Health and fitness have always been everyone’s primary priorities. However, being fit and trendy was not so easy in the past due to the hurdles involved in hiring fitness trainers that you would be completely happy with. Fortunately, with the dawn of the digital age, fitness has also gone digital. Nowadays, several wellness apps and fitness apps are being developed that are easily available for everyone. It’s no surprise that many entrepreneurs want to launch fitness apps like Fitcoach or other similar apps.
More and more people are discovering these apps and since then wellness apps and fitness apps have made a name for themselves with various techniques ranging from introducing healthier meals to various weight reduction exercises with a single tap on your mobile phone.
Want to learn about Fitness and Wellness App Development?
This blog will serve as your guide.
Health and Fitness Market Overview
Before you start building your fitness app, the first step is to research the industry, as the old saying goes, “look before you leap.” Not to worry, according to Statista, the number of users of fitness and wellness apps in the US increased from 62.7 million in 2018 to a staggering 84 million in 2021 and is expected to grow to 86.3 million in 2022, which is certainly good. sign!
So let’s take a closer look at the size of the global fitness app market from one perspective. While the fitness app industry was valued at $4.4 billion in 2020, analysts forecast it to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.6 percent from 2021 to 2028.
That was all about the numbers, but hey! It is not a good idea to judge the market based on its metrics alone. Take surgical drapes, for example. For more than a year, giant packs of such masks were on our weekly list of needs, but once immunization was completed, mask use dropped noticeably.
Given that the data illustrates how recent demand has been, but it can only be considered a firm position when accompanied by in-depth thinking and research to rationally understand the future demands of this particular product or service, in our case fitness apps. Just in time!
COVID-19 prompted multiple lockdown orders to come and go quite frequently and shortly after that, ‘remote’ operation became the new norm for university workplaces, with many organizations now making it a permanent practice, while many more intend to!
Meanwhile, to accommodate the conventions of social distancing when conventional exercise studios, yoga classes and gyms were closed, virtual fitness began as a “let’s try it” and quickly evolved into a “better than traditional approach” to keeping fit.
Needless to say, this is reflected in the growing number of downloads, which shows that the trend is undoubtedly here to stay, with viral variations popping up like popping corn and the solution being to use your own devices at home for exercise and fitness in general.
Types of Health and Fitness Apps
It may seem like fitness apps just demonstrate how to exercise. In fact, these programs provide much more. There is such a huge demand for fitness apps that there is a different type of app for virtually every type of exercise. As a result, there are several fitness apps in the market that meet the needs of all customers.
Let’s look at each of them.
Smart Fitness Coach app
What are the essential elements for achieving consistent fitness progress? Create a training plan that suits you, regulate the exercise technique, gradually increase physical activity and create a balanced diet plan. Personal trainers often manage all of those for athletes. They understand which workouts are beneficial for individuals and how to quickly make them more athletic.
On the other hand, personal trainers charge high costs for their services and individuals do not always have time to go to the gym. Besides, a person who decides to try working out would be hesitant to spend four times the price of a gym membership for a trainer.
That’s why companies are developing training apps that include a smart fitness instructor. Based on the user’s physical characteristics and goals, these apps provide them with a customized fitness regimen. Physical exercises become more intense as the user progresses. Despite the fact that these apps can’t fix your physical workout mistakes, they can serve as a great digital buddy while you exercise.
Exercise recording app
This is the most basic method for developing a fitness app. Users can use these apps to track their workouts. They do not offer individual training. Instead, users can learn more about each activity they perform. The number of calories burned, muscle groups affected and overall health impact. Apps can track even more data using third-party smart devices. For example, smart scales can be used to track muscle to fat ratio.
Activity tracker app
These applications, as the name suggests, track the activities of their users. All include a step tracker that assesses users’ movement throughout the day. Additionally, users can activate the app while running or cycling to remind them of their journey.
A must-have feature in your fitness and wellness apps
Registration
Registration is required for most applications. If your app is just a simple step tracker, this may not be necessary. Users should always sign up if you provide customized training or meal plans. Registration allows you to collect more user data and customize their application.
