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Nike
The Best Fitness Apps of 2021
Countless apps strive to help make you fitter, stronger and leaner than ever before. Here are our favorites.
By
Peter Koch, Meg Lappe and Steve Mazzucchi
Our smartphones, we’re told, are ruining our lives. You’ve no doubt heard the news stories by now (or, more likely, scrolled past the headlines on your phone) about how they’re destroying our cognitive resources, disrupting our sleep, giving us bent backs and kinked necks, and causing us to become anxious, depressed, antisocial weaklings while we obsessively scroll through our social media feeds 100 times a day.
But it’s not the phones themselves that are the problem, so much as how we use them. In fact, a host of health and fitness apps can help you to get fitter, stronger, leaner, looser and healthier than ever before — to fight back, in other words, against the creeping physical and mental ills of the Information Age.
Taking advantage of today’s information-rich environment, they focus on putting personalized, coach- or trainer-built workouts at your fingertips, so you can get better results faster, no matter your preferred fitness modality. Check out our 12 favorites below, and start working toward your best body ever in 2021.
Editor's note: A lot of these apps offer a limited free version (or brief free trials), but for best results you almost invariably need to upgrade to some sort of paid membership, so that's what we focused on with the pricing info.
Peloton has built a fanatical following thanks to colorful instructors, live streaming and competitive flare. The workouts themselves — including cycling, running, HIIT and yoga routines — are pretty impressive, too. And while getting one of its fancy indoor bikes certainly helps, you can push your body to the limits for just $12.99 per month.
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Some of the best instructors in the business keep you fired up
Competitive leaderboards push your pace
While you don't need the bike or treadmill, you miss out on some things without them
Celeb-backed products can trigger eye rolls, but when the guy behind a fitness one is Thor himself, it’s a different story. Using a holistic approach to advise you on how to eat, train and think, Centr provides a roadmap to a better mind and body that’s worth the price of admission for those who appreciate some extra TLC.
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Wide variety of moves and workouts helps you challenge your muscles and grow
Free six-week trial period is longer than most others
Recipes can get a bit redundant
At $29.99 per month, it's the priciest app in this guide
Nike got into the training app game way back in 2009, so the brand has had years to hone a product its acolytes love. And now that even the premium features, including Nike Master trainers, full workout programs and nutrition tips are available for free, the price just can’t be beat.
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Hundreds of routines cover a wide range of modalities, including weightlifting, HIIT and yoga
Did we mention it's free??
Downloading videos to your phone takes time and space
No live streaming or music
Peloton
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Best Overall
You don't garner 400,000-plus ratings on the App store (average score: 4.9 out of 5) without being one hell of a download. While it certainly helps to pair with a Peloton bike or treadmill — as thousands of this brand's most fervent fans do — the Peloton app alone grants you access to loads of awesome live and on-demand strength, running, cycling, yoga and HIIT workouts, many requiring minimal equipment. Of course Peloton is probably best known for its charismatic instructors and competitive leaderboards, qualities that helped its popularity only grow during the pandemic. Call it a cult if you want — or join up and get fit AF.
The best ad for Centr may be the sterling physique of its creator, Chris Hemsworth, a.k.a Thor. And much like the mythical Mjolnir, this thing delivers, personalizing a meal plan, training regimen and mind-body routine that keeps you on steady path toward success. The verdict from our reviewer? "Centr is perfect for those who need someone else to take the wheel on a holistic fitness and wellness plan, whether you’re just getting started or already have a regimen. I definitely recommend it if you’re looking to begin a fun, versatile and reliable program that’s easy to implement into your daily life."
Price: $29.99/month, $20/month for 3 months or $119.99/year
The Nike Training Club offers hundreds of free workouts from yoga to stretching to strength to speed. The app's been crushing it for more than a decade, part of why we dubbed it a Standard in the pages of our own magazine. Even better? The premium elements — handpicked elite trainers, four- to six-week courses, recipes, strategies and more — used to cost $14.99/month or $119.99/year. But Nike began offering them for free last March in response to the pandemic — and later extended that sweet deal indefinitely.
