Guide on How to Create Workout App like My Fitness Pal and Earn

Future of Fitness Tracker App

The fitness tracker app is getting momentum in the present times. The reason being, people are busy and doing sitting jobs at least 8 hours a day on an average. This is leading to high cholesterol, stress, and obesity in people. People want an easy option that helps them to feel healthy anytime and anywhere as per their convenience. 

Fitness app solutions is in demand because due to the pandemic. People are avoiding to go in gyms or yoga centers. They want to get healthy at home with the guidance of experts and health tracking apps to provide the same. Here are some of the facts to acknowledge the same.

• The US stands top in healthcare spending with $10,224 per capita.-policyadvice.net
• The health searches contribute to 5% of total Google searches- Google
• Youngsters (age 18-24) are more involved with health-related issues and awareness through online mediums like social media. – Getreferralmd.com
• Around 19% of smartphone users have at least one health tracking app. It could be either related to diet, workout, nutrition, etc. – getreferralmd.com
• 64% of physicians say that IoT can aid to reduce the burden on nurses and doctors.-policyadvice.net
• The net worth of the health industry in 2018 was $8.45 trillion.- policyadvice.net

Therefore, it is quite evident that thinking of fitness app development is a great idea as it has good scope especially due to the pandemic.

But the fitness tracking apps are of different types that perform different functions. Let us learn what all are they so that you get better clarity.

Types of Health Tracking Apps

The health tracking apps vary from specialization to specialization. Different fitness tracking app deals with different functions that give an insight into the particular health aspect. However, the apps these days share lots of information and insights about your app. 

The image below shows the different types of health tracking apps that you can consider for development.

1. Workout Apps

In these kinds of apps, the main focus is on sharing information and training sessions for workouts. To create workout apps, you have to streamline the exercises for different body parts or the overall fitness of the person.

These apps show workout exercises through infographics or videos for a better understanding of the user. These apps could either be related to a specific training program like abs workout or slimming fat arm etc or could be for the whole body. 

Some of the workout apps also have timers to perform particular workout activities in a specific time frame.

2. Nutritional Apps

The nutritional apps keep track of what you eat and what you should eat. It is basically a diet app that suggests to you what you should consider eating for a healthy body and lifestyle.

The user fills in the information and with respect to their age and BMI (body mass index) the food items are suggested. 

These apps are high in demand as they help in maintaining a good balance in food quality that the user eats. It is also a good health tracking app to go for if you want to change your eating habits or focus to cure a particular problem area by good food intake.

3. Personal Training Apps

In these apps, you can actually feel like you are at the gym. The user is assigned a personal trainer. It could be either a real person or AI assistant that guides the user through their fitness journey.

Just like a regular trainer, this trainer in the health tracking app tells users what to eat, what workout exercises to do, and other activities they need to take up for a healthy lifestyle.

The guidance of the food and exercise are provided post health assessment. It is conducted after the information is fed by the user itself. 

4. Calorie Counter Apps

It is quite similar to nutritional apps the only difference is that it is a self-guided take on healthy eating. In this, the user after filling in their information learns what is an optimum calorie intake they should have for their specified health goal.

The calories that are provided should be monitored with the food they eat and the physical activities they perform. The calories consumed are fed manually or by taking pictures of food. It all depends on the advancement level of fitness app development.

The calories burnt could either be fed manually or calculated by wearable gadgets. 

5. Hybrid Apps

As the name suggests, it is a mix of all the apps that are mentioned above. In these apps, you get a personal trainer that suggest to you what food you should eat and what workout exercises the user needs to do to attain their specific health goal.

Also, along with that, these apps give you leverage to self-monitor yourself by doing calorie calculations through what food you eat and what you burn through the medium of workout. Therefore, the fitness app development for such an app includes all the features and functionality of all other apps altogether.

