What you need to know
- Apple Fitness+ arrives today and some people have already tested it out.
Apple will finally launch its Fitness+ service later today after first announcing it back in September. The subscription service will offer guided workouts on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV while an Apple Watch component will see your stats appear in real-time. That all sounds pretty good, but how does it actually work?
Some folks have already been able to take Apple Fitness+ for a spin and the response has been favorable.
One thing that many of us had wondered was whether there would be enough content at launch, but Input notes that there are around 180 workouts available right now, with multiple categories covered.
There's a lot at launch. I counted about 180 workouts across the different activities (HIIT, yoga, core, strength, treadmill, cycling, rowing, dance, and mindful cooldown). Apple says it'll add more over time. How much more and at what frequency is unclear, but there is a "New This week" section within the app to spotlight the latest ones.
The same outlet also reminds everyone that this is an Apple-only service, but that it does become increasingly inexpensive the more members of your family enjoy it.
Android users are out of luck. There's no way to access Fitness+ workouts in a browser and there's no Fitness app for the Mac at all. On the plus side, up to six family members can access your Fitness+ subscription via Family Sharing. When you divvy it up, the cost suddenly becomes a bargain.
The WSJ has some news on the dance aspect, saying that the experience was "stupidly fun," a key aspect of any form of fitness regime. Especially if you're going to ask for money for it.
Dance and rowing are two disciplines here that aren't common in other fitness apps. While I didn't have access to a rower, I could at least dance. Or try to, anyway. The workout—a 20-minute cardio-infused hip-hop class—was both terrible (as in, terribly hard) and stupidly fun. And according to the numbers on screen, I successfully arm-pumped my way to some burned calories.
Prefer video? iJustine has your back.
CNET's report also notes that one of the big reasons Fitness+ might work is the fact your Apple Watch data is front and center at all times.
The moves were fairly basic, and it started to get repetitive after a while. What really kept me engaged was watching my heart rate go up and down in real time on the screen. I felt like it kept me honest about how much effort I was putting into each move and I pushed myself more than I would have otherwise
Matthew Moniz also has a great video running through Apple Fitness+, too.
Apple Fitness+ will be available later today, running at $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year. It's also part of Apple One, too.
