Phaes vs Balance, at a glance
| Phaes | Balance | |
|---|---|---|
| Adaptive plan: race, fitness, or strength | – | |
| Heavy strength for bone and muscle | – | |
| Training adapts to symptoms and recovery | – | |
| Daily check-in drives the plan | – | |
| Free symptom tracking | ||
| Clinician-written menopause content | Focused | |
| Downloadable doctor-visit report | – |
Balance and Phaes solve different halves of the problem
Balance, founded by Dr Louise Newson, is rightly trusted: it helps you track menopause symptoms, learn from clinician-written content, and walk into a GP appointment with a clear report instead of a three-month blur. That is genuinely valuable, and Phaes does not compete with it.
But understanding your symptoms is only half of it. The other half is what you physically do. Phaes is a women-specific training coach for exactly this stage, whether you run, want to get in shape, or want to get stronger, where protecting bone and muscle is as important as the cardio.
What Phaes brings to menopause
Heavy strength, programmed properly
Phaes builds progressive resistance work into the same plan as your runs, with day-level locking so neither slips. This is the training that matters most through menopause for bone density and lean muscle. See strength training for menopausal women.
A plan that adapts to how you feel
A daily check-in (sleep, energy, soreness, symptoms) shapes your week, so a rough stretch does not derail the whole plan. Hard work lands when you can absorb it.
Does the Balance app include workouts?
Balance+, the paid tier, includes yoga and Pilates sessions alongside meditation and expert talks. What Balance does not do is build you a personalized training plan: there is no running plan, no progressive strength program, and nothing that adjusts your sessions to your symptoms or recovery. If you want a menopause app with tailored exercise routines, that is a coach rather than a tracker. Phaes is one, free to download from the App Store (iPhone).
Does Balance track bone health?
Not as a dedicated feature, as far as Balance publishes. It covers bone health in its clinician-written content, and its symptom tracking and doctor report are the right place to raise bone concerns with your GP. On the training side, progressive heavy strength and impact work are the best-evidenced ways to slow bone loss. See plyometrics for bone density. If you have had a bone density scan, that result belongs with your clinician, not an app score.
Many women pair them: Balance for symptoms and doctor visits, Phaes for the running and strength that keep them strong through it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Phaes a replacement for the Balance app?
No, and it is not trying to be. Balance is excellent for menopause symptom tracking, clinician-written content, and the doctor-visit report. Phaes is a training coach: it builds an adaptive running and strength plan for this stage. They work well together.
Does the Balance app have workouts?
Balance+, the paid tier, includes yoga and Pilates sessions. It does not build a personalized running or strength plan or adapt your training to your symptoms and recovery. For tailored exercise routines in menopause, pair it with a coaching app such as Phaes.
Does Phaes help with bone and muscle loss in menopause?
That is a core focus. Phaes programs heavy, progressive strength alongside your running in the same plan, which is the training most associated with protecting bone density and lean muscle through menopause. Phaes is informational, not medical advice.
Where can I get a menopause app with tailored exercise routines?
Phaes is a menopause app that builds tailored running and strength routines and adapts them daily to your cycle, symptoms, and recovery. It is free to download on the App Store for iPhone, with tracking free and the adaptive Coach plan at $9.99 per month or $69.99 per year after a free first week.
How much does Phaes cost?
The app and all tracking are free. Phaes Insights, your daily read and trends, is $3.99 per month or $29.99 per year, and Phaes Coach, the adaptive plan and a coach that adjusts it, is $9.99 per month or $69.99 per year, with a free first week.