Best Health and Fitness Apps for Seniors in Australia: Simple Buying Guide
The right app on your phone can help you stay steady on your feet, keep an eye on your walking, and look after the everyday things that keep you well. No gym, no personal trainer, and no need to be clever with technology. The same device you use to ring the grandchildren can quietly do a lot of good. Apps are one half of the picture. Prescriptions, appointments and test results are the other half, covered in our guide to managing your health online.
The trick is picking one or two apps that suit you, rather than filling your phone with things you never open. One of the best for balance was built right here in Australia and is proven to cut the risk of a fall. Others are the big international apps you may have heard the family mention. This guide walks through the ones worth your time, what each is good for, and how to get started without any fuss.
Quick answer
For balance and preventing falls, the standout Australian app is StandingTall, developed by Neuroscience Research Australia. It’s a paid subscription, though some health services and aged care providers offer it free or at reduced cost, so it’s worth asking your GP first. If you’d rather not pay, free community strength and balance programs run in most states, and your phone already counts your steps for nothing.
Beyond balance, your phone tracks your steps for free through Apple Health on an iPhone or Google Fit on an Android. If you’d like guided workouts you can follow along with at home, Apple Fitness+ has a series made for older adults with a chair for support. For keeping an eye on what you eat, MyFitnessPal has a free version that’s plenty for most people.
How the main options compare
Rather than rank these apps against each other, it helps to match them to what you actually want to get out of them. Here’s the quick version.
| What you want | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Better balance and fewer falls | StandingTall (Australian-made, clinically backed) |
| Count your daily steps with no extra gear | Apple Health (iPhone) or Google Fit (Android) |
| Guided workouts you follow at home | Apple Fitness+ (Workouts for Older Adults) |
| Keep track of meals and weight | MyFitnessPal (free version) |
| A fuller picture from a fitness band or watch | The Google Health app (formerly Fitbit) |
What matters most when choosing
It should be easy to open and read
A fitness app is no use if the buttons are tiny and the screens are busy. The best ones for older eyes use large, clear text and one main thing to tap at a time. If an app feels cluttered the moment you open it, it’s fair to move on. There are plenty that don’t.
Free is often all you need
You do not have to pay to get real benefit here. Your phone’s built-in step tracking is free. MyFitnessPal has a free version that covers the basics well. Community strength and balance classes run in most states at little or no cost. Paid apps like StandingTall and Apple Fitness+ can be worth it, but check whether you can get them free through a health service first. Prices change, so always check the current cost in the App Store or Google Play before you sign up to anything.
It should match your goal, not someone else’s
Balance work, step counting, guided exercise and food tracking are four different jobs. Pick the app for the thing you care about right now. You can always add another later. Starting with one, and using it, beats downloading five and opening none.
The best options, one by one
StandingTall: for balance and preventing falls
StandingTall is the one we’d point most people to first for balance. It was built right here in Australia by Neuroscience Research Australia, after more than ten years of research and clinical trials, and it’s made for people aged 60 and over. It gives you a set of gentle balance exercises on your phone or tablet, more than 800 of them, that adjust to your ability and get a little harder as you improve. It works offline once it’s downloaded, and you need no special equipment.
The evidence behind it is solid. A two-year trial of older Australians, published in a leading medical journal, found that using it for around two hours a week improved balance and cut the risk of a fall-related injury by up to 20 percent. It’s a paid subscription, but that isn’t the whole story. Some health services and aged care providers offer it free or at reduced cost, so it’s worth asking your GP or your My Aged Care provider before you pay for it yourself.
May suit someone who
Feels a little less steady than they used to, has had a wobble or a fall, or simply wants to stay confident on their feet. It suits anyone over 60, and you only need a phone or tablet.
Things to check
You’ll do the exercises standing, so have a sturdy chair or bench beside you for support until you know how you feel. It’s a paid app, so ask your GP or aged care provider whether you can access it free before subscribing.
Plain-English verdict
Australian-made, clinically proven, and genuinely useful. If balance is your worry, this is the one to look at first, and check for free access before you pay.
Apple Health and Google Fit: for counting steps
Here’s a nice surprise. If you carry your phone in a pocket or bag, it’s already counting your steps, and it costs nothing. On an iPhone this lives in the Health app, the one with the white icon and a red heart. On an Android phone it’s usually Google Fit, or the built-in health app your phone came with. You don’t wear anything extra. The phone does it quietly in the background.
Seeing your daily step count is a gentle nudge in itself. A short walk to the letterbox and back, or a lap around the garden, all adds up on the screen. There’s no target you have to hit. It’s just a quiet record of a day well spent.
May suit someone who
Wants a simple sense of how active they are, without buying a gadget or paying a cent. Good for walkers and anyone who likes to see a little progress.
Things to check
Your phone only counts steps while it’s on you, so it’ll miss the walk from the kitchen to the lounge if you left it on the bench. That’s fine. It’s meant to show the general shape of your day, not a perfect tally.
Plain-English verdict
Already on your phone, already free. The easiest possible place to start.
Apple Fitness+: for guided workouts at home
If you’d like someone to follow along with, Apple Fitness+ has a series called Workouts for Older Adults. A friendly trainer takes you through short sessions, around ten minutes each, and shows gentler versions using a chair or a wall for support. It’s available in Australia and works on an iPhone, an iPad, or an Apple Watch if you have one.
It is a paid subscription, so it’s one of the items here that costs money each month. Apple usually offers a free trial, and it’s often included for a while when you buy a new Apple device, so you can try before you decide. Check the current price on the Apple Australia site, as it can change.
