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You have landed on the right blog if you want to know how to develop a fitness app for your business. According to Statista, revenue in the fitness aps segment is projected to reach US$19.33bn in 2023.
If you are also looking to tap into this profitable and booming industry, then creating a workout plan app is the best way for you to get started. But how to create a fitness app?
Don’t worry; being a top mobile application development company, we have curated this complete guide for helping you build a successful fitness app. Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
- A Sneak Peek at Fitness App Market Statistics
- Fitness App Development Stages
- Top Features to Integrate in a Fitness App
- Ways to Monetize the Fitness App
- How Much Time Does It Take to Develop a Fitness App?
- How Much Does It Cost to Develop a Fitness App from Scratch?
- FAQs About Fitness App Development
- Ready to Build a Fitness App for Your Business?
A Sneak Peek at Fitness Market Statistics
Where almost everything is just one tap away, how the fitness/wellness industry can stay behind? It’s no secret that people choose convenience over anything.
Therefore, the fitness market has taken advantage of this opportunity. In fact, top health and fitness apps like Peloton, Fit Body, and Nike Training Club are already making huge profits.
Let’s cover some app market statistics to see why developing a fitness app is a good strategy.
- According to a report by Market Research Future, the global fitness market is estimated at USD 156.82 billion by 2030.
- Revenue of fitness apps market is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 14.34%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$33.04bn by 2027 as per Statista.
- E-Lifestyles, reflecting the values, interests, and opinions of consumers, have a positive relationship with perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and attitude toward fitness Apps according to research paper by Semantics Scholar.
- Valuates reports that smartphones are going to be the most dominating segment of fitness app market share growth by 2030.
Source: Valuates
Looking at these statistics, we can conclude that developing a fitness app is the best approach to tap into this industry and generate a high ROI.
So how to create your own fitness app integrating necessary fitness appplication related features? What are the different stages of health and fitness app development? Want to know everything in detail to make a fitness app? Then check the below section.
Want to Build a Fitness App That Helps You Make Money?
Space-O is a leading fitness application development company in the USA. We will help you devise a custom strategy for your project.
How to Create a Fitness App from Scratch in 7 Stages
We have divided the stages of fitness application development into 7 steps. Going through all the fitness application development process steps one by one will help you to create your own fitness app.
Choose the Type of Fitness App You Want to Build
Firstly in discovery phase, it is essential to identify wwhich fitness app type you want to build to attract your target audience. Therefore, start by categorizing your fitness app idea and choose one of the fitness app types that will help you stand out amongst the competitors.
We have mentioned app fitness app types for your easy reference:
- Online Fitness and Workout Apps
- Hunger Control Apps
- Diet and Nutrition Apps
- Yoga and Meditation Apps
- Activity Tracking Apps
- Positive Habit Development Apps
- Sleep Control Apps
- Mobile Health Apps
Before you move ahead, finalize the workout app type check out some of the best health apps in the market. If you have already decided on the app type, directly jump on determining the monetization strategy for your fitness app.
Gather App Development Requirements to Develop Fitness App
At this stage of fitness application development, you will be required to identify all your business needs so that you build an app that functions exactly the same way you intended.
Also, gathering requirements will ensure that the fitness application development team understands your needs and are able to deliver the expected outcome of the project. While you do that make sure you have a solid mobile application development team structure.
Suppose it is challenging to identify your requirements for the app. In that case, you can also involve your development team or take a survey for the features and functionalities your target audience is looking for.
Apart from these approaches, use the following techniques to gather your requirements.
- Market Research
- Document Analysis
- Observation of Users
- Prototyping
- Requirements Workshop
Along with this, it is also essential for you to identify features for your app. To find the features, you can check the comment sections of the top fitness apps available on the app stores. This way, you will get to know what your target audience actually wants from your workout apps.
Focus on UI/UX of the Application
At this stage, your app designers will create user flows to define the best possible ways for your app users to interact with the app. Again, the goal is to design a simple and navigational design for your audience so that there is no room left for confusion. Also, refer this guide to understand what is a good app design practice. This stage also includes the creation of wireframes and mockups to design the final look of the app.
