Apple Fitness+ review: Your new home gym?

 

(Pocket-lint) - For some time, Apple has concentrated on fitness, but until now, via the Apple Watch, it has really focused only on you doing it on your own.

Now, with a subscription-focused future in play, Apple has released Fitness+, a series of immersive fitness classes that enable you to become involved across a variety of disciplines with the help of a team of trainers. All is linked to your Apple Watch and a monthly subscription.

But can fitness+ make it easy and pleasant to exercise? To find out, we attended a number of classes.

What Apple tech do you need?

• Must have an Apple Watch
• Works with iPhone, iPad, Apple TV

For a monthly fee, Apple Fitness+ is open to all Apple users. You just need an Apple Watch and an iPhone to get the most out of that experience. You can do the classes without the Watch, though, if it's charging - but then you're only watching a recording of the workout.

You can also upgrade the experience with an iPad or an Apple TV beyond those two devices. However, both devices will have to run iOS 14.3. And you can't access Fitness+ on a Mac - obviously, exercise isn't for laptop users.

The concept

• Exercise classes starting from 5 minutes
• Watch used to track heartbeat and calories

Open the Fitness app, tap on the new tab for Fitness+, then select a lesson. The app interacts with your Apple Watch once you start a class to monitor your workout time, heart rate, burned calories, and in some cases how you do against those who have already completed the class.

The classes are all pre-recorded instead of live, with a musical score courtesy of Apple Music, and every week, Apple promises new classes to keep you coming back for more.

Classes

• Various class disciplines
• You have to supply the accompanying equipment

There are a variety of lessons, including HIIT, Agility, Core, Yoga, Rowing, Swimming, Treadmill, and Mindful Cooldown, covering a number of disciplines. You will sometimes need the different kits needed to complete them. It tells you what you need in the description before you begin, but there are plenty who need nothing more than yourself.

Classes will last from 5 minutes to 45 minutes, most of which are in the 10-30 minute bracket. Difficulty varies, but before you start the class, it's difficult to know what the difficulty level is. Instead of pushing you to do something you can't cope with, