They say there is an app for everything, and that isn’t wrong. There are many apps that help you exercise, and there are apps that let you make money. But what about apps that pay you to exercise?
No matter who you are, you will always find yourself struggling to find the motivation to exercise. It is because it involves hard work with no instant results. On top of that, you usually have to pay to join a gym or buy exercise equipment.
While it may sound unrealistic, you can find apps that help you earn money while you exercise. All you have to do is download the app, keep it on your phone and workout. In exchange, you get to earn money and withdraw it at regular intervals depending on the app.
Without further ado, here’s a list of the top apps to help you make money while exercising.
- Achievement
- Lympo
- FitPotato
- StepBet
- Runtopia
- Charity Miles
- DietBet
- HealthyWage
Achievement
Achievement is an app that you can download on both iOS and Android devices. The app has millions of users and allows you to earn money for the following things:
- Tracking your steps
- Logging food
- Logging meditation sessions
- Logging sleep
- Logging miles biked
- Answering surveys or opting into a programmatic health challenge
Achievement has a point-based system. You earn points, and for every 10,000 points, you can earn $10. The app has paid out millions in cash to its members already.
Once you earn rewards, you can get paid in 3-7 business days. You can redeem your rewards directly to your PayPal or bank account.
Achievement uses your data for a good reason. It contributes to several health research programs or health companies. Similarly, you can also use the app to donate to your favourite charities.
If you have other apps like Fitbit or MyFitnessPal, Achievement also integrates with them. Even if you don’t, the app is easy to use on its own.
Overall, Achievement is a free app that can help you earn money and stay motivated. The only downside is that only users who are at least 18 and living in the US can use it.
Lympo
Lympo is an app that rewards you for staying fit and helps motivate you. The app uses a daily tasks system that lets you earn LYM coins. For every task you or activity you complete, you get a reward.
Lympo is available for both iOS and Android. There are daily challenges that keep you motivated. It helps you add variation to your routine while also focusing on your fitness.
On top of that, the challenges come for different levels. Beginners can choose to get lower-level challenges while there are more intense challenges as well.
You can earn in several ways with the app. Firstly, you can earn LYM coins, which is a cryptocurrency you can exchange for USD. The current exchange rate is $0.003 per 1 LYM.
You can also earn from the referral program. Lympo pays you 50 LYM for every user that you refer.
Lympo is relatively easy to use and available for free. You can also receive fitness tips that can help you with your fitness journey.
The problem with the app is that you have to connect it to your fitness tracker. You can’t use it without that.
FitPotato
FitPotato doesn’t require you to do much. All you have to do is track your steps with the app and get paid for it. It is one of the best options for those who are busy.
FitPotato is only available on iOS. The app is not available on Android yet. It automatically connects to your Apple Health app and turns on GPS to track your activity.
With FitPotato, you can get paid for three types of activities. These include walking, jogging and pet walks. The app requires you to pass only three sessions per week, after which you can receive your prize.
The app also has a Demo Mode if you don’t want to get paid but still want to participate. However, the Paid Mode is where you can earn money.
With FitPotato, you earn by challenging friends and other users. The bigger the pool is, the more you can make as well.
The earnings you make on the app can range between $6 but can also go up. Once you earn from the app, you don’t have to wait for a cashout limit. Instead, you can withdraw your balance instantly.
The only disadvantage with the app is that it runs in the background to track your steps and uses GPS. Therefore, it can impact your phone’s battery life.
StepBet
StepBet is an app that tries to gamify your fitness journey. The payment system is different from some other apps. Instead of earning directly from your activity, you can place wagers and bet on your fitness.
StepBet offers you another type of motivation. Since there are real stakes involved, you can stay motivated to reach your goals. You can also lose money with the app, which should add to the motivation.
The app is available on both Android and iOS. It also works with other apps such as Apple Health, Samsung Health, Google Fit, Fitbit, etc.
StepBet has several minigames where you can put your money along with a pool of people. You must reach your individual goal for every day over a period of time. If you complete your goal, you win money. If you don’t, you lose.