Also, choosing to build a prototype will help you identify issues and opportunities with the functionality of your fitness app. A prototype is simply an interactive representation of your fitness app. To understand these designs in-depth, refer to the iOS design patterns guide.
The prototype starts with a low-fidelity version of the design and goes on to prepare a high-fidelity prototype. This will help you test and iterate to improve the overall understanding of the design.
Initiate Fitness App Development
This is the development phase where the fitness app developers will build your app. But before you go ahead to build an app, it is essential you identify the right tech stack for your app.
5.1. Choose the Right Tech Stack
When the prototype is ready and finalized, you need to decide on the right tech stack for your fitness app. You can always hire a dedicated developer and discuss your project requirement with them as well.
But why is it important to choose the right tech stack for your project?
- Your choice of tech stack will highly affect the cost of app development
- A tech stack comes with its benefits and limitations
So let’s discuss how to find the right tech stack for your project based on the app types by technology.
App Type Native App Cross-platform App Definition A native app is built specifically for an operating system, either Android or iOS. A cross-platform app is intended to run on multiple mobile operating systems. There are multiple mobile application development frameworks that will help you build scalable cross-platform fitness applications. Tech Stack Swift, Java, Kotlin, Xcode, Android Studio, IntelliJ IDEA, Android NDK React Native, Flutter, Xamarin, Angular, Vue, Ionic, PhoneGap Example Apple Fitness+ Gyroscope In fact, using the same technologies, we built a sports app for fitness enthusiasts.
The Game Set Stat was specially developed for tennis lovers who love maintaining all their past and current match details. Playing regularly and keeping records motivate them to maintain a healthy life.
5.2. Front-end Development of Fitness Applications
At this stage, front-end developers build the front-end portion of the fitness and workout app, which users actually see and interact with. Generally, developers use JavaScript, HTML, CSS, React Native, Angular, and Flutter for front-end development.
5.3. Back-end Development of Fitness Tracker App
The developers do the backend coding to define the functionalities of the fitness apps. It includes several phases, such as:
- Integration of basic features
- User account authentication
- Account management
- Integration with third-party websites
- Customization of the UX of the fitness applications
- Testing functionalities of the fitness apps
App Testing of Your Fitness App
Once your app is developed, the quality analyst team will ensure that is app is bug-free and running seamlessly on its intended platforms and several devices under all circumstances. Also, the QA team will check the app’s functionality by carrying out functional and non-functional testing.
This process might be time-taking. However, this is one of the most important stages that actually decides the success of your app. Therefore, investing some extra time in performing app testing is essential. Also, know that if your app will not be appropriately tested, there is a high chance of your app getting rejected from app stores. Especially, if you are planning to upload Android app, know how to publish Android app on Google Play Store.
Here are the different types of testing the QA team will perform to check the performance of your app.
- Functional Testing
- Localization Testing
- Speed Testing
- Usability Testing
- Performance Testing
- Security Testing
App Deployment and Maintenance
If you choose Space-O as your fitness application development partner, then launching your fitness or workout plan app is a part of our mobile app development process.
Our fitness mobile application development team is well-aware of the app store guidelines to launch your app successfully. In fact, we also offer 90-days of free maintenance services after the launch of the fitness app to all our clients across the world.
Space-O is a leading sports and fitness application development company in the USA have experience developing more than 30 fitness and healthcare apps. We are always known for offering the best quality services to our clients.
In fact, one of our clients, Mr. Antonio, appreciated us for going beyond and above to build his fitness and food log mobile apps. Currently, his app is really performing well and helping him to earn profits. Have a look at his testimonial.
Now you know the different stages of fitness and health app development. You must be confident to build a meditation app, workout app, nutrition apps, or any other fitness application.
However, to make an app successful, it is crucial to integrate the top features in the diet and nutrition apps.
So what features to include in a fitness application to make it successful?
Don’t worry; we have covered that section below. Let’s find out the top features you can integrate into your fitness application or activity tracking apps.
Top Features to Integrate into a Fitness App
To build a successful fitness app, you must integrate the top features that make your app stand out. Let’s discuss the top features of a fitness app.
