How To Develop Health & Fitness Mobile App: Complete Guide

Last Updated on January 21, 2022

People in earlier days do not use to be that enthusiastic regarding their health and fitness. However, over a decade or so, the scenario has shifted drastically as more and more people have started putting a price on their health. Being healthy is now being considered as fit and successful. People have raised their knowledge in terms of becoming aware of various health-related issues occurring in today’s time and how to deal with them instantly.

Various Health & Fitness related apps have played a major part in this culture shift. These health-related apps contain complete insights that can help a person become the best version of himself. Workout sessions, Diet charts, Cardio sessions all are made available for the users under one roof so that they can start as soon as possible without having to wander here and there. Most recent fitness and health apps have started rewarding their users for every weight they lift and every mile they run, this innovation has made the health & fitness even more popular among the public. So, let us have a look at how an attractive health & fitness app can be developed over time.

Stats & Figures Associated with Health & Fitness Apps

This concept of health & fitness apps is not a fresh one, in fact, it first hit the floor in 2008 when Google created Google health service to gain people’s attention. However, it does not turn out to be a great success and the project had to be shut down three years later in 2011. The main reason behind the idea of not gaining much popularity that time around can be associated with the lack of enthusiasm in people regarding their health. It didn’t sync with the interests of people in that period.

However, the fitness industry took a drastic turn for the good in 2014 when wearables were launched in the market. In the below image, the interest of people can be seen rising consistently year by year.

In this chart, the revenues from wearables in billions of U.S. Dollars can be seen surging upwards on a year by year basis. Every year, a fitness app with something different from the already existing fitness apps is launched which creates a pull for the users. In the current times, apps look to reward their users for every small progress they make in the pursuit of becoming fit and this trend has become quite popular in the online fitness culture.

According to some stats by Statista, the fitness market as a whole is going to see a significant surge by 2021 which creates a more than a suitable opportunity for start-ups to get on the gravy train to reap as many benefits as they can. So, let us dive straight into the types of fitness apps that are present in the market at the moment.

Various Types of Fitness Apps

Fitness apps available in the market at this moment can be categorized into three types.

• Nutrition Apps
• Workout & Exercise Apps
• Activity Tracking Apps

Some apps are a hybrid of two or all three types of apps, however, they can be termed a part of any of the three types mentioned above.

Nutrition Apps

These types of apps help out the users in creating a perfect diet chart for them to reach the goals they have set out for themselves. Whether it is about gaining weight or losing weight, you will be guided at every step by calculating the calories burned and consumed.

You can set the weight that you want to reach and based on that target, a nutrition app creates a diet chart for you mentioning the number of required macronutrients in the form of Carbohydrates, Protein, Fats, and Fiber in your diet schedule. Your water intake is also measured through the app and proper guidance is provided regarding it to increase the metabolism of your body.

Apart from creating this diet chart, the app also helps out the user in sticking with the diet by giving constant reminders in the form of notifications. Users are also assisted in their grocery shopping and creating healthy recipes. The best nutrition apps in the current market are Calorie Counter, HealthifyMe, Food Dairy, MyPlate Calories Tracker, and Healthy Out.

Workout & Exercise Apps

Workout Apps are quite vast in terms of the guidance they provide and as can you can judge by its name, it focuses solely on providing quality workout sessions to their users. Most of the people out there cannot afford a fitness trainer as they charge a huge chunk of money and doing exercise without proper guidance results in freakish injuries which derail Project Fitness. Workout Apps plays the trainer role in the life of users looking to get their health on track.

These workout & Exercise apps are further divided into three subcategories

• Logbook Apps
• Personal Trainer Apps
• Workout fitness apps that get paired with devices

1. Logbook Apps

They have a pretty simple interface and primarily focuses on providing a to-do list to its users so that they can get on with their workout. Information stored in these apps is in the form of workout routines that needs to be pass on to the users. Preset libraries including various exercises and a large collection of workout routines are made available for the users. Some of the most trending Logbook apps are Fitbod, Strong, HeavySet, and Stacked.

