Amazon Alexa for Optimal Fitness

Get fit with a voice assistant.

Hundreds of millions of devices offer voice assistants like Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Siri. For the most part these help with simple tasks — streaming music, checking the weather, running quick searches — but they can do more. With the right setup, a voice assistant can turn into a trainer that helps you complete fitness and wellness goals.

In 2021 Google Assistant announced that it would include wellness data in proactive display responses. Alexa has integrated fitness through the hundreds of skills available on the platform. Many users ease into it with a simple “10 minute workout” activity, or by connecting a personal fitness tracker.

How do you use Alexa for fitness?

The easiest way to get started is to just ask. Trying “Alexa, start a workout” or “Alexa, begin a 5 minute workout” will usually resolve to a skill that delivers exactly that.

To curate further, check the skill store for the highest-rated fitness skills. On a screen-based device, the options broaden further with access to both Prime Video and YouTube, so you can search for a favorite workout routine directly.

Fitness isn't just physical — it's also mental. Because voice assistants are good at streaming audio, podcasts are one of the best options here. Many audio experiences support mental wellness; popular meditation apps like Headspace offer a dedicated voice-assistant experience. Try “Alexa, play a meditation podcast” or “Alexa, open calming sleep sounds” to get started.

Fitness devices that work with Alexa

Amazon runs the Works with Alexa program to showcase products that integrate well with the assistant — mostly smart home devices, lights, and plugs, but also fitness hardware like the Withings line of sleep trackers, blood pressure cuffs, and smart scales. These typically require an Alexa skill for data access, letting you ask things like “Alexa, ask Health Mate how much weight I've lost this year.”

Beyond skill integration and Bluetooth connections, some devices use the “Alexa Built-In” program, which puts Alexa directly inside the device. In fitness, that mostly means wrist-worn step and fitness trackers, including Amazon's Halo band and third-party devices like the Amazfit Band and Wyze Band. Notably, the Apple Watch has no native Alexa integration.

For any connected device, it helps to understand what Alexa can add and where it's limited. Alexa can surface the data a fitness device tracks so you get quick updates without navigating a phone app — but it can't guarantee the accuracy of the device it's linked to, and accuracy varies. Even major device makers face scrutiny on non-core metrics, with questions raised about VO2 max accuracy on Apple Watch.

Beyond accuracy, the safety and security of health information is critical. Amazon provides fitness, health, and wellness companies the ability to build HIPAA-compliant skills — worth understanding as a user, since sensitive data like blood pressure and pulse readings should never end up in the wrong hands.