Must-Have Features For Health And Fitness Apps

The global population’s obsession with fitness and wellness has skyrocketed, fueled by factors like status symbolism, increased awareness of chronic diseases, and the impact of the pandemic. Fitness has become an integral part of daily life, representing a path toward physical and mental well-being. With the pandemic amplifying the demand for home-based fitness solutions, users now prioritize features in fitness apps that enable them to stay fit conveniently. From at-home memberships to wearables and virtual experts, fitness apps have emerged as popular choices. 

This comprehensive guide explores the latest trends and essential features to consider when developing a health and fitness app, empowering users on their journey toward optimal health. To dig deeper you can also read our Health and Fitness app development guide.

What is a Fitness App?

In today’s tech-driven world, fitness apps have become indispensable tools for improving overall health and well-being. These apps encompass various aspects such as nutrition, activity tracking, general wellness, and mental health support. With the increased demand for at-home solutions during the pandemic, the curiosity surrounding fitness app development has skyrocketed. 

According to Grand View Research, the global mHealth market is projected to reach a staggering $111.8 billion by 2025, indicating a significant growth potential. Users now seek smart applications that offer ready-to-use wellness guidelines, including personalized meal plans and workout routines, at their fingertips. Discover the must-have features in fitness apps that will make your fitness app stand out. Developed by a leading healthcare app development company.

Must-Have Features for Fitness Apps

Why would your fitness app be valuable if it failed to prioritize user comfort or lacked features that add value to them? During the development of a fitness mobile app, it is essential to address fundamental features in fitness apps that users expect, as well as incorporate advanced specialized functionalities that set your app apart from competitors. Let’s explore both aspects below:

Basic Features to Create a fitness app

These are the features in fitness apps that no software can live without. They stay the same regardless of the type of fitness app you wish to develop.

1. Registration and Sign Up/Login

While applicable to all apps, registration and login for a fitness app require additional parameters such as height, weight, health issues, and health goals. Users should have the option to sign up using email or third-party social apps.

2. User Profile

In the user profile section, users are prompted to provide details such as their bio, profile picture, and other personal information such as food preferences, daily routines, and work profiles. They should also have the ability to modify their goals and information set during the initial sign-up process. This section should accommodate changes to passwords and usernames. Users should mention any existing health issues or illnesses.

3. App-Specific Menu and Dashboard

Depending on the fitness app’s goal, a menu should be available for users to browse through the app’s offerings. Users can utilize filters to find options based on their preferred time, desired fitness levels, targeted body parts or problems, and specific instructors/coaches/trainers if applicable. The dashboard should be tailored to the genre of the fitness app. 

4. Payment Facility

Integration of a payment facility is essential for a fitness app. The chosen payment gateway, such as PayPal, Stripe, or Braintree, should be seamlessly integrated. The payment process should be user-friendly and include reminders for users who opt for monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, or half-yearly payments. Users must be assured of the confidentiality and security of their payment details.

5. Third-Party App Integration

The inclusion of third-party app integration enhances the overall health and wellness experience for users. Data from apps like MyFitnessPal can be synchronized with Garmin’s API, providing users with a comprehensive tracking experience. Additionally, workout apps can integrate with Google Fit and Apple Health, enabling users to access data related to their nutrition, sleep, health, and physical activity. This integration provides users with enhanced functionality and a more holistic approach to fitness tracking.

Advanced Features to build a fitness app

Discover the benefits of putting additional and sophisticated features into your fitness app to give you a competitive advantage. When creating your fitness app, you have the option of providing these features for free or by charging a fee.

Here are some important factors to consider:

1. Personalized Diet Plans

Make your fitness app feel like having a personal fitness coach by incorporating customized diet plans. This feature assists users in creating a diet plan tailored to their body and daily activities. It should allow users to select ingredients and choose recipes based on their preferences, dietary requirements, food intolerances, allergies, and budget. You can even include shopping lists, resources, and recipes to enhance the app’s functionality. 

2. Push Notification System & Reminders

To ensure users never miss a workout session, implement a push notification system that sends reminders. However, be cautious not to overwhelm users with excessive push notifications, as it may lead them to uninstall the app. Find the right balance to keep users engaged without causing annoyance.

3. Social Sharing

Incorporate a social sharing feature, which is essential for a fitness app. This community-based feature allows users to compete with friends and family, participate in challenges and activities, and share their achievements. Users find motivation and energy by sharing their progress with others who have similar goals. It also serves as a platform for connecting with like-minded individuals, exchanging tips, and fostering a supportive community. Privacy of user information should be respected and ensured.

4. Geolocation

Enable users to track their walking routes and record workouts by integrating geolocation features in fitness apps. This functionality not only helps users receive location-based notifications but also accurately records their activities within specific locations. Geolocation is particularly valuable for outdoor enthusiasts and adds depth to your fitness-tracking app.

5. Gamification

Introduce gamification to your fitness app to make it more engaging and encourage habit formation. By incorporating fun elements and allowing users to compete with others, you can enhance user retention. Include rewards, leaderboards, badges, and progress bars to let users earn achievements and analyze their results alongside their companions.

6. Wearable Device Integration

By integrating wearable devices into your fitness app, users can easily connect with external gadgets. This integration enables users to track their activities, exercise schedules, and view workout data over different time frames, helping them achieve their fitness goals. 

7. Goals and Tracker

To assist users in tracking their workouts, include a goals and tracker feature in your app. Setting and monitoring goals adds motivation for users to improve their performance. This feature allows users to compare their actual performance with their goals, providing them with insights into the effectiveness of their fitness plan. 

8. Virtual Coaches

Traditional personal coaching can be prohibitively expensive for many individuals. However, by developing a fitness app that incorporates virtual coaching, you can provide an affordable alternative. Virtual coaches within the app can offer personalized guidance, imparting valuable knowledge to users. They can even curate special diets and workout plans tailored to individual needs.

9. Video & Live Streaming

Harnessing the power of videos and live streaming can greatly enhance the effectiveness of your fitness app. These features in fitness apps are particularly beneficial for workout sessions, meditation practices, and yoga routines. Live streaming fosters a sense of community among app users, creating a shared experience. Additionally, you can offer premium video tutorials on demand through a special payment model. 

10. Barcode Scanner

The inclusion of a barcode scanner is an exciting feature to consider when developing a fitness app, especially for nutrition and food tracking purposes. Users can conveniently scan the barcodes on packaged foods using their smartphones. This functionality provides them with instant access to comprehensive nutritional information about the scanned products. The nutritional value is automatically uploaded to the user’s phone, enabling them to make informed dietary choices.

Conclusion 

Though the idea of a fitness app dates a decade back, the transformation of these apps has been exponential in modern times. The gradual transformation of everything going digital, rising awareness about health & hygiene, and shift towards home workouts unfold innumerable opportunities in the development of fitness/gym apps. So, if you are interested in joining the league, choose the right fitness mobile app development company in Dubai to get started.

MobileCoderz has developed a surfeit of accomplished, customized, and feature-rich mobile applications over the years with a diverse global clientele. Partnering with us, you get a dedicated team whose skills are enriching enough to understand your business requirements for an effective and cost-efficient fitness app development solution. 

Contact our technology experts today for a feature-rich fitness application. Call or chat online!