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Fitness and wellness have long been extremely profitable markets. In the creator economy, fitness-focused influencer apps are yet another example of how influencers are changing the world.
While some influencers were sharing quarantine tips or mastering the art of brand ambassador marketing, others were building their own fitness empires. For these athletes and gym enthusiasts, the ability to beam their favorite workouts and health tips right to their followers’ phones has been a dream made reality.
In 2022, some of the best resources available for at-home workouts are influencer apps. Nothing beats the convenience of pulling out your phone or tablet and selecting a preferential workout led by your favorite #fitstagram personality.
Read on to find out how the fitness industry is being tousled by influencers, and check out our picks for the best influencer apps for at-home workouts.
Influencer apps soar in a booming industry
Via Grand View Research
Between the years 2017 and 2021, according to a Future Markets study, the fitness apps market value has increased at a compound annual growth rate of about 14.6%, with the prospects of growing at an even higher rate from 2022 to 2032.
According to Grand View Research, a U.S.-based market research firm, the global fitness app market size was valued at $1.1 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 17.6% between now and 2030. North America accounts for over 40% of the global market.
The fitness app industry experienced a boon during the COVID-19 pandemic, as gyms closed and more customers were driven to fitness apps. Some of the influencer apps on this list were founded, and saw immediate success, during the pandemic.
Why you should follow fitness influencers today
Self-improvement is the least of many reasons to keep an eye on fitness influencers and influencer apps. As with any industry, influencers have been heavily cashing in on affiliate marketing opportunities.
Is affiliate marketing really worth the hype? Read all about it here.
Popping up in an already profitable industry, these influencers have polished their strategies for motivating others while staying true to themselves. Combining the relatability that their social platforms facilitate with the stability of an industry that some might call essential, influencers are slowly taking over.
Some still argue that the spike in popularity of fitness influencer apps is only temporary. It’s true that the market will probably level out at some point, but the popularity of these apps is multi-faceted.
Odds are some of these apps will remain a crucial part of many workout routines for their ease, privacy, and customizeable formats.
Best Influencer Apps for At-Home Workouts
Not all influencer apps are created equal. While there are pros and cons to any service, each influencer on this list has their own branding and marketing strategy. Some have joined forces with larger brand names or other fitness trainers to provide more offerings to customers.
Others have harnessed their own momentum as influencers to push their programs as unique standalone services. Every influencer’s community differs at least slightly, and sometimes drastically. The influencer apps on this list do an excellent job of appealing to the specific needs and wants of their audiences.
1. Adriene Mishler
International yoga teacher Adriene Mishler is an entrepreneur and influencer from Austin, Texas. She hosts a YouTube channel and virtual community called “Yoga with Adriene” with more than 11 million subscribers. Her channel provides a wide range of free videos on yoga and mindfulness to people around the globe.
Mishler is also a co-founder of Find What Feels Good (FWFG), a subscription-based app that differs from the other influencer apps on this list. Rather than focusing solely on the physical fitness angle, FWFG provides yoga-related content across all devices and includes kid-friendly yoga, guided meditations, and other lifestyle content. She’s also helped to create FWFG Kula, a free social app for yoga companies and communities to digitally gather together.
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2. Whitney Simmons
Fitness influencer and self-love advocate Whitney Simmons has spent about 10 years crafting her workout program and the Alive App. With more than 3.4M followers on Instagram alone, Simmons has built her brand upon her personal workout journey.
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While she keeps most of her personal life private, Simmons also uses her platform to spread awareness and support for people living with psoriasis. The app includes daily workouts focused on certain areas of the body and step-by-step guided workout programs.
3. Steve Kris
Fitness influencer Steve Kris started his career as a soccer player. After suffering a serious knee injury, Kris adopted weight lifting and his personal fitness goals. He started his Instagram account in 2014, simply sharing pictures and videos about his fitness lifestyle, and quickly gained traction.
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His community of followers has now surpassed 1.3M, and he has become an inspiration to people all over the world. Kris offers one fitness app with two focuses: meals and workouts. Customers have the choice between subscribing only for a workout plan, only the meal plan, or a combination of both. The app can also be accessed from multiple devices.
4. Uzoma Obilor
Professional natural bodybuilder Uzoma Obilar has more than 10 years of experience and a following of more than 873K on Instagram. Combining his passion for bodybuilding with his own brand of authenticity, Obilar shares workout tips and motivational content while promoting a natural, drug-free workout plan.
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He has developed multiple training programs, all available in the Uzoma Obilar mobile app. The subscription-based app is hosted by Playbook, a platform that hosts numerous other fitness trainer’s programs. Buyers of Obilar’s program also gain access to the other trainers on the Playbook platform.
In addition to multi-week training programs and nutritional guidance, Obilar offers videos explaining form and mind-muscle connection techniques.
5. Danyele Wilson
Danyele Wilson is an Elite certified fitness trainer and influencer with more than 282K followers on Instagram. Wilson has designed workouts that can be done at home or at the gym, with programs to suit various fitness levels.
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Wilson hosts her programs on the Evolve You app, which includes a handful of other trainers as well. By promoting a “never settle” attitude, she inspires her followers to “go be great” every day. In addition to her workout programs, Wilson takes full advantage of her influencer platform with a variety of other brand partnerships.
Influencer apps are not the only booming media these days. See our list of the top influencer podcasts here.
Will influencer apps survive beyond the pandemic?
If you’re inspired by these stories of success, you may be considering developing an app yourself. It’s pretty possible, in many ways, but you have to consider factors that impact the cost of app development. Regarding fitness apps, there will always be people who prefer to work out at home compared to a gym, even in a post-pandemic reality. Additionally, fitness influencer apps have opened a whole new world for gym-goers.
Each app is like a personal trainer who lives in the pockets of millions of users, all at once. Professional fitness experts around the world are able to share their knowledge and advice with anyone willing to subscribe.
