The Rise in Fitness Apps: A Real Improvement in Physical Activities or Just Another Fad?

Fitness apps have evolved from simple step counters or basic exercise logs into comprehensive health and wellness platforms. It has become common for people to share their daily workout updates on social media. The Apple fitness app, popular among Apple Watch and iPhone users, tracks physical activities in three concentric circles, measuring calories burned based on the number of movements, exercise duration, and standing time. Other fitness apps include Fitbit, which uses sensors to track steps, distance, and heart rate.

The most downloaded health and fitness apps worldwide in 2022.

These digital platforms now approach fitness by offering convenience and a variety of tools to track and enhance physical activity.

But are these apps genuinely engaging people in sustained physical activities, or are they merely the latest fad in the health and wellness industry?

Unprecedented Market Growth

Fitness apps generated $3.58 billion in revenue in 2023. The COVID-19 pandemic also had a significant impact on the fitness industry. Before the pandemic, the fitness app industry was worth $2.87 billion in 2019. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, revenue for fitness apps increased by 46% in the first half of 2020.

Since March 2020, there has been a 350% increase in downloads of fitness apps. It is expected that the global fitness app market will reach $14.7 billion by 2027, with a cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.6% from 2020 to 2027.

The diet and weight loss app sector makes up 55% of the total fitness app market.  Apple Fitness has approximately 29% market share in the fitness app market, with Leap Fitness Group’s portfolio of apps capturing 22% of the market.

Increased App Downloads

Fitness apps were downloaded over 850 million times in 2023. During the pandemic, fitness app downloads grew by 46% globally, with regions like India experiencing a 156% increase in new active users. The demand for fitness apps has continued to grow post-pandemic, reflecting a lasting shift in how people engage with fitness and health management.

Surge in App Users

In 2023, the number of users of fitness apps increased by 55% compared to pre-COVID-19 levels, reaching a total of 368 million users. This surge in users was also followed by an increase in daily active users, indicating that people were not just downloading these apps and forgetting about them, but were actually using them. During the initial months of the pandemic, fitness apps experienced a 24% increase in daily active users globally.

Fitness Apps and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD)  

Lack of physical activity and unhealthy diets can result in high blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, increased blood lipids, and obesity. These factors, known as metabolic risk factors, can lead to cardiovascular disease, which is the leading non-communicable disease in terms of premature deaths.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), annually, 830,000 deaths can be attributed to insufficient physical activity. With the increasing use of fitness apps, it is expected that this will contribute to reducing disability and deaths caused by non-communicable diseases.

Conclusion

The rise of fitness apps represents a major shift in how people approach physical fitness. This shift is enhanced by technological advancements and the growing emphasis on health and wellness. The sustained growth in downloads and active users all indicate the genuine and effective use of fitness apps in promoting physical activity.