Basic Features of a Fitness App
Here are some of the common features that you need to integrate into your fitness app. Let’s discuss all the fitness app features in detail.
| List of Fitness App Features | Description |
|---|---|
| Registration/Login | The users will sign in to access the features of your app. |
| Wearable Device Connection | Fitness, weight loss, and yoga apps function better when connected with wearable devices. Your paid app users can track the time spent on exercise and the number of calories burnt. |
| Social Media Platforms | Users love to share their achievements with friends via their social media accounts. Social media is also a great way to attract new users to your app. |
| Personal Diary | Fitness enthusiasts love to keep track of meal consumption. If you are building sleep tracking apps, then offer tracking hours slept feature. |
| User Profile & Dashboard | This section will have important information about your users, so they are able to track and manage their data accordingly, such as weight, goals, and meal plans. |
| Workout Menu | Your workout app should have this feature that lets users do exercise with customized workout plans. |
Advanced Features of a Fitness App
Once you decide on your basic app features, it is time to look at the advanced features of your fitness app. These advanced diet app features will help you stand out in the online welness industry. You can even choose to offer these advanced features as a part of your subscription plan.
| Advanced Features of Fitness App | Description |
|---|---|
| Live Streaming | As COVID has changed the dynamics of the fitness industry, now the coaches stream workout exercises for thousands of people simultaneously. |
| On-Demand Video | On-demand workout videos are a great feature that helps users attend classes on their own time. |
| Video Tutorials | You can integrate short video tutorials and help users to do certain exercises safely. |
| Educational Content | You can also choose to offer this feature where the exercises are uploaded in written form instead of showcasing videos. |
| Gamification and Leaderboards | Integrate game-like elements into your health and fitness app. This will motivate users to reach their milestones. And with passing each task, users will earn points and help them to be ranked on the leaderboard. |
| Virtual Coaches | Hiring a personal trainer could be expensive for several users. In such a scenario, adding this feature will help users to get a little extra fitness guidance. |
| Barcode Scanner | Diet and nutrition fitness apps must have this feature to help users scan barcodes on packaged foods to check the nutritional content. |
| Integration with Third-Party Apps & Wearables | Integrate this feature to make it easier for the users to share data with your diet app to other apps like Health App on iPhones. |
Now you must be curious to know the actual cost of developing a fitness app. If this is so, let’s dive in to find out the cost of workout application development.
Ways to Monetize the Fitness App
Like every other entrepreneur, you must want to earn a passive income from your fitness app. Also, you may be wondering how free apps make money? If so, here are the monetization strategies you can take into consideration to develop workout apps.
| Monetization Strategy | Description | Example | Key Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Users pay a monthly or annual fee to unlock premium features. | Apple Fitness Plus |
|
| In-app Purchases | Offer extra premium features that users can buy to unlock. | Nike Training Club |
|
| Advertisements | Integrate ads to create an income stream | MyFitnessPal |
|
| Fees | Associate the app with online fitness coaches and charge for accessing training modules. | Trainerize |
|
| Affiliate Marketing | Promote fitness products or services and earn a commission for every sale through the app. | MyFitnessPal (for nutrition products) |
|
| Sponsored Content | Collaborate with fitness brands or influencers to feature their content or products for a fee. | Blogilates (for sponsored workouts) |
|
| Physical Merchandise | Sell branded merchandise like workout gear, equipment, or supplements directly through the app. | Gymshark (apparel) |
|
| Paid Events or Webinars | Host exclusive online events, classes, or webinars that users have to pay to attend. | Peloton (for special classes) |
|
| Donations | Allow dedicated users to support the app through voluntary donations. | – |
|
How Much Time Does It Take to Develop a Fitness App?
Generally, it takes 2 – 9 months to build a full-fledged fitness app. However, the range of app development timelines is influenced by various factors, such as the complexity of the app, mobile app development platform, usage of the API services, app development approach, and features and functionalities you wish to integrate into your app. Below is a simplified table outlining the development timeline for simple, medium, and complex fitness apps.
