Photo credit: Apple
Let me be honest, I’m a big control freak. When it comes to pretty much every facet of my life, I like to do things my own way. (Surprisingly, Virgo is not on my zodiac list.)
But after a long day of matcha lattes and work (and more matcha lattes and more work), I’m completely brain dead and struggling to form complete sentences. Just me?
This means that after a full day as an adult, the last thing I want to do is plan a 30 to 45 minute workout. And there is Apple’s new fitness program for the home, named Fitness +come in my friends.
The new app offers really fun fitness classes – and makes my life so much easier. I just have to choose the class and wait for the instructor to tell me exactly what to do and how much to do. And I don’t know about you, but that’s exactly what I need for training.
I’ve been using Fitness + for two weeks because of #workperks, and I just have to say it’s perfectly legitimate. I seriously can’t get enough of this. Let me explain why it’s literally the best.
How it works
Fitness + assumes you 1) have one Apple Watch Series 3 or later and 2) some kind of Apple product to view the videos, such as iPhone, iPadand or Apple TV. (So sry Android users.)
You’ll also need to be on iOS 14.3, watchOS 7.2, iPadOS 14.3, and / or tvOS 14.3, which I know sound like a lot of gibberish, but make sure you want the most up-to-date software on every device you want to use this program use.
I mainly used my iPad and Apple TV so made sure they were installed with the latest software.
Access to the workouts is fine in your fitness app. (You know, the app with all the rings.) And if you can’t find it, there’s a good chance you accidentally deleted it – just download it again from the Apple Store.
The professionals
It’s definitely the cheapest home fitness app I’ve found.
Fitness + gives you the best for your money. It’s $ 10 a month or $ 80 a year. (A full month of training = less than two of my Starbucks orders.) Most other home fitness apps cost at least $ 20 to 30 per month for the same type of instructor-led workout.
The story goes on
In addition, your Fitness + subscription can be shared with up to six family members. So the price is even lower as my sisters also attend the workouts.
You are so! lots! Classes!
I’ll be honest, I’m notorious for doing the same type of workout every day because I like structure. But Fitness + was designed to encourage users to mix up their workouts. If you get bored easily you will like it here.
Here are your class options: strength, HIIT, yoga, core, treadmill, biking, rowing, dancing, and a mindful cooldown (also known as 5 to 10 minute stretching and meditating).
Similar to most of the other fitness class apps I’ve seen, you can also filter by the trainers you like, how much time you want to spend sweating, and the music genre.
I focused on strength, biking, mindful cooldowns, and HIIT classes (because I like to stick with what I know again) and they were all super amazing IMO.
If you’re a crackpot (not sure that’s a word but let’s make it one) you will be in the cycling classes. That might sound strange, but I really appreciated that the class was exactly as long as it promised. So I knew exactly what I was getting before I started. Let’s normalize this, shall we?
I will also take this time to give the Mindful Cooldown option some love, because the five-minute stretches and meditations made me feel so zen.
In general, all classes are pretty beginner friendly. I try to exercise four to five times a week and have had no problem keeping up with the instructors. That said, if you’re new to a sweat, Fitness + has a whole range of courses for beginners.
And, hey, if sweaty workouts aren’t your thing, they also offer “Time to Walk,” a feature they describe as an “audio walking experience.” When I tried on a day I didn’t want to exercise, I heard Shawn Mendes talk to me for 15 minutes while I was strolling around my neighborhood. It was wonderful.
Workouts are synced with your Apple Watch.
Yes, this is the coolest part of the whole program. During your class, your Apple Watch rings will appear on the screen so you can see how close you are to closing.
I liked this feature because I could see how long I had been exercising, check my heart rate, and estimate when I would close rings. That helped me judge whether I could push harder or pull something back. Also, seeing how far you have to go to close your rings without looking at your watch is also very motivating.
The music is not a joke.
Given that Apple has its own music streaming platform, it should come as no surprise that the workout playlists are seriously The Move.
Music absolutely makes a workout, and I’ve jammed with a healthy mix of setbacks, current bops, and everything in between. (Little Mix’s “power“Played in several classes and – I don’t care what you think – this is the GOAT from Training songs.)
The instructors do the lessons.
It’s like Apple Fitness + picked the best instructors from around the world and put them on this app. (I know I sound like a superfan at this point, but I’ve tried MANY fitness classes and apps. You can trust me, I promise.)
The first class I took was cycling with Tyrell, and he really set the tone. (Like, he’s the workout BFF you always wanted.)
I’ve also taken classes from Emily, Betina, Jessica, Sam, Sherica, and Bakari, and they’re 110 percent the reason I got through my training.
Oh, and every instructor knows a bit of sign language too, so you can expect them to sign on you at the beginning and end of the training. (We love to see it.)
The disadvantages
There are no live courses.
This may be a personal preference, but sometimes I want to feel like I’m at the right moment with my coaches. Before COVID-19, it looked like I was in the room with them. Now I’m taking live classes.
It’s not a big deal, but live classes make me feel more connected to the class than we’re going through the same thing. The Fitness + On Demand library is great, but the trainers didn’t give us an encouraging talk about stressful current affairs which I kind of loved about my old IRL spin courses.
You may have to repeat the same class.
Do you remember when I said that I hold onto what I know? For me that was the 45-minute bike course from Fitness +. You made me seriously invincible. However, since this app is tailored to mix up your workouts as much as possible, unfortunately only about 10 45-minute cycle courses were offered. I burned them all in two weeks.
Fortunately, they add extra classes every week and the app is very new. Hopefully they’ll get more varied over time.
The judgment
If I wasn’t clear enough where I stood, this app is everything and more. It’s the best, easiest, and cheapest way to get around your home. Control freak or not, you have to admit that taking a class is great. Especially when you can stream it from your BB iPhone or hella big Apple TV.
Whether you want to 1) improve your fitness 2) train your boooooty 3) become more flexible 4) feel more secure and / or 5) do something in quarantine that is not TikTok, it costs $ 10 a month away of your answer.
You might like it too