User profile
How can you create a fitness app that is tailored to your needs? First and foremost, users should be able to control their own physical information. Data such as height, weight, age and other criteria help in creating personalized exercises and achieving faster results.
You can also award users with interactive badges for their achievements. They will be able to find incentives in their profiles.
Live video streaming
Users may want to see the video to properly understand the exercise approach. There are several approaches to solving this problem. The first is real-time streaming. Professional trainers can create group workouts where users join a session and repeat all the exercises after the trainer.
The benefits of this strategy include the ability for people to form groups of dedicated exercise enthusiasts. They can visit a trainer and talk about exercise strategies together. Live sessions, on the other hand, are running as scheduled. Some users may find this inconvenient.
Exercise menu
Since the primary goal of fitness apps is to measure physical activity, workout screens are required. The offerings vary by app type, but the concept remains the same.
For example, smart fitness trainer apps will have a menu with exercise alternatives as well as a video demonstrating how to complete the activity. The activity tracking software simultaneously displays the time spent training as well as real-time session statistics.
Fitness trainer on demand
In addition to group training, users can book personal sessions with an instructor for an additional fee. Users learn new exercises and change their training plan with the trainer during the live stream. It is even possible to book a coach for a longer period, but the app should provide a timetable. This will make it easier for instructors to manage their customers.
Integration of third-party applications
When it comes to fitness, a single app with MVP features cannot be all-encompassing. To expand its capabilities, you need to connect the app with other fitness and health apps. For example, your app can calculate the number of calories burned after a workout. A third-party diet app, on the other hand, provides information about the foods consumed, and your app calculates your daily calorie deficit or surplus.
Synchronization with platforms such as Apple Health and Google Fit helps in developing a fitness app that calculates a user’s level of physical activity based on their heart rate. When it comes to nutrition apps, sophisticated sugar monitoring tools help in creating a healthy eating plan.
Social media integration
It’s always fun to brag to your friends about your accomplishments. You can use social media integration tools to create your own fitness app with social interaction elements. They allow users to create instant posts related to their athletic development.
Users can combine the content of the app with an attractive image to create a great post for their profile. In addition, you can use this feature for your product. Just enter the name of the app or a link to it. Users will advertise it on social networks for free in this way.
Integration with wearable devices
Fitness trackers, smart watches, heart rate monitors, smart scales and other devices provide additional statistics for your app. In addition, you can create a fitness app for wearable platforms in the future. As a result, users can leave their phones at home and access the same app features through their watches.
Food database
It should have an extensive database related to fitness, regardless of the type of application. If you’re building a diet app, give users the option to add things to their posts. If people can’t discover certain foods in your app, they’re likely to quit and look for alternatives.
How to monetize your health and fitness app
Paid apps
Users pay to install the Application in accordance with this Agreement. This revenue model generates immediate profit but does not generate much money in the long run. Since you have to keep a team of developers to generate new updates and patches, the app fee should be high enough to cover this cost. In this situation, users do not need to purchase an unknown program that costs a lot.
The only possible use for this method is when you have a small fitness app with no long-term intentions. You can set an affordable price that covers development costs while attracting an audience. Additional revenue models can be added to this project later.
In-app purchases
Using this technique, you design a fitness app and release it for free. The free version of the app offers customers basic options that are more than enough for smooth operation. However, for a certain price, the app includes certain features. Users don’t have to buy them, but in most situations, if they like the concept of your app, they’ll buy add-ons that extend its basic functionality.
Advertisements
If you choose this method, your partners’ ads will appear in the app. There are several forms of advertising. Ads promoting items can be integrated into various offers of the app.
Another approach is to use video ads that appear after a specific action is taken (for example, after a successful workout). Since customers don’t like ads, it’s important not to overdo them. Consider scheduling ads in advance when developing a training app.
Wrap up
Health and fitness apps are trending right now and with the growth, the industry is showing, the future of such apps looks promising. However, as the industry grows, so does the number of players in the virtual fitness and health industry.
Hence, it is important to choose an experienced mobile app development company with relevant experience to ensure that along with your unique idea, a level of quality and excellence is achieved in your app to make it stand out.
