I had heard great things about Apple Fitness Plus, which works in conjunction with the Apple Watch and the iPhone to guide you through various workouts including yoga classes, runs, walks, strength training workouts and even meditations. In an effort to up my fitness game, I tested out Apple Fitness Plus for three months—here’s how it worked out for me. Here at Parade.com, we’re all about sharing products we love with our audience. When you make a purchase on an item seen on this page, we may earn a commission, however, all picks are independently chosen unless otherwise mentioned.
What Is Apple Fitness Plus?
First things first: What is Apple Fitness Plus, anyway? Apple Fitness Plus is a fitness program that works with an Apple Watch to provide you with 11 different types of workouts. You do need to have an iPhone to subscribe, and you can take your experience further with an Apple Watch, which will give you more personalized and detailed metrics. The workouts included in Apple Fitness Plus include:
Strength trainingHIITYogaMindful cooldownPilatesTreadmill runCyclingDanceCoreRowingWalkMeditation
Workouts range from five to 45 minutes each, and new workouts and meditations are added on a weekly basis. Most workouts can be done with or without equipment, so you don’t have to worry about having access to a gym to exercise.
Apple Fitness Plus Cost
If you already own an Apple Watch, you can get one free month and then pay $9.99 per month or $79.99 annually. If you buy an Apple Watch, Apple Fitness Plus is free for three months, and then you’ll pay $9.99 per month or $79.99 annually. You can also share Apple Fitness Plus with up to five family members. If you don’t have an Apple Watch, Apple Fitness Plus costs $9.99 per month or $79.99 annually.
My Experience
Here was my overall experience with testing Apple Fitness Plus for three months:
Pros
Makes it easy to fit in a workout anytimeProvides an opportunity for screen-free home workoutsHelps you push yourself
Cons
You need to own Apple products to use itCan take you out of the flow of a workoutSome classes do require additional equipment
Fitness has always been an important part of my life, and while I do still find the time to fit it in for the most part (although it’s not easy!), one issue I consistently have is not wanting to push myself. I don’t know if that has to do with the pandemic, getting older, parenting—the list goes on and on—but over the past year or so I’ve often found myself slacking off a bit during my workouts and not pushing myself as much as I know I could be. While I’m all for taking it easy from time to time, I knew I needed a little extra boost. And that was the main benefit I got from Apple Fitness Plus: While using the Time to Run feature, for example, my guide would let me know when I should pick up the pace and when I could slow it down. When I’m running on my own, I’m not really thinking about that—I’m just trying to get through the run. And as a yogi, I absolutely loved the yoga feature. Because I’ve been doing yoga for so many years, I don’t actually need a screen for it, but since the pandemic started, I’ve had to set up various YouTube videos (and sit through ads) on my computer to do yoga. With the Apple Fitness Plus yoga feature, I was able to move through yoga flows without a screen, which I absolutely loved. I also loved the guided walks. Walking is one of my very favorite forms of exercise, but because it’s a bit slower, I will sometimes find myself ruminating rather than staying in the present moment—definitely not something I want to be doing on a walk! Time to Walk helped break that cycle because I was able to listen to the interesting and influential people talk, and it helped me stay present. The one issue I have with Apple Fitness Plus is that although the monthly cost isn’t too hefty, you do have to own Apple products to actually use it. And I do have an Apple Watch, which really helps. When I’m running, for example, and the instructor tells me to pick up the pace, my watch can tell me exactly how fast I’m going. With just an iPhone, I wouldn’t know that. Would I recommend Apple Fitness Plus? Absolutely—especially if you already own Apple products, particularly an Apple Watch. It can help you push yourself and squeeze in a workout even when you feel like you don’t have time. With workouts as short as five minutes, I know this much to be true: we all have time! Next up: 20 Best Free and Paid Workout Apps for Your Fitness Goals
