Apple Fitness Plus is a no-brainer if you already own an Apple Watch

Apple gave us a very inaccurate reminder to move in with it Fitness PlusThe new service that gives you all kinds of targeted exercises to do at home, or wherever you want. At a cost of $ 10 (£ 10, AU $ 15) a month, or $ 80 (£ 80, AU $ 120) a year, Fitness Plus streams directly from your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV and uses Apple Watch to display the metrics on screen to help you meet goals Your fitness. For those who are already deep in the Apple ecosystem and feel lost in this Workout at home Universally speaking, Fitness Plus can be a great way to get you moving. It is easy to use and easy to use for beginners (Here’s how to set it up), And it has 10 different types of exercises to choose from. I tested an early version of the Fitness Plus app and completed no fewer than seven different workouts over the course of four days to see what it was all about. Spoiler: Everything hurts now.

Read more: How Apple’s Fitness Plus Solves Forever Netflix Browsing Problem

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Apple Fitness Plus: An Exercise Plan Built On …

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How Apple Watch works with Fitness Plus

The premise is simple enough: Fitness Plus offers targeted workouts for every level, whether you’re just starting out on your fitness journey, or you’re a more advanced gym-goer. There are 10 types of exercises: running on the treadmill, walking on the treadmill, stationary bike, rowing, dancing, strength training, yoga, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and calm. What sets it apart from similar fitness apps like Nike Training Club or 7 Minute Workout is its close integration with the Apple Watch.

Fitness Plus uses all previous workout data, from the Apple Watch or any other fitness app that syncs with the Health app, to help guide your next workout. If you record any workouts on your Apple Watch, you’ll be given two classes to choose from once you start using the app: More of what you like, or Trying Something New. It is fairly self-explanatory, either offering exercises similar to what you have done in the past or suggesting new exercises that complement what you have already been doing. My Fitness Plus test account was unable to access my workout history, so I was unable to test Recommendations feature For this review, but I’ll update it as soon as I can test it on my own.

Statistics from Apple Watch like heart rate, calories burned, and time spent appear on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV screen. This helps position you properly so that you don’t have to keep looking at your wrist. You also get a live view of your Activity rings, which will fill up throughout the workout. For some workouts, the app even uses your heart rate data to tell you how much effort you’re putting in compared to everyone else who’s done that in the past, which Apple calls the clone tape. Trainers also refer to the heart rate information to propel you during the workout.

How to get started with Fitness Plus

The app will be available on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV devices with the latest software updates (iOS 14.3And TVOS 14.3 and iPadOS 14.3, respectively). You will have to download the Fitness Plus app on your iPad, but it will be preloaded on AppleTV and will appear as a new tab within the existing Fitness app on iPhone. Once you choose the exercise on screen, it will automatically start recording the corresponding exercise on your Apple Watch (WatchOS 7.2) without extra effort on your part. You will also be able to use the watch as a remote control to pause or pause a workout at any time.

The app itself is intuitive and easy to navigate. Even if you don’t like any of the recommendations, the filter makes it easy to find your next workout. You can search by workout type, duration, coaches, and music. There’s no way to filter by difficulty yet, but you can watch a brief trailer to get a feel for what you’re into.

During the first two days of my Fitness Plus exam, I was able to complete seven out of the nine types of exercises available, which I thought would be impossible with a full-time job and two young kids at home.

Time doesn’t seem to be a huge limitation actually with Fitness Plus since you can find anything from a five-minute relaxation period to a 45-minute yoga class, depending on your schedule. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can even mix and match your workout routine. Maybe a little bit of basic work to finish your strength training, or add calming down at the end of a sweaty HIIT session. The one thing you can’t do yet (note, Apple) is create a playlist that automatically plays again with multiple exercises. For now, you can just save it to the My Workouts section of the Fitness Plus app to see it all in one place.

