How to Develop a Popular Fitness App Like Fitbit

We are witnessing a crazy trend for a healthy and fit lifestyle. Instagram feeds bombarded with endless photos from the gyms, the success of yoga and meditation apps, the popularity of different diet plans — everything tells us that fitness is the new obsession.

The technology not only accompanies the trends but also creates them — wearable trackers such as Apple Watches and Fitbits stirred an enormous number of people to become vigilant about the level of their physical activity.

Smartphones, as an indispensable part of our lives, also offers the users numerous options to create their lifestyle more sporty. One of them is workout apps.

Health and fitness apps have a notably high level of engagement — over 75% of users open them at least two times a week, while 25% access these apps more than 10 times a week.

Fitness apps are categorized based on the functionalities they offer. Some of the most popular fitness apps include— nutrition and diet apps, workout tracking apps, workout routine apps etc.

With the growing demand for fitness apps, it is a great idea to start your own mobile app development business by developing a unique fitness app.

Some of the imperative viewpoints for the development of fitness apps are — type, cost and features of the fitness app.

Here is a step-by-step procedure to develop a popular fitness app like Fitbit.

Choose the Type of the App :

Different types of fitness apps target a different audience and have specific functionalities:

• Activity -tracking apps:

They accumulate data on multiple parameters of a user’s physical activity — steps climbed, steps taken, sleep quality, calories burned, distance travelled, heart rate and sleep quality.

These apps accommodate in the form of wearable fitness trackers.

For the realisation of the activity tracking feature, there is no need to connect the app to smartphone sensors. The app detects and monitor pulse constantly, users can implement Bluetooth connection to enable data flow from a fitness tracking device.

• Workout apps:

These apps work as a personal trainer in your smartphone, and you can pursue everything from your workout schedule to the new exercise routine.

Workout apps provide users with a set of exercises along with a demonstration on how they should be implemented.

These workout apps even enable you to choose a personal trainer based on the level of training you need.

• Diet and nutrition apps:

Diet and nutrition apps benefit users with the track of their food habits and calories consumption in their body. Visualisation plays a significant role in making these apps successful. The daily stats push the user towards their goals.

Some of such apps allow users to log food they have destroyed by merely scan a barcode and get all the information about calories.

Choose the Features:

Features of the fitness app affect the complexity of the development and also make the app Intuitive.

It is always considered better if the application delivers an impeccable experience with a stable connection and communication process.

Some of the most crucial features to make an app more interactive are listed below:

• Account Creation:

Fitness apps are all about individualization, and thus the account creation is necessary. This feature enables the users to switch between multiple devices without the hassle of logging, again and again.

• Workout guides:

Fitness app should have a comprehensive library of workout guides for different levels of physical activities. These Guides should incorporate all the needed information from simple how-to guides to the high-intensity workouts.

• Geo-location:

Integrating a geo-location feature will allow the user to create a walking or jogging routine and also track the current position. There are a bundle of navigation services that helps to integrate this feature into the app.

• Training schedule:

A calendar to plan, organize, and log workout sessions supports to follow a training routine. Organized workout routine encourages the user to get out of their bed and achieve their goals.

• Notifications:

Reminding users about upcoming training/ exercise is a fabulous feature. Notifications can also notify users about useful workout tips, motivational quotes, or personalized health recommendations.

• Contact with trainer:

Fitness app act as a medium that will connect gym-goers and trainers to ensure effective collaboration. This feature increases the engagement with the audience.

• Social media integration:

The trend of sharing your life in social media becomes more robust. Enable the users to share their achievements on social media will increase the traffic on the app and the invite friends will help to promote the app and gather a community together.

Choose the Monetization Strategy:

Fitness app market is growing, and the numbers of the potential audience are enormous, and there are several techniques to monetize an app and gain the profits:

• Freemium:

Users download the free version with basic functionality but need to pay a specific amount for the up-gradation to premium.

• In-app purchases:

If you wonder how to monetize your app, then opt this model that combines both free and paid options. The app is free, but users have to purchase the premium options.

• Paid-app:

This strategy must be considered if you already have a potential audience who are willing to pay — in other scenarios, it would be difficult to convince people to purchase an unknown product.

• Advertisements:

The most popular monetization model has sponsored advertisements. The app displays third-party ads and provides revenue from clicks and views.

 Calculate the Cost of Development of a Fitness App:

Once you have followed all the above steps, the next step is to calculate the cost of development of a fitness app. It is hard to tell the exact amount of development. Cost depends on its types, features and functionalities. It also depends on the developers working on the app.

Conclusion

Fitness apps become popular with increasing health awareness. Although services like FitBit, Blogilates are already reigning in the market, there are still many unexplored opportunities that you can plan and execute. With proper market research, the inclusion of vital features, followed by appropriate marketing, you can develop the next market-dominating app. Above all, we understand that the development of a Fitness app is more natural said than done. To create an app that is popular in app stores, you would require the right fitness app development company.

Idea Usher has top app developers with years of experience. We have prior expertise in developing iOS and Android apps for fitness like Brewfit. Get in touch with our team of experts for the smooth and quick development of your app. Contact us with your idea at [email protected].

FAQs

Q: What are the key features of a popular fitness app?

A: The key features of a popular fitness app include activity tracking, exercise tracking, nutrition tracking, social sharing, and personalized coaching.

Q: What are the steps involved in developing a fitness app?

A: The steps involved in developing a fitness app include conducting market research, defining the app’s features and functionality, designing the app’s user interface, developing the app’s code, testing the app, and launching the app.