Cardio workouts like running, biking, and spinning may be the most common fitness activities many enjoy…
But if you are physically unable to participate in (or you’re simply not a fan of) high-intensity workouts, walking may just be the best exercise activity for you.
Whether you like walking at a leisurely pace or going speedily, tracking your steps and heart rate with a walking app will help you set personal goals, and revel in your fitness achievements. In addition, walking apps can also keep track of your distance and route, provide motivation, and many other features.
Here are the Best Fitness Walking Apps you can try:
Map My Walk
Best Overall
MapMyWalk is an easy-to-use app for walkers of all levels, tracking your walk with GPS and delivering pertinent stats, from mileage to duration and burned calories. Also, its built-in community and challenges keep motivation high. For every mile you go, you’ll get feedback and stats to help you improve your performance. Discover new workout routes and save or share your favorites, and get inspired to reach new walking goals.
Whether you’re a beginner on your first long walk or a pro, you’ll find the features and tools you need to stay on track and motivated along the way. If you’re one who’s interested in the nitty-gritty details, the app will break down your performance with easy-to-read charts and graphs with motivating badges to keep you striving.
Download Map My Walk App
Free to download and use basic features | Premium Subscription: $5.99 monthly / $29.99 annually
Walkmeter
Best for fitness
Walkmeter stands out for its impressive features and maps, which are ideal for fitness walkers looking to improve speed and distance, and for its ability to track basic workouts like walking and running, as well as complex activities like hiking and kayaking.
Walkmeter is a GPS-powered walking and hiking app geared toward fitness walkers. If you’ve been looking for a low-impact way to burn calories and get your heart pumping, this app is for you. Other data tracked include heart rate, speed, step count and cadence, and your ascent and descent. The app automatically detects stops, records temperature and weather conditions, and shows you terrain and traffic.
Download Walkmeter App
Free to download and use basic features | Elite Upgrade: $9.99
Fitbit
Best for wellness and motivation
The Fitbit app is ideal for walkers of all levels. It tracks sleep and nutrition, providing a comprehensive wellness experience.
Best of all, you don’t need to have the Fitbit Tracking device to use the app!
The Fitbit app can be used to track your steps using the motion sensor on your phone (unless you have a very old phone). This is good news if your Fitbit died or if you aren’t ready to buy one. when you set up the app, it will ask which tracker you are setting up. Choose “No Fitbit Yet” and it will set up the MobileTracker. Now it will track your all-day activity sensed by your phone’s built-in accelerometer. You’ll get a step count and hourly graphs.
The app has picture- and stat-sharing capabilities and you can even encourage friends with motivating messages or set up friendly competitions with Fitbit challenges.
Wellness enthusiasts are keenly aware of Fitbits and their multiple functionalities—not only can you track your daily steps, but your sleep and nutrition, all in one place!
Download Fitbit App
Free to download and use basic features | Premium Upgrade: $9.99 monthly; $79.99 annually
Charity Miles
Best For a Cause
If you’re looking to use your time walking to help others, this is the app for you. Charity Miles gives users a platform to donate money to a favorite charity and get healthy, at the same time.
Give your walking exercise a purpose (and your running and biking, too). Open up this free app and choose a charity. Start a workout, choosing walking, running, or cycling. For each completed mile, you’ll have earned a donation for your chosen charity. The basic rate is 25 cents for walking and running miles and 10 cents for cycling miles, subject to a periodic cap.
Along the way, you can view your exercise time and miles. When done, you must post to Facebook or Twitter in order to accept sponsorship and earn money for your charity. You can also form teams and work together to raise money for charities.
If you’re struggling to find motivation, this free app is a great way to inspire more workouts.
Download Charity Miles App | Free
Walk The Distance
Best for Treadmills
The Virtual Walk – Walk the Distance app takes monotonous treadmill workouts and turns them into a scenic walk through the mountains, a popular tourist attraction, and national parks.
This is one motivating app that you can use to spice up your everyday walk indoors on the treadmill or outdoors. Your distance is plotted on a virtual walk through a scenic or historic place.
At checkpoints along the way, you can view photos and information about the sights on your virtual walk. Some routes are available for free and others are for purchase. At the end of your walk, you receive a medal.
Use your daily walking/running distance recorded from the Health app towards the Appalachian Trail. See other users completing the same route, and don’t let them pass you!
Download Walk The Distance App
Free to download and use basic features | Scenic Trails range from $0.99 to $4.99
Conclusion
Choosing a walking app comes down to personal preference, but basic stats like step count, distance, and pace are most helpful. With consistency and best practices at play, you’ll hit your walking stride, no matter your fitness goals.
Happy walking!
P.S. Make walking more enjoyable with these devices:
Best alternative to Apple Watch:
>> Breakthrough Smartwatch
Listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks while exercising:
>> Magnetic Sport Headphones
Best partner for your fitness goals:
>> Smart Fitness Scale
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I’ve been using Pacer for eight years in my 80’s, a lot of my 16,000,000 steps on the treadmill.