If you want to earn more, you can even get the StepBet Membership for a $6.99 fee. You can also make money from three games at a time and get higher payouts with the membership.
StepBet requires you to make an investment at first, which can be a downside to using it. You also get variable payments depending on the total pot and remaining eligible players. Most games last over a month, which can also be boring sometimes.
Your payments become available through PayPal within 48 hours of when you request them.
Runtopia
Runtopia is a GPS running app that tracks your runs. It also helps you track your fitness and stay motivated.
Runtopia is available on both iOS and Android. It connects with all fitness trackers and watches to analyze your workout history. Using GPS, it tracks your running, walking or cycling in real-time.
The app allows you to convert your steps into currency units known as SPC coins. You can then use these coins to buy sports gear, prices and services on the in-app shop.
The downside to these coins is that you can’t withdraw them unless you reach a specific limit. The limit is too high (almost 35k coins for $500) for PayPal withdrawal. Therefore, you are mostly stuck with using it in the in-app store.
You can earn almost 10 SPC coins per day on the free version, while premium users can earn up to 20 coins. Each coin amounts to approximately $0.075. You can also complete in-app tasks to earn more.
The app also has other features, such as allowing you to set exercise goals. It also has an in-app audio coach to help you stay on target.
Charity Miles
Charity Miles is a fitness app that takes a unique perspective to paying its members. Instead of giving them cash payments, the app allows them to donate to a charity. The app has already donated millions to some charities.
Charity Miles is available on both iOS and Android. It automatically connects to various health apps, making it easy to use.
With this app, you can earn 10 cents for every mile you walk or 25 cents for running or cycling. You can also create your own Pledge Page where your friends can sponsor you. The more friends you gather, the more money you can make with the app.
Your friends can also win prizes by sponsoring you. On top of that, the app also enters you into a drawing to win prizes. The more money you make, the higher your chances will be.
There are some cons to using the app. For example, there is a limited number of pre-selected charities to which you can donate. Some users have also complained of the app not being user friendly.
DietBet
DietBet is an app that pays you for losing weight. It is similar to the StepBet app where you bet on your goal and earn money.
The app is available on both iOS and Android. Unlike other apps, it does not rely on tracking your steps or using your GPS.
Instead, you submit two photos to the app before starting a game. Both photos have specific requirements. These are reference photos before starting your weight-loss journey.
The DietBet referees will check your photos and approve you. They may also require you to submit additional proof, for example, a video.
At the end of the game, you have to submit your photos again. If you are among the winners, you will get your share of the total pot. The earnings you make depends on how many winners there are.
There are two game formats from which you can choose. One is short-term while the other lasts for months. Both of these require you to pay a $35 monthly fee, so there is an initial investment requirement.
You can get your payment through PayPal within 48 hours of when you first request it. You can also get a paper check, but they charge you $5 for it.
HealthyWage
HealthyWage is another app that lets you bet on your weight loss. You can bet money on how much weight you lose. The app also has a calculator that allows you to calculate your potential earnings.
Like most other apps, HealthyWage is available on both iOS and Android. You don’t need to connect it to any fitness trackers as it is related to your weight.
With HealthyWage, you must put at least 10% of your body weight as a bet between 6 to 18 months. For that, you can place a wager between $5 and $995 per month.
Like the DietBet app, you must provide proof to verify your weight. However, with this app, you have to submit a video of your weight at a gym. You can also join as a team with friends or family.
At the end of the challenge, if you win, you can get your cash. If you don’t, you can lose any money you bet on the platform.
You can win a maximum prize of $10,000. It makes HealthyWage one of the highest paying apps on the market.
While you can earn a lot with this app, it isn’t for the long-term. You can only lose a specific amount of weight before it becomes unhealthy to lose more. If you bet on team goals, your success depends on the whole team achieving their goals.
Recap
There are many apps that can pay you to exercise. Using these apps is a great way to motivate yourself and stay dedicated to your fitness journey.
But these apps don’t pay you a substantial amount of money. Therefore, you can’t substitute these with a full-time job or career. These apps are for motivation purposes only.