2. Personal Trainer Apps

Personal Trainer is provided to the users based on their experience level. A person who has just started his fitness journey would require to select a personal trainer that fits his bill. On the other hand, an experienced user has the option of selecting a personal trainer according to his level of comfort.

Videos, 3D Models are included in the app to make sure that the exercises performed by the users are done in the right form and posture. The risk of injury runs high when you are carrying out exercises just by looking at a picture and that is why proper video guidance is provided to the users through these apps. Detailed descriptions are also present within the app to further assist the users. Also, yoga mobile apps that provide a personal yoga trainer are trending among health-conscious users.

Major Workout & Exercise Apps in the market at the moment are 6 Week Training, Iwod Fitness, FitnessBuilder Plus.

3. Workout Fitness Apps that get paired with devices

Workout Apps of this type works perfectly for users who cannot imagine beginning their workout without their wearable device. All the necessary data that gets collected on the wearable devices is displayed on the smartphone. These apps by creating a rapport with the wearable devices make the users feel at home which supremely works to their advantage. These apps can also be synced with smart sports equipment plus it also contains an admin panel to guide things from behind the scenes.

Activity Tracking Apps

This type of apps works as a treat for the users who are not that interested in fitness regimes and playing sports but wants to make sure that they remain in shape. Several steps walked by a person are counted by the app and calories burned according to that are displayed on the wearable device. Geolocation is the source which makes sure that this process of calories count works properly.

There are other quality features included in these apps such as sleep quality estimation and smart alarm clocks. Smart alarm clocks make sure that the users wake up during the REM sleep phase which results in users waking up pretty quickly and easily.

A lot of activity tracking apps can be paired with wearables, however, it is not necessary to have a wearable as a smartphone can work just as well.

Top Fitness Apps in the Market

There are loads of fitness apps in the market but we have shortlisted the top five fitness apps that will suit your style and help you out in reaching your fitness goals.

1. Daily Workouts Fitness Trainer

This fitness was brought in the mix by a certified professional trainer who helps out people with his fitness workouts. This app is easily one of the best budget apps.

2. Glo

This app is just perfect for people who perform yoga daily. Daily curated classes are provided to the users to help them out with their yoga sessions.

3. Sworkit

Beginners need to have a look at this app as it is created keeping them in mind. Users have the option of setting the time limit for which they want to exercise and the app will automatically create a workout session for them.

4. My Fitness Pal

This app is at the top of all the apps that we have mentioned or are about to mention. It has a wide range of special features which attract a lot of users. People looking to get all the material under one roof should give this app a try.

5. The 7 Minute Workout

Looking for a quick workout that will pump your body up, then this app might have such workouts for you in abundance. The period of these workouts is 7 minutes which works perfectly for busy professionals.

General Features In Different Panels of Fitness Mobile Apps

Admin Panel in Fitness App

• Secure Login via email
• Trainer Management
• View & Manage Attendance of Trainers & Trainees
• Push Notifications
• Report Management
• Subscriptions & Membership Management
• Advertisements and Promotions Management
• Run Promotions & Loyalty Programs
• Add Fitness Products & Merchandise in eStore

Fitness App Trainer Panel

• Dedicated Panel
• Manage Workout Plans
• Send Push Notifications about Workout Goals
• View & Manage Attendance (Self & Trainees)
• Schedule Consultation for diet and fitness routine
• Video Consultation
• Manage Trainees
• Manage Meal & Diet Plans
• Track Pre-Workout Details
• Manage & Generate Earnings Reports
• Upload Workout Videos & Manuals

User or Customer Panel

• User registration via email or social media
• Track miles, diet, and calories intake
• Select Meal Chart & Diet Plans
• Measure Critical Data (BMI, Heart Rate)
• Live Chats with Trainers
• Filter Workouts
• Schedule Workouts
• Push Alerts and Reminders
• Share and Store data
• Reward Points & Loyalty Program
• Purchase Fitness Merchandise

Advance Features to be Included in Fitness Apps

Features from the blueprint of any app and fitness apps are no different. Attractive features in an app lure in more and more customers which helps in increasing the popularity of the app. Tracking goals, observing health issues, and staying motivated are the top three reasons why people look up to fitness apps so much.