7 Essential Steps to Follow for Successful Fitness App Development

Making a fitness app isn’t merely coding. It’s an end-to-end adventure, from knowing exactly what your users really need to launch a scalable, high-performance product that competes in a saturated market.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to approaching fitness app development in the most effective and fulfilling manner:

1. Conduct In-Depth Market Research

All successful fitness apps start with a thorough understanding of the market. Analyze top apps such as MyFitnessPal, Fitbit, and Nike Training Club. Analyze their features, read user reviews, and identify pain points they fail to address. Research fitness trends such as AI integration, wearable support, personalized coaching and pinpoint what your target audience craves.

2. Define Your App’s Unique Value Proposition

With so many apps available in the market, what sets your app apart? Do you feel like you can emphasize AI-facilitated nutrition tracking, social responsibility, or gamified exercises? Establishing a clear USP for your app allows you to set priorities on features and market your app successfully. You need to decide early on whether you want to develop an app like MyFitnessPal for workouts or venture ahead with innovations.

3. Decide the Feature Set (MVP + Advanced)

Break your features into two categories:

• MVP (Minimum Viable Product): Workout plans, calorie tracker, progress dashboard.
• Advanced: AI recommendations, community forums, wearable device sync, and smart alerts.

Plan these thoughtfully, balancing must-haves with nice-to-haves to avoid scope creep and bloated budgets.

4. Choose the Right Technology Stack

Tech stack impacts cost, scalability, and performance. For mobile development, React Native or Flutter allows cross-platform builds. Backend services like Node.js, Python (Django), and Firebase support real-time syncing and scalability. For AI features, TensorFlow or Core ML works great for predictions and automation.

5. Design a User-Centric UI/UX

Your success relies on how enjoyable and seamless it is to use your app. Invest in responsive, clean, and intuitive UI. Consider onboarding flows for first-time users, accessibility for different age groups, and gamified visuals for higher engagement.

6. Develop, Test, and Iterate the MVP

Build your MVP with core functionality. Once the prototype is live, test rigorously like unit tests, integration testing, and real-user feedback. Use that feedback to tweak the app before full-scale deployment.

7. Launch, Market, and Maintain

Launch your app on both the App Store and Google Play with optimized metadata. Invest in ASO (App Store Optimization), influencer outreach, and paid campaigns. Post-launch, maintain a robust feedback loop and roll out regular updates based on analytics and user reviews.

Essential Features to Create Workout App Like My Fitness Pal

Now, as we have learned about the types of fitness apps. I hope it might have given you a major clarity upon which category to choose for fitness app development. But have you ever wondered what are the features you need to include to create a workout app? Here are some main functionality features one should consider.

Let us decode each of them in detail.

1. Easy onboarding

When the person logins in or sign up for the app. The process of doing it should be very simple. The logging in or signing up should be done by simply social media integration or filling in either mobile number or email credentials.

After the sign-up is done, logging in to the app every time over the same phone should be easy with a single tap. The onboarding for the personal trainers (if you create a workout app that includes personal trainers) should also be easy.

They can log in at their panel of PT with the same process and handle the clients. And you being the user of the admin panel should be able to log in to the app and learn all the necessary information required.

2. Push notifications

The push notifications are very important for the person who runs the admin panel in the health tracking app. Admin panel is very important as it regulates the whole app and learns the insights of the users and the personal trainers attached to the app. 

The push notification button allows the admin to send customized notifications to the users and personal trainers regarding the discounts, special offers, or new programs and features they want their target audience to enroll in.

The admin can send this message with just one click to all their users or a selected group of people altogether without bothering any other development functionality.

3. Goal setting

Everyone signs up on a fitness tracking app with a goal. The goal to get fit and healthy. Some people come with a goal for weight loss, some to cure any health disease, or some for regular body health.

Enabling feature that lets a user set their goal with respect to their requirement increases the friendly user experience for the users. They feel that the app understands them and based on their filled information provides them customized health solutions.

