Exercise apps

There are thousands of exercise apps that cover a wide range of physical activities from walking and running to exercise classes and apps for personal trainers. Increasingly many fitness apps can sync with a wearable device such as fitness bands and smart watches. Choosing the right exercise app depends on several factors including your personal fitness goals, preferences, and lifestyle. See Deciding on suitable exercise apps – help me choose.

Types of exercise apps

Physical activity apps can be categorised into 5 groups according to their main focus:¹

• workout apps that demonstrate various exercises
• tracking of movement apps that map running, walking or cycling routes
• running programmes that have pre-specified goals reached by gradual small increases in run-to-walk ratio
• pedometer-based apps that count steps
• interval timers that time work and rest periods.

Can smartphone apps increase physical activity?

To answer that question, we need to look at the evidence provided by reliable studies, such as randomised controlled trials. An analysis of 9 such trials that used a smartphone app as the key intervention to increase physical activity found that these apps had a modest positive influence on physical activity.² Physical activity was measured as either moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in  minutes or steps. The analysis found that, in particular, smartphone apps have a significant positive effect on physical activity when used over a short-term period (ie, less than 3 months) and where apps target physical activity alone, rather than physical activity in combination with other health behaviours. The authors concluded that future research is needed to understand more about the effect of the apps over time, and to investigate strategies to maintain the effects of using the apps over time.

Physical activity for adults and older adults(external link) Guidance from GOV.UK(external link), 2019