So, let us have a look at some of the features that can help a start-up to connect with their users with aplomb.

1. Social Login/Signup

Registering into the app is the second step that you encounter when you enter the app. Registration can be done through either traditional e-mail registration or through logging into through social media account. Social media login is more preferable for the users as they can see their friends who are already on the app and look share their latest results on social media. There are two advantages to this,

Creates a sense of motivation within people when they see their friend’s progress.
Attracts more users to the app when they have a look at their friend’s achievements.

2. Detail User Information

Adding personal information is paramount for such apps as creating a diet program for a user would require the app to be aware of his details such as weight, age, gender, height, and several other parameters. People concerned with their health-related issues always appreciate workouts based on personal data. Such workouts are more individual-based which makes the users feel important.

The application should be silky to use therefore adding profile photos can help the app become more personalized. Flexibility in terms of measurements entered for metric units such as kilos & meters or imperial units such as pounds & feet should be provided to the users as different users understand different types of units and options will make their task a lot easier.

2. Push Notifications

Push notifications are integral in keeping the users stay motivated during their fitness target. The human brain finds countless reasons to skip a day at the gym or get loose on the fitness diet but notifications are constant reminders that keep a person on track during his fitness regime. Apart from losing motivation, users also tend to forget their workout routine and this can be sorted through these timely notifications. However, untimely notifications can become a headache for the users, so, users should be allowed to use the notifications according to them.

5. Setting Fitness Goals

Fitness apps need to permit their users to set specific targets. Crossfit apps in this arena allow the users to set a target for their workouts while the activity tracking apps allow the app users to set a target for the number of steps walked or hours of sleep needs to be taken. Diet apps need to permit their users to set target depending upon the calories they are looking to burn or pounds they want to lose.

6. Gamification

Gamification lends a helping hand both in entertaining the users as well as motivating them to achieve their desired goals. Achievements similar to those in video games are good to have but users lick their tongues at the thought of competing with other users. Users should be provided full freedom in terms of competing, gaining rewards, and comparing the results with their friends. And then there are apps like Charity Miles which offer the users to become a part of the charity program by sharing their results via social media platforms.

Features for Workout Apps

1. Pre-set Workout Routines

This feature is provided particularly in workout apps. All types of workout routines are it beginners, intermediate or advanced level are made available in this section. However, one downside of this feature is that the routines provided in this section cannot be customized. Customizable routines will help the users to feel at home and workout according to their preferences.

2. Live Streams

It is not necessary to add this feature to the app however if added can help the app gain popularity at a surging rate. Live streams assist the users in sharing their routine workouts with the professional trainer and gaining useful tips from him to make the workout even better.

Features Associated with Activity Tracking Apps

1. Activity Tracking

Google Fit and HealthKit tend to serve a purpose in this matter as they are designed to connect your app to all the major sensors such as compasses, gyroscopes, and accelerometers to track cycling, running, walking, and swimming.

2. Integration with Wearable devices

The app you are creating should be compatible with most of the wearable devices that one can think of. Apple’s Google Fit or HealthKit can be used for storage while various wearable manufacturers’ APIs such as Jawbone, Garmin, Withings, Tomtom can come in handy to connect devices with your app.

3. Geolocation

Geolocation is the core of all these features as these tracking activity apps work majorly on maps. Maps designed by Google, Tomtom, Apple, and Waze can be used by the app builders to integrate with the app. These maps of various companies prove to be super beneficial in planning routes, tracking current locations, and recording workouts. On top of all this, Screenshots of Maps can be shared on social media platforms.