4. Progress tracking

As said above goal setting is an important feature. It allows users to learn what they have to achieve. Similarly, the feature of progress tracking is also equally important. 

The progress tracking feature each day shows how much the user has done to reach the target. This acts as a motivation for the user as they can see and learn what and how much more they have to do to get the desired result.

The progress could be either tracked by wearable gadgets or by manual feeding. In the calorie counter and diet apps, the users have to feed by themselves for knowing their progress about the estimated calorie intake.

5. Expressive Dashboard

The dashboards are the windows to the user where they can learn about what to do, how to do it, and then track their progress. The dashboard of the user, the personal trainer, and the admin panel should be explainable by the easy app navigation and extra friendly user interface.

The dashboard should be easy to understand so that the user while browsing the app should be able to know how to set their profile and what are their current progress respect to the given goal.

Read More: How to Develop a Health and Fitness App [Detailed Guide + Cost]

Advanced Features That Make Your Fitness App Stand Out Like MyFitnessPal

If you’re looking to create a workout app like MyFitnessPal, basic calorie counters, and step trackers just won’t cut it anymore. Here are the top advanced features to include to future-proof your fitness app and drive revenue:

1. Paid Subscription Tiers (Freemium Model)

The freemium model is the revenue backbone for apps like MyFitnessPal. Offer core features for free and gate premium ones like personalized coaching, AI-generated diet plans, or access to exclusive workout libraries behind a subscription. Price it smartly with monthly, quarterly, and annual options, and include a free trial to boost conversions.

2. Social Media Integration

Fitness is a journey many people love to share. Connect with Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X to enable posting of progress, achievements, or challenges. This not only encourages motivation and accountability but turns users into organic brand ambassadors creating a viral growth loop.

3. In-App Chat Module

Communication adds massive value. Let users chat with trainers, join group discussions, or talk to customer support directly within the app. You can offer real-time chatbots for common queries and premium live coaching for paid users. This feature makes your app feel like a full-blown virtual fitness community.

4. In-App Purchases for Extra Content

Beyond subscriptions, offer microtransactions for downloadable content, specialized training programs, healthy meal bundles, meditation audio packs, and even fitness gear. This diversifies your revenue and enhances the user experience.

5. Wearable Integration & Smart Syncing

Support for wearables like Apple Watch, Fitbit, and Garmin boosts accuracy in tracking and user engagement. Let users sync steps, heart rate, sleep, and calories burned seamlessly into your app.

6. AI-Powered Suggestions

Harness the potential of AI to suggest exercise schedules according to exhaustion levels, meal recommendations according to daily macrons, or even send warnings if users are under threat of burning out. All these preventative attributes are what trendy fitness enthusiasts crave.

Recommended Read: How Much Does It Cost to Develop Mood Tracking Apps?

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Fitness App Like MyFitnessPal?

The price to develop a fitness app usually ranges from $10,000 to $100,000, depending on a number of key factors that can inflate or deflate your budget. Let’s dissect what really affects the price of your fitness app development:

1. Platform Choice

Are you creating for Android, iOS, or both? Are you developing for Android, iOS, or both? Single-platform development is less expensive, whereas a cross-platform or native option for both platforms raises the cost but also improves reach and usability.

2. Feature Complexity

A simple calorie tracker is vastly different from a fully AI-powered fitness assistant. Features like real-time chat, wearable integrations, personalized plans, and smart notifications all add development hours and thus, increase the cost.

3. Team Location

Recruiting developers from North America or Europe will be much more expensive than outsourcing to Asia or Eastern Europe. Yet it’s essential to balance cost savings with excellence and interactions.

4. Team Size & Expertise

A lean team with generalists may reduce costs, but a specialized team ensures faster delivery and better product quality. More experts on board means a higher price tag—but also a more refined app.

With an understanding of these most important cost factors, you can strategize your fitness app development budget better and stay away from unpleasant surprises later.

