8 Best Fitness Apps for Older Adults
No matter your interests or fitness level, we found an app to make living your best life easier.
We spend a lot of time staring at our phones. So we might as well use them to help us lead healthier, happier lives.
Certain apps are designed to do exactly that. The only problem: With more than 2 million options available, finding an app that’s truly worth downloading can be an all-day endeavor.
That’s why we did the work for you. The fitness apps below are true standouts in the sea of options. All of them meet these basic requirements:
- Is it highly rated?
- It is user-friendly?
- Is it reliable and not buggy?
- Can it continue to grow and innovate? In other words, you won’t outgrow it in a few weeks when your fitness improves.
Beyond that, they each offer something unique to make living your best life a little easier. As always, safety is key. If you are a beginner or have a chronic condition (including osteoporosis), balance issues, or injuries, talk to your doctor about how you can exercise safely.
1. Map My Walk
Walking is a fantastic low-impact activity you can do every day to stay healthy, and this app makes it easy to stay on track. You can set personal goals, log your walks, save your favorite routes, and even find new places to walk nearby.
The app also offers audio feedback designed to help you improve every time you head out the door. (Can you go faster? Walk farther?)
Don’t let the name fool you: Beyond walking, you can track more than 600 sports and activities, including cycling, hiking, swimming, yoga, and even your go-to exercise classes.
Free with optional in-app purchases, iOS and Android
2. Yoga Studio
Slow down with Yoga Studio’s library of more than 100 ready-made yoga videos and meditations. You can search for classes based on duration (five to 60 minutes); ability (beginner to advanced); focus (balance, strength, relaxation); and intensity (low to high). Or build your own class from a library of 280 poses, complete with detailed instructions for each one.
You can download videos to get your yoga fix anytime—after downloading, you can view the videos without internet access. And if seeing a class on your calendar motivates you, the app’s scheduling feature will be your best friend.
Free with optional in-app purchases, iOS and Android
3. SilverSneakers GO
Finally, a fitness app designed with you in mind. SilverSneakers GO offers four- to 12-week strength, walking, and flexibility and mobility programs that can be tailored to your fitness level.
Within each program, you’ll have access to easy-to-follow exercise demonstrations and tips to modify any movement to fit your comfort level and equipment needs.
Prefer working out with friends? The app will help you find nearby fitness locations and classes. Plus, activity tracking helps you keep tabs on your weekly and monthly progress, while mobile reminders ensure you never miss a workout.
4. C25K 5K Trainer
Ease into jogging and ignite your competitive spirit with an app designed for beginners. C25K, which stands for “Couch to 5K,” will guide you from inexperienced to 5K runner in eight weeks. You’ll start out walking more than jogging and gradually progress until most of your session is spent jogging.
Just press “start,” and let the audio coach guide you through a series of walking and jogging intervals for 30 minutes per day, three days per week. You may want to register for a 5K race so you’re not tempted to skip your session.
Free with optional in-app purchases, iOS and Android
5. The Johnson & Johnson Official 7-Minute Workout
The Johnson & Johnson app makes starting up a regular workout routine a breeze. All you need is seven minutes, a wall, and a chair to get an effective strength and cardio workout.
The video demonstrations and audio cues make it easy to follow along, while the app allows you to indicate your like or dislike of exercises like jumping jacks, squats, lunges, wall sits, and more. Stick with the original seven-minute workout, pick from 21 other ready-made routines, or utilize the custom workout feature as your fitness improves.
Looking for a beginner-friendly workout? Check out the First Timer, which features modified exercises like marching in place, chair-assisted squats, and kneeling pushups.
6. 7-Minute Chi
Often described as meditation in motion, tai chi is an effective exercise for gently improving strength, balance, flexibility, and range of motion. It’s especially beneficial for older adults with joint stiffness or who want to help prevent falls. And this app makes it easy to squeeze in a quick daily session.
Even if you’re totally new to the practice, you’ll have no trouble following along as Master Li guides you through a series of exercises. Audio prompts help you sync your breath with your movements and let you know what comes next so you can focus on your practice—not watching the clock.
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Free with optional in-app purchases, iOS and Android
7. MyFitnessPal
Similar to other exercise-focused apps, MyFitnessPal lets you log workouts (choose from more than 350 exercises), track steps, and set daily movement goals. But what really sets this app apart is the nutrition- and calorie-tracking component.
The app’s database of more than 6 million foods makes it easy to monitor your diet, no matter what you eat. Whether you’re trying to lose weight or put on muscle, the app helps determine the best things to eat to meet your goals.
Even if you made something from scratch, you can input the recipe, and the app will estimate its nutritional information.
Free with optional in-app purchases, iOS and Android
8. flip50
Wish you had a personalized plan to help you move more, eat well, and tame stress? With the flip50 app, that’s exactly what you’ll get. Even better, it was designed with busy adults 50 and older in mind.
It’s simple. Answer just a few questions about your current fitness, food, and rest habits, and you’ll get a weekly plan to help you slot in exercise, nourishing meals, and quiet moments to reboot.
Each day, you’ll get a suggested activity. Can’t do today’s activity? Touch the screen and flip the triangle with your finger to get another healthy idea. Love an activity or recipe? Mark it as a favorite, so you can revisit it whenever you want.
Free with optional in-app purchases, iOS and Android
Check Your SilverSneakers Eligibility Instantly
SilverSneakers gives you free, unlimited access to more than 16,000 gyms and fitness centers across the nation, plus classes and tools designed to keep older adults strong and independent. Check your eligibility instantly here.
Already a member? Get your SilverSneakers member ID and exclusive content by logging in to or creating your online account here.
