Fitness app development is exploding – what healthcare company isn’t trying to create a fitness app for their customers? According to Allied Market Research, the global fitness app market size was valued at USD 13.78 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 120.37 billion by 2030. As the COVID-19 pandemic keeps people at home, consumers are looking for new ways to keep exercise interesting. . Adaptable brands are rushing to provide the next best service.
If your team is considering fitness and wellness app development, read on for an overview of the process and the tools you’ll need.
Create a fitness app in 6 steps
The process of developing a fitness app is very similar to the process of creating any other kind of mobile app. Here is an overview of the process.
Planning
The planning stages before starting the technical development of your fitness app are incredibly important; the work you do here will be critical to the success of your application.
Planning includes market analysis to understand what apps already exist and what your team can create to uniquely meet consumer needs. Right now, fitness apps are a highly competitive market. To be successful, you will need a unique idea. Unless your idea is unique, you need to create a solution that works better than similar existing applications.
This planning phase also includes:
- assembling a software development team.
- determining the structure of the team.
- defining goals and application success metrics.
- technology stack selection.
UI/UX design
The UI/UX design phase is about creating a seamless and intuitive user experience. The goal is to design an app that is so easy to use that there is no opportunity to get confused or frustrated. If the app is difficult to use in any way, your users will simply switch to another fitness app. This phase usually accompanies the creation of wireframes and mockups of the final design.
Prototype
Prototyping your fitness app will allow you to identify issues and opportunities with your mobile app features early. What this process looks like will depend on what development tools you use. If you want to develop immersive AR/VR experiences for your app – more on that later – your team could create a prototype/preview within your game engine.
Development
Application development in this space relies on embedded, mobile and traditional IT suites. Your team will develop the back-end of the application, the API that communicates with the back-end, and the front-end that the user will interact with. Agile methodology is recommended for faster mobile application development.
Quality Assurance
This is one of the most important and potentially time-consuming stages of developing a fitness app. The quality assurance phase of fitness app development involves using software to test for bugs, performance, security, usability, and more.
Deployment and support
This is the stage where the final product is released to the Apple App Store and/or Google Play Store for users to download. Your team will need a developer account to run the app. It will go through an inspection process before being put into the store. Once it’s released, you’ll start monitoring it for crash reports and other user-reported issues for ongoing maintenance. It’s also important to use in-app features that prompt users to rate your app.
Tools for developing health and fitness apps
The development tools needed to build a fitness app will depend on the specifics of your app. Here are some tools your team can use.
Low-code/no-code application development tools
There are plenty of programs available for non-developers to use to create a fitness app. Some of them include Appy Pie and BuildFire. No-code tools usually have a drag-and-drop interface.
The obvious advantage of these tools is their ease of use. The downside is that they may or may not offer the flexibility you need to create exactly what you want. You will always be limited by the capabilities of the tool rather than the capabilities of your own development team. While the no-code program offers everything you need to create the fitness app you envision now, your idea can evolve over time. If you have the resources, it might be smart to start with a development team and tools that can evolve with you.
Mobile application testing
In the quality assurance phase of fitness app development, good mobile app testing software is essential. Software that automates certain processes will speed up development.
Game engine
For companies looking to expand, creating a virtual or augmented reality component to your app can be a smart investment. Think of the massively popular virtual reality exercise game Supernatural or some of the augmented reality mirror products on the market. These innovations are a new frontier for home exercise. If you want to create immersive experiences like today’s leaders in fitness technology, a game engine is a must.
Game engines aren’t just for video game developers anymore. Industries from automotive to retail – and of course fitness – use them to create amazing things for their customers and for their own business needs. As more industries use game engines, more resources and tools are available for non-developers.
Version control
If your team decides to go the custom build route, version control is an essential tool. It allows you to track and save changes to all your code and improve collaboration between team members. There are a number of version control solutions on the market. Robust tools like Helix Core are highly recommended for game engine teams.
The usefulness of mobile fitness apps
Check-in function
Many gyms have discovered the benefits of allowing members to “check-in” while they are at the gym. Not only does this help with exercise accountability, but it also allows them to share their fitness with others.
People who often see one of their friends at the gym may be inspired to join a gym. This could lead to new members joining the gym. The check-in feature is beneficial for gyms and can also be a source of free promotion.
Gym calendar
A gym calendar can be a very useful feature. It allows members to find out when classes are running and if there are any special events coming up. It also inspires them to try things they might not otherwise have heard of.
“Gyms near me”
The use of “near me” keywords in search engines have increased over the past few years. According to the survey, usage of “near me” has increased by more than 130% recently.
Mobile apps are one of the main reasons places are found in “near me” searches. When a higher number of people “check-in” to a gym, search engines will know that people are visiting the center. This will help gyms attract new members whenever people search engines for places to exercise.
Training videos
Having professional trainers create training videos on how to properly perform various exercises at the gym is a great and useful feature to add to the app.
This would also be a good way to let users know about different exercises and their benefits. This extensive knowledge will engage users and even make them regular users of the app.
Developing health and fitness apps isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. After looking at the fitness app features listed above that you can implement, it’s time to take app concepts with any mobile app development company that has experience in health and fitness app development. In addition, you can consider other features that you think can help the users of the app.
Health and fitness apps are very much needed these days as most people cannot find time to visit the gym or fitness center regularly. These people will rely more and more on such applications. However, creating such apps can be a big challenge for developers as they have to walk users through features while offering a seamless experience. So choose carefully the features you want in your fitness app and start developing it now!