Health apps vary widely, just like we all come in various shapes and sizes. You can use them to track calories, monitor workouts, or keep track of certain health conditions. More and more people are looking to health apps to help them get healthier and stay that way.
We took a look at the health app marketplace to get a better sense of what is out there and what is popular.
Health Apps Are Popular
An online survey conducted by SheKnows.com asked women about their views on social media and their bodies and got the details of what apps are on women’s must-use list. Overall, 60% of the respondents said that they use an app to track health and fitness. Here’s how it breaks down.
| Type of App | Percentage of Women Who Use It |
| Calorie Counter | 31% |
| Food Diary/Meal Planner | 24% |
| Workout App | 16% |
| Workout Tracking Tool | 13% |
Popular Health Apps
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular health apps on the market.
MyFitnessPal
MyFitness Pal is a combination of a calorie and exercise tracker. While it isn’t designed exclusively as a diet app, many people use it to drop those extra pounds by limiting caloric intake and increasing calorie-burning exercises. The app has nearly one million users and receives a top satisfaction score of 83 on Consumer Reports.
Non Nom Paleo
This is an award-winning app for those seeking to live the Paleo Diet lifestyle. Its goal is to take the guesswork out of cooking a paleo diet. The app has over 145 tasty recipes with step-by-step photos of what to do. Users appreciate how easy it is to scroll through the recipes. This app costs $5.99 and has a 4.9 star iPhone rating.
Weight Watchers (WW)
The WW app is a simplified calorie counter for people to use. Users like that it bases the calorie caps on age, weight, height, and sex. This helps users fight extra pounds in a healthy way. The app tracks more than just what you eat and drink. It also helps you track workouts so you can develop a comprehensive weight loss solution. The app is part of the WW program and costs $20.95 per month. It has a Consumer Reports customer satisfaction score of 74.
8Fit Workouts & Meal Planner
8Fit serves as a health and fitness expert in your pocket. It allows you to customize both workouts and meals so that you can reach your wellness goals – whatever those might be that include weight loss, more energy, and better health. This tracker starts by reviewing your wellness goals and then measures your fitness capacity. From there, you get a customized program that includes meals and workouts. 8Fit has a 4.7-star rating with the Apple Store.
Pregnancy & Baby Tracker
Brought to expecting moms by the “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” brand, more than 15 million moms have trusted this app. It guides you through the day-to-day changes that happen in pregnancy, monitors weight changes, and helps you with milestone moments. It even has a due date calculator if you are unsure about the due date. This app receives a 4.9-star review on the Apple Store.
AllTrails
This is a specialty fitness app that helps you find the best hiking trails that meet your fitness levels and adventurous spirit. You get the locations and maps of the most popular hiking trails in your area. The app is complete with user photos and experiences on specific trails to determine if the trails are a good fit. For example, it tells you whether a trail is approved for dogs or easy-to-hike for kids. AllTrails receives an Editor’s Choice Award from the Apple Store.
Carb Manager – Keto Diet Tracker
Designed for those who are new to keto diets but comprehensive enough for experience keto practitioners to use. This app allows you to enter what you’re eating and see how many carbs there are in the item. This is important for those following a keto plan and trying to keep carb intake to a minimum. Users can log each meal, even doing so by taking a picture. It combines all this data with a community where you can go to ask questions or get support.
Noom
Noom is a popular weight loss app that challenges users to change their mindset regarding food. This transforms the app’s function from just tracking calories to changing the way a person thinks and feels about eating. It promotes healthy eating habits while helping users lose the weight they desire. When using the app, you also gain access to a community of like-minded people you can turn to for questions and support. The goal of Noon is to change your long-term eating habits into healthy habits that feel good about the options you choose to put in your body.
Headspace
Good health should include good mental health. That is where the Headspace meditation app comes in. It helps you get calmer and find a happier, healthier mindset. It uses guided meditations to help you navigate through meditation. This takes the stress out for many whose mind runs amok when trying to meditate. Headspace is free to use but does have in-app purchases and upgrades to choose from.
All Out Studio
This is a workout app that guides you through various types of exercises. You can choose things like pilates, strength training, and cardio workouts. These are expert-created workouts that give you video instruction on how to complete them and push you to challenge yourself. It’s like having a fitness trainer in the palm of your hand. The app is free on Apple and iOS platforms and has in-app purchases.
Clue
Clue is a period tracking app for women to rely on. App developers designed this to make getting in tune with your body simpler. It tracks your menstrual cycle from when the period starts through your fertile window. This is important for women who are trying to get pregnant and need to know their ovulation period. Clue also helps women track the side effects of a period – things like changes in mood, sleep, and premenstrual symptoms. This is a great tool for women to take more control over their monthly cycles.
Runkeeper
Those who love running will love using Runkeeper. This helps you track your outdoor runs as well as track time put in on the treadmill. It helps runners be part of a community where they can monitor what others are doing and help cheer on their friends with accounts that you can link. It lets you set goals and will give you kudos when you hit personal records such as miles run or calories burned. This is a free app found in the Apple and Google store.
Waterlogged
Making sure you get enough water is critical to any health plan’s success. Waterlogged helps you track the water you drink every day and cheers you on to complete your goals. Simply enter how much you drank from your favorite bottle or glass to track your progress towards your daily goals. It’s easy to use and helps you with reminder push notifications so that you stay on track throughout the day and don’t get left with a ton to drink at the end. This app has a 4.4-star rating in the Apple Store.
