Best Fitness Apps Women’s Health Guide: Cycle, Strength, Pelvic Floor

by | Jun 9, 2026 | Exercise

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The best fitness apps women’s health goals call for do three different jobs: they get you moving, they track your cycle or menopause transition, and they cover muscles most workout apps ignore, like the pelvic floor. No single app does all three well, and the research on apps for midlife women is limited. This guide sorts seven apps by job, using only what each maker says on its own page and what published studies measured. I’m Judy White, and I’m not a clinician. For strength and home workout apps, see my best workout apps for women over 40, which covers different apps than this page.

Which women’s health fitness app does which job?

Start with the job, then pick the app. The table lists what each maker’s page said on October 22, 2026. “Not listed” means the page showed no answer, not that the answer is no.

App Main job What the maker’s page says about free access One limit
Clue Cycle and perimenopause tracking Free account with basic cycle predictions; paid Clue Plus adds advanced insights Prices not listed on the homepage
Natural Cycles Temperature-based cycle tracking, with a perimenopause option Needs a subscription and a measuring device No price listed
Balance Menopause symptom tracking and learning Not listed Made in the UK; storefront link is UK
Strong Logging strength workouts Accounts are “free forever”; Strong PRO adds progress charts Logs workouts; does not coach them
Down Dog Yoga and other home sessions Not listed No cycle or menopause claims on its homepage
Squeezy Pelvic floor exercises Paid; £3.99 on its page Price listed in pounds
Cronometer Nutrient tracking Free sign-up; Gold is the paid upgrade Page does not list what the free version includes

What is the best app for tracking your cycle and perimenopause?

The best choice depends on whether you want a simple log, a temperature-based method, or a menopause-specific tool. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) says in What Is Menopause? (content reviewed October 16, 2024) that most women begin the menopausal transition between ages 45 and 55 and that symptoms can last between two and eight years. NIA also says you only know you have reached menopause after a full year with no period or spotting, so the dates of your periods are the information that matters.

Clue

Clue’s homepage says you can “track cycle symptoms in seconds” and has a section on perimenopause with a “No Period” tracking option. The free version includes an account, essential cycle statistics and basic cycle predictions. Clue Plus adds advanced cycle insights, predictions, pattern analysis and switchable tracking modes. The homepage says Clue has “never, and will never, sell your health data,” which is the company’s own statement. Limit: the page lists discounts but no prices.

Natural Cycles

Natural Cycles’ homepage calls it “the only FDA-cleared birth control app” and also lists a perimenopause option that it says helps you understand your body’s hormonal changes. It measures overnight with its own band and shows Oura, Garmin, Whoop and Apple Watch logos as compatible. The page says you need to buy a subscription and a measuring device to start and shows no price. Because the company markets it for birth control, ask a clinician before relying on any app for contraception during perimenopause. NIA describes menopause as the stage when periods stop permanently and a woman can no longer get pregnant.

Balance

Balance is made by Newson Health Limited in the UK and was founded by Dr Louise Newson, whom the page calls a physician and women’s hormone specialist. Its page lists three features: learn, track symptoms and prepare for consultations. The company says its content is evidence-based, written by Dr Newson or her team and medically reviewed, which is the company’s own statement. The page gives no pricing, and its app store link uses the UK storefront, so confirm that the advice fits how care works where you live.

Which fitness app helps with strength training?

A logging app helps you see whether you are lifting more than last month, and strength work matters for adults. The CDC’s adult physical activity guidelines (page dated December 20, 2023) call for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week plus muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days a week. Strong’s page lists supersets, custom exercises, a warm-up calculator, RPE and Apple Health among its features, on iPhone, Android and Apple Watch. It says accounts are “free forever” and that Strong PRO adds progress visuals such as best sets, max 1RM and body fat percentage.

Limit: Strong’s page describes tracking features, not coaching, so it suits you if you already have a plan. If you want to build one, my strength training for women over 40 guide is the better starting point.

Is Down Dog good for yoga and flexibility?

Down Dog is a reasonable option if you want a home yoga session that adapts to your level. Its homepage says each practice is generated fresh and lets you choose length, level, focus, teacher voice and music, with levels from complete beginner to advanced. It also lists Pilates, HIIT, prenatal yoga and meditation programs, offline downloads, and syncing with Apple Health, Google Fit or Fitbit. Limit: the page makes no cycle or menopause claims and shows no prices. For what the research says about yoga and weight, read my best yoga to lose weight guide.

Is there a good app for pelvic floor exercises?

Squeezy is one option, and the evidence for pelvic floor apps is early. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) says in Kegel Exercises (last reviewed November 2021) that pelvic floor muscle training can help treat bladder problems and improve bowel control. It says you may not notice better bladder control for 3 to 6 weeks of regular practice and that a doctor, nurse or pelvic floor therapist can confirm you are using the right muscles.