Debuting to much fanfare just last month, Apple Fitness+ boasts a smooth interface, high production values and a diverse group of world-class trainers. Our own reviewer is impressed with the ease of use, ability to choose your own favorite Apple Music and the fun, at times challenging routines. The accessibility is a mixed blessing: while veterans may feel underserved, newer gym rats can jump in and start making gains right away. Note: you do need an Apple Watch and some other Apple device to use Apple Fitness+.
Using AI, Fitbod handles the heavy lifting of workout planning, so you can focus on, well, the heavy lifting. Based on your past workouts, it develops a plan that’ll push your limits based on your goals, preferences, struggles and available equipment. Then it guides you through each exercise (telling you weight, reps and sets) and even adjusts according to muscles you want to target and your recovery state. Plus, like a personal trainer, the more iron you pump, the better it gets at helping you grab the gains you want.
When you’re looking to knock out a quick, effective full-body workout, HIIT is hard to beat. Keelo recommends intense, fast-paced workouts — each tweaked, based on your recent history, to hit compound muscle groups that are being ignored — that last between seven and 20 minutes. There’s a mix of bodyweight and free weight workouts, so you can stick to a three-a-week routine at home or on the road and still get results.
Price: Free, but Keelo Premium unlocks loads of additional features and workouts for $12.99/month, $30.99/3 months or $93.99/year
While this app now offers video, it started as audio-only, and continues to be ideal for delivering workout instructions through your ear buds. Aaptiv lets you pick from more than 2,500 (and counting) on-demand workouts covering everything from stretching and yoga to boxing and weightlifting. Select the type of workout you want, the kind of music you like and how much time you have, then get ready to sweat it out.
Sworkit’s customized programs allow you to fit a solid, targeted workout into whatever time you have, whether that’s a trainer-recommended 40 minutes or 4 minutes between episodes of Cobra Kai. Simply choose the kind of routine you want and how many minutes you have, and it outputs a video-guided, precision-timed, sports scientist-approved workout that’ll help you trim fat, pack on muscle or just loosen up, excuses be damned.
Following the trend spearheaded by Peloton, NEOU live streams workouts and stores hundreds in the app so that you never get bored. Top-notch trainers bring the knowledge and enthusiasm so you can stay focused on getting the best possible pump. You can test out a variety of modalities from HIIT and Bootcamp to boxing and core — even mobility and dance. Follow your favorite trainer or mix it up to keep going and growing.
Yes, you can use Strava for lots of activities, including running, swimming and CrossFit. But the brand is best known for helping cyclists track their rides, from distance and speed to elevation gained and calories burned. The app also offers the world's largest trail network, monthly challenges and the infamous Segment Leaderboad, which allows you to compete with friends and foes on popular stretches of road and trail. No wonder some cycling buddies are convinced that if you didn't turn on Strava, you didn't really ride.
From the company hell-bent on reviving American distance running comes the Nike Run Club, an innovative app that, in addition to tracking your runs via GPS, provides audio-guided runs for newbies and personalized coaching plans fit for hardcore racers. Each workout helps you build strength, speed and endurance, and there are motivational tools— from weekly challenges to Spotify playlists tailored to the pace of each run —to keep you cranking toward a PR.
Like a personal trainer and nutritionist in one, 8fit creates custom exercise and meal plans based on your goals, current stats and fine-tuned preferences. It asks probing questions, like how many weekly workouts you want, how much variety you require in a diet and how you prefer to meal prep. Then it spits out an achievable, step-by-step plan — with at-home HIIT workouts and nutritionist-created recipes — to become your healthiest self.
This is one of our picks for the best reading chairs you can buy thanks to its exceptional mid-century design and comfort. It's a chair you can sink into.
The Nike Blazer is a sneaker icon. Pare it back and make it a low top and it has instantly become the best shoe you can wear this spring and summer. It will go with anything and is durable for daily wear.
These Bose headphones are some of Gear Patrol's favorite noise-cancelling headphones of the past year, owing to excellent design and top-notch sound quality. Don't like this color? The black and white colorways are both on sale for $330.