Features Associated with Nutrition Tracking Apps

1. Bar Code Scanner

Barcode scanning is a very helpful feature when it comes to making logging quicker and effortless. Bar code scanners assist the users in gaining knowledge regarding the ingredients or calories of a particular food product, all one needs to do is scan the barcode on the food product through their smartphone.

2. Food Logging

It is not possible to imagine a food diet app without food logging, so if you are looking to create a nutrition app then you should look to integrate this feature in the app. A proper dictionary of food products along with a product database needs to be high on the priority list while creating a nutrition app.

Monetization Strategies to Capitalise Your App

To survive in the market you need to regularly invest in your app and several monetization strategies will help you generate capital to follow your pursuit.

• In-app advertisements
• Commissions
• Paid Subscriptions
• In-app purchases
• Personal workout with professional trainers

Required Tech Stack to Develop a Health & Fitness App

Tech Stack is one of the major pillars on which a health & fitness app is developed, so, let us have a look at some important ones:

• For Front-end (client-side): HTML 5, CSS3, JavaScript, Angular js
• For Web client: Vue.js
• For Android client app: Kotlin
• For iOS client app: Swift
• For Back-end (server-side): Ruby (Ruby on Rails framework), Phoenix (elixir framework), Python (Django, Flask), PHP (Lavarel, Codelgniter)
• For dedicated cloud hosting: IBM SoftLayer
• The framework of the app: Android SDK, Spring Framework
• For the API: Runscope
• For code collaboration: Github
• For Performance Monitoring: New Relic
• For Website monitoring & monitoring aggregation: Pingdom and PagerDuty
• For issue tracking: JIRA
• For project management: Confluence
• For group chat: HipChat
• For help desk: Desk.com
• For geolocation functionality: Google Location API (Android), Core Location (iOS)
• For Building routes for running or biking: Google Maps Android IP, MapKit (iOS)
• For calculating directions between locations: Google Directions API
• For References on geographic locations: Google Places API
• For Push Notifications via SMS: Twilio Communications
• For Notifications to Android or iOS devices: Google Cloud Messaging (Android), Apple Push
• For Social Community: FitBit Friends API
• To Collect Data from Wearables: ELCIES Connected Services
• For Payment Gateway Integration: Stripe, PayPal’s SDK, Apple Pay

Health & Fitness App Development Team

An experienced full-fledged development & designing team is required to create a fitness app that you have thought of. Quantity of developers and designers may increase depending upon the size of the app.

• UI/UX Designer
• Android Developer
• IoS Developer
• Project Manager
• App testing Manager

Cost and Time Required to Develop a Fitness App

The development of a fitness app is dependent on a lot of factors. These factors include the set of features that you want to have in your app, rates of the development team you hire, and the time it requires to develop the complete app. Furthermore, it is hard to predict an exact sum of app development but an approximate estimate can be determined.

We have included a pie chart that will give a detailed idea of the areas where the overall cost of app development gets distributed.

This pie chart is a rough evaluation. In some apps, the design section takes up to 50% of the total cost. If you are looking to lure in more and more users then you need to zero in on the complex design with animation. Generally, it is quite tough to draw an estimation of the design part of an app.

Approximately, getting a fitness app developed would cost $20,000-$22,000 to a start-up. This might differ depending upon the requirements of an app.

Wrapping Up

Health & Fitness Apps have added a new dimension to the field of health and fitness. The promotion of health services has become a lot easier because of these apps. There are a lot of businesses in the field of fitness and gym that are showcasing their services using these apps as a platform. And after this pandemic, more and more people are inclining towards fitness and looking to stay fit to encounter any such demanding situation in the future. This is just the perfect opportunity for you to launch a unique health & fitness app in the market. For professional assistance get in touch with Emizen Tech a reputed and experienced mobile app development company.