Putting Fitness Plus to the test

Without any recommendations on my demo account, it was left to my own devices to choose my first workout. I chose something a little familiar – a strength training session in my living room on Apple TV. I do 3 outdoor runs a week, and I balance this with Pilates to strengthen my muscles. Fitness Plus doesn’t offer Pilates yet, so strength training (or yoga) was my closest option. The 30-minute workout felt attractive and high energy, and the trainer was well paced. I definitely felt the challenge during parts of it, but mostly because of the pace and weight of the dumbbells. The movements were fairly basic, and began to be repeated after a while. What got me really busy was watching my heart rate go up and down in real time on the screen. I felt that made me upfront about how much effort I was putting in with each step and pressured myself more than I would have otherwise. It was also a gentle patting on the back to see my exercise ring close up on screen as I wrapped up.

The workouts don’t really offer a great deal of calming down, which is great for when you are tight on time, but you also get the option to add one from the cool-down section at the end.

Welcome beginners

Then I decided to challenge myself to try something I’ve never done before: rowing. I received a borrowed rowing machine as part of my review package so I thought I’d make it up. But if you don’t have a rowing machine, treadmill, or stationary bike, that’s okay too because you can choose exercises from other departments. Most of them can be done without any equipment at all, although sometimes a trainer will recommend a dumbbell or yoga mat.

Under normal circumstances, I would have felt so intimidated even close to one paddling at the gym. But the Fitness Plus app makes it easy to get out of your comfort zone with a complete beginners section with short and easy exercises plus a “Getting Started” video that teaches you how to use the device.

They also offer adjustments within each exercise video, just look at one of the other trainers in the back for an easier or more challenging version of the routine.

After watching the six-minute introduction video of the rowing machine, I was able to complete my first workout without injuring myself. However, I did slip off the seat the first time I tried to mount it, which you can check out at the end of my review video if you need a laugh. Even though it was only 10 minutes, it engaged my body completely and made my heart pump. Enough so that I definitely felt the pain the next day (not slipping off the seat). I scored up to 78 points on my copy tape which, according to the app, put me “ahead”, although that doesn’t mean much considering the service wasn’t available to the public yet.

Consistent trainers and expertly designed music

I also did a 20-minute HIIT session and a 10-minute core workout outside with an iPhone, and a yoga and latin dance session in my living room. It didn’t end with the last two, though, because I tried to get my 1-year-old and 3-year-olds involved. Their interest only lasts for a long time.

What I was allowed to do was get to know a few different coaches and mix up the types of melodies I worked with. There were definitely some teaching methods that suit me better, but they are all very attractive and good at motivating you to push yourself through a workout. Although they are all different, they all convey the same feeling of excitement to your teaching and there is consistency in the way they organize their classes which has been very helpful.

Music is also an important part because each exercise has its own unique playlist that keeps the momentum going. It’s a great way to discover new music without spending any time on it. The name of the song and its cover album appear on the screen during exercise. While everyone can listen to songs during a workout, Apple Music subscribers can download the entire playlist to their library directly from the Fitness Plus app.

A great starting point, or supplement to your current routine

As with any fitness plan, it takes weeks or even months to see changes in your body or Fitness level (which Apple Watch is currently tracking)It would be unfair to issue a final ruling on Fitness Plus in less than a week. Also, it will likely evolve as more exercises are added on a weekly basis and the algorithm gets better at knowing what to recommend. But that’s what I can say now after using it for four days.

Fitness Plus is a no-brainer if you already own, or are considering, an Apple Watch as you get a free three-month trial. It’s also included as part of the Premier Apple One subscription package, for $ 30 (£ 30, AU $ 40) a month. But with so many fitness apps out there, this probably isn’t reason enough of it Buy an Apple Watch.

It is also not the best choice if you are a professional in any of the exercise categories, or you are really looking to hone your skills, as it appears to be aimed at a wider audience and cannot provide personalized feedback on the form.

Fitness Plus isn’t going to make me quit my Pilates studio anytime soon (once I can go in person), but I would definitely consider it a supplement to my current routine. Engage in a fun dance session when the weather is too bad for a run, or do the basic workout for 10 minutes after putting the kids to bed. It’s a welcome change to my old running and Pilates routine, with different exercise types and no-excuse options to move around whenever or wherever I can. For now, I need to fall apart on my sofa for the next few days while recovering from this review.

We recommend that you consult your doctor before starting a new exercise regimen.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to provide health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have about a medical condition or health goals.