Ways of Monetization after Fitness App Development

So up till now, we are aware of the different kinds of fitness tracking apps. What are the main functionality features one would consider while doing a fitness app development and what are the scopes attached to it.

 Let us now learn how you can create a workout app and earn a lot from it in different ways. The broad categories in which you can monetize your fitness tracking app are as follows.

Let us have a look at how one can generate revenues from them.

1. Ads

Get sponsorships from other brands and products and show their ads. You can show their ads in the middle of the workout process or in form of ad posters located somewhere at your mobile app layout.

By promoting the ad of some other brand over your app, it will give you an extra source of income. The popular your app gets, the more you will be given offers to promote ads of other parties. So showing ads on your app is a good way of generating money.

2. Subscription Plans

Subscription plans are wholesome packs of services that are provided to the user at the lumpsum amount. It is the kind of way to entice your users to get more features and facilities at lesser prices.

For example, your app provides custom diet charts at 50 US dollars per month. In subscription plans, you can provide the same services for 3 months at 125 US dollars and for 6 months at 250 US dollars.

Thus, the user has an option to choose on the go plan or any other plan that saves them money and provides you lumpsum big amount from the user all at once!

3. Paid features

The best way to earn revenue from your app is by keeping some standard features for free and the rest of the others paid. Show the functionality of your app and its effectiveness by providing free trials or keeping some features free.

Once the user is interested in your app, they will be willing to exploit the features of the app even by paying the amount for them.

For example, the app provides workout sessions through videos or infographics, once the user is inclined towards the app, you can pitch for personal trainer workout sessions that are paid. You can also incorporate subscription plans for the same.

4. Affiliations

Affiliate marketing is very much like an ad promotion that we already talked about in the first point. The only difference in ad promotion we get a fixed amount. Whereas in the affiliations, the one who is promoting gets a certain percentage of the profits earned by the product that is getting promoted.

You can also go for affiliation for the complementary apps. Like if you have made a workout app for yourself you can go with an affiliation with a diet app or any other fitness tracking app that complements your function.

How Can Apptunix Help You with Fitness App Development?

​If you’re looking to create a fitness app that not only fulfills but also surpasses user expectations, Apptunix is your go-to development partner. With more than 11 years of experience and a portfolio of over 1,000 delivered products, Apptunix has proven itself to be a pioneer in the field of fitness app development.

What Sets Apptunix Apart in Fitness App Development?

• Comprehensive Fitness App Solutions: From diet and nutrition tracking to workout planning at the gym, yoga sessions, and sleep & mood monitoring, we craft it all with precision.
• Expertise in Cutting-Edge Technologies: We integrate AI, AR/VR, and IoT seamlessly into your app, making it smarter, more engaging, and future-proof.
• End-to-End Development Process: Our team provides total responsibility for fitness app development by conducting extensive market research followed by user-centric interface creation, extensive quality assurance and extended platform maintenance service after launch completion.
• Transparent Pricing & Timely Delivery: The company delivers services alongside full pricing disclosure which includes no surprise fees. No delays. You will receive development services that maintain full reliability and efficiency within your defined budget schedule.
• Trusted by Global Fitness Giants: We’ve collaborated with big brands such as Gymshark and JustFit and assisted them in creating apps that users adore.
• Tailor-Made for Your Business Needs: We don’t create cookie-cutter apps. Each solution is custom-built to fit your brand, audience, and growth strategy.
• Innovation Meets Personalization: In a crowded market, we help your app stand out with a unique blend of creativity, technology, and strategy.

Conclusion

The fitness tracking app is the need of the hour. People are at home, working over laptops, and having a lazy lifestyle. They are getting aware of the importance of being fit and are searching out for options that provide them assistance to maintain their health. If you are looking for best fitness app development company, you can hire us. 

In a pandemic scenario, online fitness tracking apps are a great help. It aligns with social distancing norms and yet assists people on how to keep themselves healthy and fit. Therefore, to make an app like My Fitness Pal stands a chance of getting hit.