Squeezy’s page says it is available for £3.99 on iPhone and Android and has separate pages for women and men. It describes a maternity programme developed with input from midwives and pelvic health physiotherapists. It also says ORCHA, which it describes as an independent app review, assessed it as a Level 3 condition management app. A 2023 randomized trial in the Journal of Medical Internet Research tested a different app, not Squeezy. It enrolled 126 pregnant women in China, and those who got the app plus pelvic floor instructions had lower urinary incontinence severity than those who got instructions alone. The trial was not blinded, and the authors call for larger studies. It tells us little about midlife women or about Squeezy.

Do you need a nutrition tracking app?

Only if tracking food helps you, since the apps above do not need it. Cronometer’s homepage says you can track up to 95 nutrients and compounds and calls its nutrition data lab-analyzed. It lists web, iOS and Android and offers free sign-up, with Gold as the upgrade. Limit: the page does not say what the free version includes or what Gold costs. Anyone with an eating disorder history, diabetes or kidney disease should ask a clinician or registered dietitian before counting nutrients.

Do you need a walking app?

You may not need a separate walking app. What the research can speak to is whether step feedback from an app moves people. A 2021 meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine pooled 28 randomized trials of app or tracker interventions (7,454 adults ages 18 to 65 without chronic illness, 28 percent women) and found about 1,850 more steps a day (95 percent confidence interval 1,247 to 2,457). For a plan built around walking, see my walking for weight loss guide.

Do fitness apps work for women over 40?

They may help a little with activity, and the evidence for midlife women is limited. The BJSM meta-analysis found larger effects when interventions used text messaging and personalization, and its authors say longer studies are needed to judge lasting engagement. Only 28 percent of its participants were women, so it says little about midlife women.

A 2022 systematic review in JMIR mHealth and uHealth looked at mobile activity interventions for midlife women with menopausal symptoms and included 12 studies. Pooling two randomized trials gave about 61 more minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a week, at least in the short term (95 percent confidence interval 17.70 to 105.01). Seven of the 12 studies had moderate to high risk of bias, and the authors describe a substantial lack of evidence for menopause-related outcomes. The pooled studies tested many different apps, so none of these results tell you that one app on this page works better than another.

Are women’s health apps private?

Read the privacy policy before you log symptoms, because the rules for health apps vary. In June 2021 the Federal Trade Commission finalized an order against Flo Health, a fertility-tracking app that is not one of the seven here. The FTC alleged Flo promised to keep health data private but shared data from millions of users with firms including Facebook and Google. The order requires Flo to get affirmative consent before sharing health information.

Accuracy is a separate question. A 2023 study in the New Zealand Medical Journal combined an online survey of 144 people with three online focus groups of 10 people in total. Respondents used menstrual apps to keep records of cycle dates and symptoms and to talk with providers, and they raised concerns about inaccuracies and other uses of their data. The authors say more research is needed on app accuracy.

How do you choose between these apps?

Pick the one job that is missing from your routine and try a free tier first. If you are tracking a changing cycle, start with a free cycle log. If you lift, a logging app lets you compare this month with last. If you want hands-free data, my best fitness trackers and wearables for women hub compares devices that can feed some of these apps. You can browse fitness trackers for women on Amazon, but Natural Cycles is the only app here whose page says it needs a measuring device. For the bigger exercise picture, start with my exercise for weight loss guide for women.

When should you talk to a clinician before using these apps?

Before starting any new exercise plan, especially if you have heart disease, joint problems, are pregnant, or take medication, ask your clinician. A cycle log can support that visit, but only a clinician can diagnose perimenopause or anything else. I’m not giving medical advice here. I’m summarizing published studies and company pages, and if you have a question about your health, a licensed clinician is the right person to answer it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best free fitness app for women’s health?

Based on the makers’ pages, the free options are Strong (accounts “free forever”), Clue’s free tier and Cronometer’s free version. They do different jobs, so the right free app depends on whether you want to log lifts, cycle symptoms or food.

Do I need a wearable for these apps?

Only for Natural Cycles, whose page says it uses overnight temperature from its band or a compatible wearable. The other apps are described on their pages as phone or web apps, and Strong also lists Apple Watch.

Can a cycle app tell me I’m in perimenopause?

No. NIA describes perimenopause as the transition before menopause and says menopause is only confirmed after a full year with no period or spotting. A log of dates and symptoms gives your clinician a record to review.

Is it safe to log my symptoms in a period tracker?

It depends on the company’s data practices, which you can check in its privacy policy. The FTC’s Flo Health order shows why that matters. Clue states on its homepage that it will not sell health data, and that is the company’s own claim.

How long does a pelvic floor app take to help?

NIDDK says you may not notice improved bladder control for 3 to 6 weeks of regular practice. That timeline comes from the exercises, not from any app. A pelvic floor therapist can check your technique.

Do paid fitness apps beat free ones?

The studies cited here pooled many different apps and did not test one product against another, so they cannot answer that. A free tier or trial lets you test whether you will use an app before you pay.

Sources

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