May suit someone who
Likes a class feeling but prefers to exercise at home, and already owns an iPhone or iPad. Good if you enjoy being talked through each move rather than working it out yourself.
Things to check
It only works on Apple devices, so it’s not for Android phones. Because it’s a monthly cost, make sure you’ll use it enough to be worth it, and cancel easily if you don’t.
Plain-English verdict
A polished, friendly option if you have an iPhone and like guided sessions. Try it free first before you commit.
MyFitnessPal: for keeping an eye on meals
If your doctor has suggested watching your weight or your eating, MyFitnessPal is the best known app for it. You note down what you eat, and it keeps a simple running tally. The free version does everything most people need, and it works on both iPhone and Android.
Be honest with yourself about whether logging every meal appeals. Some people find it eye-opening and stick with it for years. Others find it a chore after a week. There’s no shame in either. If it helps you notice patterns, it’s doing its job.
May suit someone who
Wants to keep track of what they eat, perhaps on advice from their GP, and doesn’t mind a bit of daily tapping to do it.
Things to check
The app will offer a paid upgrade often. You can ignore it. The free version is enough. Any big change to how you eat is worth talking through with your doctor first.
Plain-English verdict
Useful if food tracking suits you, and free to try. Skip it if daily logging sounds like a bother.
A word on fitness bands and watches
If someone has bought you a Fitbit or a smartwatch, it comes with its own app that shows your steps, heart rate and sleep. The Fitbit app is becoming the Google Health app during 2026, with the same information laid out a little differently. These are a fuller picture than step counting alone, though a watch is one more thing to charge and learn. If your main worry is staying steady or getting help in an emergency, it’s worth reading our guide on a medical alarm versus a smartwatch before you decide which is right.
Quick checklist before you download
- Pick one goal first: balance, steps, guided workouts, or food.
- Start with a free option. Your phone’s step tracker costs nothing, and community balance classes are low cost.
- For a paid app like StandingTall, ask your GP whether you can get it free through a health service first.
- Make sure the text and buttons feel easy to read and tap.
- If you have a health condition, have a word with your GP before starting new exercise.
Getting started, step by step
Downloading an app is simpler than it sounds, and you only do it once per app. On an iPhone or iPad you use the App Store, the blue icon with a white letter A. On an Android phone you use the Google Play store, the colourful triangle.
- Open the App Store or Google Play on your phone.
- Tap the search box and type the app name, for example StandingTall.
- Tap Get or Install. It may ask for your password or a fingerprint to confirm.
- Wait a moment for it to download, then tap Open.
- Follow the first few setup questions. Take your time. There’s nothing you can break.
If the phone itself still feels like hard work, that’s worth sorting first. Our guide on making technology less overwhelming covers the settings that make everything easier to see and use.
Before you finish
Download the free Family Tech Safety Checklist to help check phone safety, passwords, scam messages, emergency contacts and medical alarm details.
A gentle safety note
These apps are a helpful nudge, not a replacement for your doctor. If you have a heart condition, joint trouble, dizziness, or you’ve had a fall, have a quick chat with your GP or physiotherapist before starting anything new. Start slowly, keep a chair nearby for the standing exercises, and stop if something hurts. In Australia, free community strength and balance programs, such as the Stay On Your Feet initiatives run in most states, are a good in-person option that some people prefer to an app.
Our pick overall
For most older Australians, staying steady on your feet does more for your independence than almost anything else, so balance is the place to spend your effort. If you don’t mind a subscription, StandingTall is the standout app for it, and it’s worth asking your GP whether you can get it free through a health service. If you’d rather keep it free, turn on your phone’s step counter and join a local strength and balance class. Either way, small and steady wins.
Final recommendation
Start here: Turn on your phone’s step tracking, and look at StandingTall for balance. Ask your GP whether StandingTall is available to you free before you pay.
Add if you’d like more: Apple Fitness+ for guided home workouts if you have an iPhone, or MyFitnessPal if you want to keep an eye on meals.
Prefer company: Look up a local strength and balance class through your GP, council, or your state’s Stay On Your Feet program.
Next steps
Pick your one goal, download the matching app tonight, and give it a proper week before you judge it. If the phone side of things feels shaky, sort that first so the apps are a pleasure to use rather than a puzzle. Small and steady wins here, the same as it does with the exercise itself.
FAQ: Health and fitness apps for seniors
Is StandingTall free?
It’s a paid subscription, but some health services and aged care providers offer it free or at reduced cost, so ask your GP or My Aged Care provider first. If you’d rather not pay at all, free community balance classes run in most states and your phone counts your steps for nothing.
Do I need a smartwatch or fitness band to use these apps?
No. StandingTall, Apple Fitness+ and MyFitnessPal all work on the phone or tablet alone. Your phone also counts your steps by itself. A watch adds detail, but you can do plenty without one.
Will these apps use up my mobile data?
StandingTall works offline once you’ve downloaded it, so it uses very little. Video workouts use some data to load. Step counting uses almost none. If you’re unsure about data, do the app things while connected to your home Wi-Fi.
I’ve had a fall. Is it safe to use a balance app?
Often yes, and improving balance is exactly the point, but check with your GP or physiotherapist first. Keep a sturdy chair beside you for support and take the early sessions gently.
Which phone is better for these apps?
Both iPhone and Android run the main apps well. Apple Fitness+ is the one exception, as it needs an Apple device. If you’re weighing up a new phone, our guide on iPhone versus Android for seniors goes through it in plain terms.
