’d be nice to see if you could get an average by calculating the steps tabulated on your phone watch, as sometimes they come up with different numbers even if they take the same journey.

Fit (free)

se It!
lose it add

If you want an app specifically for keeping track of what you eat, then se It is an excellent choice. The app has a comprehensive food database that includes pretty much everything you’ll find at the grocery store most chain restaurants. The barcode scanning also works admirably, which can save you a couple of steps in entering the information about what you’re eating.

en you add activities, se It will deduct those from your calorie bank, so you might be able to slip in some room for that ice cream cone after all.

se It! (free)

se It (cont.)
fitbit 2

ong with a pretty extensive database of food items, se It will help you out by giving a lot of different details about what’s contained in what you’re eating.

I’ve also used it not just to enter what’s currently digesting but also to determine if I really should order that bacon-avocado cheeseburger (the answer is usually no). This is valuable if you’re watching your cholesterol intake or sugar level.

Even if you don’t use all of se It’s other capabilities, it’s worth keeping around for this alone.

se It! (free)

Spotify Running
spotify running

No, Spotify isn’t a health fitness app, but it offers a clever feature that will motivate you on your next run.

Aptly named Spotify Running, you’re able to pick among motivating playlists that get more or less agressive depending upon how fast you want to trek on. In most cases the selections are spot on for serving as the kind of music that will push you along the pavement. Some of the playlists I could do without. And there’s something to be said for going with another set you’ve collected yourself. But it’s a valuable option to check out, you don’t need a paid account to explore it.

Spotify (free)

fesum
lifesum food

fesum performs very well as an all-around health companion. It’s one of the few in this category that takes the entirity of the Android platform seriously: the app fully embraces Material Design, connects to Fit, looks good on tablets, has an Android ar app. 

You’ll need to add a subscription if you want to access an enhanced recipe database other goodies. The company also built Movesum, which is a step-counting app designed to push you to move faster if you like what you see here.

fesum (free)

fesum (cont.)
lifesum diet

fesum also deservs credit for how it tackles health from a number of different directions, like finding recipes (there’s a limit unless you opt for a paid account) pinging you about water intake movement.

The app can also be an aide in weight loss, keeping track of your progress detailing the downward trend in a regular chart. There’s a lot to explore, which can make fesum a great do-it-all app for health fitness.

fesum (free)

Strava
strava

Strava is pretty singularly focused on serving as your running companion. Yet often that strategy is a good one, as it works rather well for this purpose. The clocks are nice large you get a persistent notification on the lock screen. 

Additionally, the Android ar app lets you stop start an excursion right from your watch. I liked the ability to upload a picture after each run, though the novelty of that could wear off over time. If you want to see leaderboards, get heart rate analysis, or see your aptly-named Suffer Score (an analysis of how difficult your runs were) you’ll need to go for the in-app purchase.

Strava (free)

7 Minute rkout
7 minute workout

Going to the gym isn’t always a pleasant experience. You’ll find lots of sweaty individuals with various levels of personal hygiene expectations. So there’s a lot to be said for working out at home or going for a run.

But what to do? That’s how 7 Minute rkout can be a friendly guide, as it’s filled with exercises that don’t require you to leave the house. Some of the attached YouTube instructional videos are a little cheesy, but I’ve found this app a good place to start if you want to get in more exercise but don’t quite know what to do first. You can try out the free version, or go for the premium option to nix the ads.

7 Minute rkout ($2.99)