| Phase | Simple App (Weeks) | Medium App (Weeks) | Complex App (Weeks) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Research | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Feature Planning | 1 | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| Technical Specification | 0 | 1 | 1-2 |
| Wireframing | 1 | 1-2 | 2-3 |
| UI/UX Design | 1-2 | 2-3 | 3-4 |
| Backend Development | 2 | 4-6 | 8-12 |
| Frontend Development | 2-3 | 3-4 | 4-6 |
| API Integration | 0-1 | 1-2 | 2-4 |
| Testing Phase | 1-2 | 2-4 | 4-6 |
| Deployment & Launch | 1 | 1-2 | 2-4 |
| Post-Launch Maintenance | Ongoing | Ongoing | Ongoing |
- Simple App: 8-14 weeks
- Medium App: 17-28 weeks
- Complex App: 32-50 weeks
Total Time Required
To know the exact gym workoutapp development timeline for your custom project, get in touch with our technical consultant, who has more than 20 years of experience validating fitness app ideas and delivering custom app solutions.
How Much Does It Cost to Develop a Fitness App from Scratch?
However, this cost depends upon your app requirement, geography, complexity, and development phase as well.
To know in-depth fitness app development costing, we have discussed with our senior application development professional to get the following cost of fitness app development. Let’s take you through the different fitness app development stages.
Cost Based on Fitness App Development Stages
Firstly, we are going to discuss the app development cost based on the different stages of the app development life cycle. Have a look at the following table.
Fitness App Development Stage Estimated Cost Planning and Prototyping $1000 to $10,000 Designing and Coding $10,000 to $50,000 Fitness App Testing $1000 to $10,000 Cost Based on Fitness App Complexity
Also, the app development cost is influenced by the complexity of the app. Please know that the features and functionalities certainly increase the app’s complexity. The more features you integrate, the more you increase your fitness app’s complexity.
Type Fitness App Features Estimated Cost Simple App - Registration/Login
- Wearable Device Connection
- Social Media Sharing
- User Profile & Dashboard
- Workout Menu
- Fitness Database
$15,000 to $60,000 Complex App - Live Streaming
- On-Demand Video
- Educational Content
- Video Tutorials
- Gamification and Leaderboards
- Virtual Coaches
- Barcode Scanner
- Integration with Third-Party Apps & Wearables
$65,000 to $1,20,000 Cost of Fitness Application Developers Based on the Locations
There is another factor that influences the app development cost, which is the location of the developer. Therefore, we have shared the developers’ per hour costs based on different locations. Have a look.
Location Per Hour Cost The USA & Canada $100 – $250 per hour Western Europe $80 – $150 per hour Eastern Europe $25 – $100 per hour India $20 – $50 per hour
Also, check the following image to find how much app development costs based on different regions.
Source: GoodFirms
We have also answered a few common questions related to fitness app development. Check the next section for frequently asked questions.
Want Exact App Development Cost for Your Project?
Contact us with your requirements. Our technical professional will validate your businesss idea and offer you a free custom quote.
FAQs About Fitness App Development
What are the best fitness app development practices?
Here are a few things that you can consider in your fitness app to make it stand out.
- Build a social community for fitness enthusiasts by allowing them to share their meals, daily routine, and workout plans and follow each other
- Choose to integrate your nutrition apps with Siri and Google Assistant to enable voice control
- Gamification elements in gym app will help your users to have fun while doing exercises
- Consider the UI aesthetics that will help you stand out from others fitness app like nutrition apps, workout apps
Where to find a fitness app development company or where to find the best fitness app developers?
The list of following companies are the fitness app development company.
- Space-O Technologies
- Clutch
- Upwork
- Toptal
What are the things to consider while hiring a fitness app development company?
Here are the things which you need to consider before you hire a reliable app development company.
Also, you can check the following parameters when it comes to considering the right fitness mobile app development company.
- Global presence of the company and app development team size
- Fitness app design and development standards
- NDA agreements and secured & transparent policies
Ready to Build a Fitness App for Your Business?
You know the fitness application market size of the healthcare industry. You learned about how to make a fitness app and the opportunitiy it brings along with it. Through this complete fitness app development guide, you have also learned the 7 steps to building a fitness application as per your business idea. Now is the right time to tap into this industry to make huge profits by creating activity tracking apps.
Get in touch with us to discuss your custom requirements for a fitness app. Space-O Technologies is one of the best mobile app development companies in the USA and Canada, developing more than 4400 apps for various industries. Once you contact us through the ‘Contact Us’ page, our team will coordinate with you further.
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