Best online fitness apps and digital coaches

Noom(opens in a new tab) is an app that takes a holistic approach to fitness, by showing you healthy ways to alter your relationship to both food and exercise. 

Upon signing up for Noom you’ll be partnered with your very own personal trainer who you can chat with through the Noom app. You’ll be given easy-to-complete exercises, which the program boasts only require a 10-minute time commitment per day. That’s like...less than a third of an episode of “Friends.” Totally manageable.

Through Noom’s app you’ll be able to track your eating and exercise habits, which will automatically shift and calibrate your program over time to make sure you’re meeting your goals. 

The information will also be sent directly to your online coach, which will enable them to make thoughtful recommendations for you that align with your objectives.

WW(opens in a new tab) — which you may know from its past life as Weight Watchers(opens in a new tab) — has a digital plan which allows you to use WW’s app and website where you can log your SmartPoints, connect with WW coaches 24/7, and scope out over 4,000 different recipes. 

WW Freestyle works by helping people track what they’re eating through its SmartPoints system. Every food and drink is assigned a number and each member is given a personalized SmartPoints “budget” to use as they please. This may sound a little restrictive but as you adjust to the program you’ll see it’s more flexible that it may initially appear.

If you need a bit more guidance, you might want to sign up for the Virtual Workshops plan, which includes the benefits of the Digital plan plus the ability to Zoom with a WW-certified coach and other WW members for 30 minutes per week. And if you eventually decide you want to meet with an actual person to help you, you can always upgrade to WW’s Coaching plan, where you’ll work one-on-one with a trained WW coach.

Work one-on-one with a trainer through Trainiac’s app(opens in a new tab), where your personal trainer will construct a program with all your aspirations in mind, while working around your unique schedule.

All of Trainiac’s trainers are taught by Trainiac to ensure that everyone who signs up for the program is receiving the same quality level of support and attention from their online fitness coaches.

Your fitness trainer will also be super vigilant about making sure you stay accountable for your workouts to guarantee you’re getting the most out of the program they create for you.

Here’s what Erin Carbery(opens in a new tab) had to say about Traniac fitness coaching:

“I love the flexibility it gives me. I have a hectic work schedule, so it allows me to work out at any point of the day or night while not being confined to a studio class schedule. I enjoy the relationship I have formed with my trainer and feel that she really knows me and what my goals are.”

With Daily Burn(opens in a new tab) you'll be able to choose from thousands of workout videos, making it super easy to complete a number of workouts all from the comfort of your own home.

After plugging in your personal information and what you’re looking to gain from Daily Burn, you’ll be directed to the workout videos that will best suit your needs.

You'll work on new goals every week and have access to a weight and calorie tracker that will allow you to follow your progress and look back on your overall workout history over time. 

Daily Burn’s wide variety of workout videos include everything from yoga and maternity-oriented classes, to cardio-kickboxing and pilates courses. 

And you're not just limited to watching Daily Burn videos on your computer! They're also available on the Daily Burn app available on iOS and Android phones — plus you can watch them via Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Chromecast. 

Aaptiv(opens in a new tab) makes working out wherever you are super easy with over 2,500 audio-instructed and music-focused fitness programs to choose from.

When you sign up for Aaptiv you’ll plug in your personal information and be given a ton of recommendations for workouts set to today’s music to help you achieve your fitness goals.

The nice thing about these audio-based instructional workouts is that you can do them pretty much anywhere without worrying about having to watch a video or stare into a mirror. You can do them at home, at the gym, or outside. 

The workouts are goal-oriented and you can find numerous programs to suit many of your needs, whether those are strength training, increased flexibility, or learning to run a full mile.

You’ll have access to 2,500 workouts, with 40 new workout videos uploaded each week, so you’ll have a hard time ever feeling bored. Plus you’ll have access to an ultra-supportive online community.

Born Fitness(opens in a new tab) offers its users the guidance of a fitness and nutrition coach to help devise a customized fitness plan, keeping your goals and needs in mind.

Your coach will send you recommended workout plans through the app, along with a customized eating guide - nothing restrictive, just goals for you to keep in mind to help you get the most out of the program. 

Born Fitness also asks each of its users to sign up for a minimum six-month time commitment — although some choose to stay on longer — because that's how long it's found it takes people to see lasting results.

Unfortunately, because Born Fitness gets so many requests for coaches, it can only select a few people at a time to participate in its program to ensure that everyone receives ample attention. 

Born Fitness’s application consists of a few short essay questions to make sure you’re the right fit. If selected, you'll hear back 48 hours after submitting your application. And even if you're not selected you'll be given a reason as to why. 

Caliber(opens in a new tab) promises to provide you with a personal trainer who will help you build muscle, burn fat, and lose weight in a mere 12 weeks.

After signing up for Caliber you’ll be asked to provide your workout experience, preference for time spent on workouts, and your dietary preferences and needs. Based on your answers, your trainer will give you a customized workout and diet plan that revolves around your life and needs.

Your trainer will check in with you sporadically, answer your questions, and adjust your workout and diet plan accordingly as time goes on — plus you’ll be able to reach out to them 24/7 online or through Caliber’s app, if you have any pressing questions.

For a mere dollar a day you can have your very own personal trainer with Fitocracy(opens in a new tab). 

Just explain what you’re aiming to do with your personal fitness trainer after you sign up and let them assess the workout regimen and nutritional guidance you’ll need to accomplish your objectives. 

Your coach will keep you accountable and on-task with your workout plan, each of which are custom built for you by your coach to pinpoint the exact things you’re looking to work on, whether that’s losing a couple of pounds or building strength and muscle.

Plus, you’ll learn healthy eating habits with your trainer’s custom-built food plan that keeps your tastes and preferences in mind.

Fitocracy also offers its users access to its app available for iOS and Android, so you can work out with your phone, wherever you are.

If you don't want to pay top dollar for lots of personal attention, but you also don't want to feel like your training is being conducted by a robot, Openfit offers a sweet spot. For $8 a month (when you sign up for a year), you get a customized nutrition plan and access to more than 300 online workouts. 

Some of these workouts are live, with real human trainers conducting the class in real time. That means they can give you personalized and immediate feedback on your form and encourage you by name. It's like you're getting the gym experience, without having to sweat alongside strangers. If you'd rather work out at strange hours or don't want live shout-outs, Openfit also has plenty of on-demand fitness videos from a veritable who's-who of the fitness world: Xtend Barre creator Andrea Rogers, obstacle course star Hunter McIntyre, and more. What makes Openfit shine is the sheer variety of its workouts. If you want to do yoga one day and get whipped into shape by Hollywood stuntwomen the next, Openfit has you covered (in sweat.)

When Freeletics(opens in a new tab) says they’re a digital coaching company, they mean it. 

Freeletics makes use of artificial intelligence to create custom workout programs for each and every one of its users. If you sign up for the Training and Nutrition Bundle, you’ll also be given nutrition guidance and access to delicious recipes tailored to your taste preferences and dietary needs.

Simply let your digital coach know what your target weight and fitness goals are and they’ll provide you with easy to complete workouts. Each workout only requires a time commitment of 10 to 30 minutes maximum, enabling you to make the most of your time.

One of the coolest things about working with a digital coach using AI technology is that it will be learning from you as you learn from it. All of your feedback about workouts (and your actual coach) will help to alter your digital coach and reprogram your recommendations from week to week.

You can also connect with the Free Athletes community through Freeletics’ app for advice, support, or even to share a recent accomplishment you’re proud of.