Best Apps For Walking – Are available and reasonably priced. We’ve also added more apps, including Sweat and WW, as well as highlights about why we love each app and things to consider before you download.
Tracking your physical activity can be difficult without a Fitbit, Apple Watch, or other workout tracking device — especially for people who walk as their main form of exercise. The easiest solution is to download a step counter app, most of which work by using your cell phone’s built-in GPS.
Best Apps For Walking
That’s what experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute found when they surveyed dozens of the latest step counter apps as part of their ongoing coverage of fitness-related products, from treadmills to training shoes. “If you want to track your activity, these inexpensive, if not free, apps are a great way to start,” says Rachel Rothman, chief technologist at the Good Housekeeping Institute. “Then if you’re really into it, you can invest in a smartwatch or other wearable fitness tracker, which will offer more health-related metrics like a heart rate monitor and sleep tracking.”
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Step counter apps act as pedometers and are suitable for any fitness level, whether you’re walking to lose weight or trying to get 10,000 steps a day. It’s important to remember that these pedometer apps aren’t always as accurate as wearable fitness bands, and they can’t monitor heart rate. While many of these apps are free to download, most of them offer some kind of premium version or subscription with added features.
These are the best step counter apps and pedometer apps to download on the App Store or Google Play in 2021:
With an impressive 4.9 star rating in the App Store, Pacer pedometer is an activity tracker, step counter and more in one app. Although the free version works as a pedometer, upgrading to the premium version gives you tons of insights into your progress — like how your activity stacks up against other users.
Do you recognize? You don’t actually need a Fitbit tracker to use the Fitbit app! Apart from being a step tracker, this app can also log your food and hydration daily while managing your health and fitness goals.
Encourage Daily Exercise With A Walking Challenge
Charity Miles lets you donate money to a charity of your choice based on how much you walk, walk or bike. The Free Step Counter app syncs steps with your phone’s Health Kit or Strava, a running and cycling app. Some of the charities you can donate to are the ASPCA, Habitat for Humanity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the first one.
Sweat is another comprehensive fitness app that has a step counter baked into its platform. It’s designed by women, for women — it was co-founded by Kayla Itsines, an Australian fitfluencer whose 13+ million Instagram followers know her as the creator of Bikini Body Guides. Our consumer testers had good things to say about the sweat; One noted that the app is “more comprehensive and allows for a wider range of perspectives.” The step counter itself is on par with others we’ve tested, though if you’re spending more than $10 a month on sweatpants, you’ll want to step on some of its other stuff, too, which ranges from Pilates to post-pregnancy workouts.
It is one of the best step counter apps for Android as it is directly developed by Google in collaboration with the American Heart Association. It tracks more than just steps: it tracks all your physical activity and lets you set fitness goals by working with other health apps already on your phone.
WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers) is no longer just about counting calories. The program takes a more holistic approach to weight management and overall health. Activity tracking is a big part of that, hence the app’s built-in step counter. Through the new PersonalPoints program, members earn rewards for reaching activity goals, whether it’s hitting 10,000 steps in a day or taking a virtual HIIT class that comes with a $10 monthly membership. “We love that the WW app is focusing more on activity, because it has so many benefits for everything from weight control, from mood to energy to sleep,” says Amy Fisher, a registered dietitian in New York City.
Best Hiking Apps Of 2023
MyFitnessPal is often considered one of the best calorie counting apps, but many people don’t know that it also has a step tracking feature. The app may use the motion detection sensor in your phone or an external device, such as a Fitbit. If you also use it to track your food intake, your daily calorie bank will adjust accordingly based on how many daily steps you log. There’s also the option to customize your step goals so you stay motivated and on track to lose weight.
Similar to the popular running app (both from Under Armour!), MapMyWalk tracks your workout and shows your route on a map. As you work out, it shows you all sorts of stats that track your performance, including distance and number of steps. Something to keep in mind: Since it uses your phone’s GPS tracking feature, you’ll notice your battery life draining if you keep the app running in the background.
StepApps has an attractive interface that you can customize in one of six fun colors. On iPhones, you can swipe up on your home and lock screen to see the app’s widget — it conveniently shows you how many steps you’re logged in at a glance. Also, people who use a wheelchair can use this step counter app as long as they have an Apple Watch.
What sets this pedometer app apart from others is the ability to toggle between different views. You can track your steps and activity in bar graphs by day, week and month — even down to the hour. If you upgrade to the Pro version, you can import and export data and get the ability to use the app on your Apple Watch.
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If you want to track your steps without downloading anything extra, you can use the Health app built into your iPhone. If you have an Apple Watch, you can find the stats it tracks here (like how much you stand and exercise).
The app pays you in “Sweatcoins” that can be used to buy certain products like headphones or athletic clothing, depending on how many steps you log in. Since you need to keep the app open in the background to earn credits, people complain that it drains their phone’s battery life. Just remember that there is a limit to how many SweatCoins you can earn per day, but you can use the virtual currency to upgrade to a higher threshold so you can earn more.
Amina Lake Abdelrahman Amina is a product review writer and editor who worked as an editorial assistant at the Good Housekeeping Institute from 2018 to 2020, writing original content based on product testing and analysis by GH Lab experts. We take a look at the best hiking apps. Trip planning, navigation or first aid that are currently available and meet your needs
Hiking apps have never featured in my outdoor adventures, but times have changed. Now, every Ordnance Survey map comes with a digital version available for download on my smartphone or tablet.
Best Walking Apps: Apple Health And Fitness+
When planning an adventure in the woods, my preparation still begins with spreading my paper maps on the ground and marking potential trailheads, routes, and campsites.
However, now that I have reliable phone reception and more consistent access to WiFi with a battery pack and solar charger, I also use hiking apps.
Below, I take a look at some of the best apps for outdoor trip route planning, navigation, first aid, and hiking available for survival.
With over 100,000 trails and 3.5 million downloads, AllTrails is one of the best hike planning apps available. The free version allows you to create your own routes using GPS tracking, photos and text and save or share them with others.
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An annual subscription gives you access to a premium version that allows you to save routes offline and design and print custom maps.
Gaia GPS is an outdoor navigation app that provides access to a rich catalog of maps, including geographic, satellite, road, and the NatGeo Trails Illustrated map series.
It’s also possible to download a range of offline maps for off-grid access, tracking hikes while measuring speed, distance and elevation as standard. The app and accompanying web-based version also allow for printing.
The interface is intuitive and users can import and synchronize data points and trails from other digital sources. The app is free, but its best features are accessed through the paid version.
Best Walking Apps: Stepsapp Pedometer
Cairn has been called the ‘ultimate hiking safety app’ and is an essential part of our safety kit, especially when hiking solo.
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