Get fit, make money – how to profit from fitness apps

Do you want to stay fit and earn cash? Nick Daws reveals top fitness apps that pay you to stay active.

In today’s busy world, finding time to stay fit can feel like a challenge. But what if working out could help your wallet as well? 

Thanks to a range of fitness apps available on your phone, staying active can do more than just improve your health – it can also help you make or save money. 

From cashback on fitness purchases to rewards for hitting step goals, technology is making it easier than ever to turn your workouts into financial gains. 

Here’s how you can get fit and boost your bank balance into the bargain.

1. Get paid to walk with apps such as Sweatcoin

Walking is one of the easiest and most accessible forms of exercise. With Sweatcoin, you can get paid simply for walking. 

The app tracks your steps and converts them into ‘sweatcoins’, a form of digital currency. These can be redeemed for goods and services, including fitness gear, tech gadgets and even gift cards. You can also save up your sweatcoins to donate to charitable causes.

How it works:

• Download the Sweatcoin app (available for iOS and Android).
• Let the app track your steps in the background.
• Earn sweatcoins for every step you take.
• Redeem sweatcoins for a variety of products or donate to charity.

Potential savings: While you won’t make a fortune, Sweatcoin rewards can help you offset costs on everyday purchases, contributing to long-term savings.

• Other apps like Sweatcoin that offer the chance to save or make money by keeping fit include BetterPoints, Winwalk and Evidation.

2. Get cashback for staying active

Some fitness apps and services now offer rewards for maintaining an active lifestyle.

For example, Vitality, a UK health insurance provider, encourages you to stay active by offering cashback and rewards like discounts on gym memberships and sports gear.

By linking your fitness tracker or app to their system, you can collect points for every run, walk, cycle or workout, which you can then redeem for rewards.

How it works:

• Sign up for a Vitality health insurance plan.
• Track your fitness activity with your app or wearable device.
• Accumulate points for activities such as walking, cycling or going to the gym.
• Redeem points for rewards like gift cards, Apple Watches or cashback on your premiums.

Potential savings: Depending on how active you are, you can save hundreds of pounds a year on insurance premiums and lifestyle products.

3. Earn cashback on healthy purchases

Several UK-based banking apps, such as Monzo and Curve, offer cashback or discounts for spending on fitness-related purchases, such as gym memberships, sports equipment and healthy food.

They often partner with wellness brands, offering users cashback when they make qualifying purchases.

How it works:

• Sign up for a Monzo or Curve account (or link your existing account to an app that offers cashback).
• Use your card to make fitness-related purchases, such as gym memberships, sports gear or nutrition supplements.
• Earn a percentage of your purchase back in cashback, which is credited directly to your account.

Potential savings: Cashback offers can range from 1% to 10% depending on the brand, potentially saving you hundreds of pounds annually.

4. Offer online fitness coaching

If you’re already passionate about fitness, why not turn your hobby into a source of income?

Apps like Fiverr and Upwork allow you to offer personal training, fitness coaching or wellness advice to clients around the world. 

Whether you’re a certified personal trainer, a yoga instructor or a fitness enthusiast with a wealth of knowledge, there are people willing to pay for your expertise.

How it works:

• Create a profile on a freelancing platform (e.g. Fiverr, Upwork).
• Offer fitness-related services, such as personalised workout plans, online coaching sessions or nutritional guidance.
• Set your rates and start taking on clients.

Potential earnings: Depending on your skills and experience, freelance fitness coaches can charge anywhere from £20 to £100 per hour, making it a lucrative side hustle.

5. Sell fitness plans and content

Another potentially profitable option if you’re a fitness fan is creating and selling digital products such as workout plans, ebooks or exercise videos. 

Platforms like Etsy and Gumroad allow you to create and sell fitness-related digital content. Whether it’s a beginner’s guide to weightlifting or a 30-day home workout plan, there’s a growing market for well-structured fitness programmes. 

Another option would be to set up a health and fitness channel on YouTube and profit from a share in the advertising revenue. It worked for Joe Wicks!

How it works:

• Create a digital product, such as a workout plan, healthy recipe guide or training video.
• List your product on a digital marketplace like Etsy or Gumroad.
• Promote your product through social media or fitness-related communities.

Potential earnings: While the income may start off small, digital products have the potential to generate growing amounts as word spreads, meaning you earn money without much ongoing effort.

6. Save on gym memberships

With the rise of high-quality fitness apps like Nike Training Club and FitOn, you no longer need an expensive gym membership to stay fit. 

Many of these apps offer free or low-cost workouts that you can do from home, saving you money on gym fees, travel and equipment.

How it works:

• Download a free fitness app (e.g., Nike Training Club, FitOn, or Freeletics).
• Choose from a variety of workouts, from yoga to high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
• Follow guided workouts from your phone, often with no equipment needed.

Potential savings: Typical gym membership in the UK costs around £40 a month. By using a free or low-cost fitness app, you can potentially save £480 a year or more.

7. Get discounts on fitness tech

Several apps and fitness services offer discounts on wearables like Fitbits and Apple Watches if you commit to using their platforms. 

For example, with health insurer Vitality (mentioned earlier), you can get an Apple Watch for as little as £37 if you hit your activity targets each month.

How it works:

• Sign up for a fitness or health platform that offers wearable discounts.
• Purchase a discounted fitness tracker or smartwatch.
• Keep up with your activity goals to avoid paying full price.

Potential savings: A premium smartwatch like an Apple Watch can cost over £400, so taking advantage of fitness-related discounts can save you hundreds of pounds.

Closing thoughts

Staying active doesn’t have to be expensive. With the right fitness apps (and a bit of physical effort) you can improve your health while saving or even making money.

Whether you’re earning cashback for your daily steps or saving on costly gym memberships, there are lots of ways to maximise both your fitness and your finances. 

So lace up your trainers, download a fitness app, and start boosting both your body and your bank balance!

Nick Daws writes for Pounds and Sense, a UK personal finance blog aimed especially (though not exclusively) at over-fifties.

Photo credits: Pexels