Otterbox's Venture cooler features integrated injection-molding and high-grade cooling technologies, anti-slip rubber feet and interior separators for wet and dry goods. Don't sleep on this, cookouts are coming.
A set of Adirondack chairs is a timeless pairing for any backyard, patio or balcony. These are made from faux wood, giving them exceptional durability and weather-resistance.
If you want a mask with more protection and versatility than a simple cloth mask, check out this one from Outdoor Research. It has adjustable straps to keep your fit dialed and comes with three replaceable filters that block out 95 percent of particles.
These runners from New Balance look great and crush on light trails. Made from New Balance's Fresh Foam, they are supremely comfortable and durable enough to take a beating.
This is an outrageous deal on an excellent Bluetooth speaker. It features eight hours of battery life, has integrated Siri and Google Now and looks good in any room, to boot.
Here you go, the perfect boot for spring. Todd Snyder always brings it when it comes to collaborations and this is no exception; this silhouette comes straight from the Sebago archives.
These water- and sweat-proof earbuds are our pick for the best workout earbuds. They have 6-hour battery life and are MIL-STD 810G certified, which means they have passed repeated shock, vibrations, drop, and crush tests as well as extended exposure to tropical humidity, hurricane-force water and desert sandstorm conditions.
Patagonia's Black Hole Duffel is one of the best packs around, so whenever it is on sale, we jump at the chance to snag one, even if it is purple. The 40L iteration is a versatile size ready for a weekend getaway or an extended trip.
For three years running, we’ve awarded the top slot to Mountain Hardwear’s Super/DS StretchDown jacket, and right now, at arguably the best time to buy a jacket, it’s on sale for 40 percent off. If you don't like the orange, there are other colors on sale at a lesser discount, as well.
Aether makes some of the best technical wear in the biz. This waterproof jacket is packed with features, including a removable hood, numerous pockets, fully-taped seams and a powder skirt.
Flint and Tinder's bestselling jacket almost never goes on sale — usually only once a year, if you're lucky. Immensely warm and tough-as-nails, this is a heritage piece that you'll have forever. Now is the time to pick up this weather-resistant jacket for the cheapest price you'll ever see it.
Filson has been making some of the best gear to come out of the Pacific Northwest, and probably the whole country, for years. This tote is tough-as-hell and water-resistant — perfect for weekend trips to the farmers' market.
This is a perfect layer for spring. Just about everything NYC-based Todd Snyder makes is quality and damn good looking, but this definitely takes it up a notch. If you want to use it as a liner underneath a topcoat, it is an excellent choice, but it also pairs exceptionally well with a sweater or t-shirt.
Originally a tennis shoe in the 80s, the Killshot 2 has become one of Nike's most coveted kicks. After years of only being available through J.Crew, they are now available in multiple colorways directly from Nike. They sell out almost every time they go on sale, so act fast to get yourself a pair.
Spring is coming and we're thinking hard about our next trips out into the wilderness. When it comes to backpacking gear, a good sleeping pad is one of the more important pieces you can have in your pack, so it is best to opt for quality. This insulated pad keeps you warm and cozy when the ground gets cold.
Apple's premium AirPods have been hovering around $200 for a while now, which is a great deal. Competition is now fierce in this headphone category, but the quick pairing and native integration with Apple devices still makes the AirPods Pro tough to beat.
The Eco-Drive from Citizen is powered by light, so you never need a battery. This diver is highlighted by a date display at 4 o'clock, a luminous dial, and a dual-tone bezel.
When looking back on life and thinking hard about every travel mug and thermos you've seen, odds are high that most of them are made by Stanley. This classic brand has made some of the best insulated mugs for years, so picking one up is a no-brainer.
Staub's enameled cast iron is versatile, distributes heat evenly, and works with any heat source, including induction. This is one of our favorite pieces of cookware.
Huckberry and Timex threw it back to the 70s and 80s with this collaboration. Starting with a blank slate, the brands led with the iconic cola colorway, added a military-inspired dial and finished it off with a woven stainless steel bracelet and aluminum timing bezel.
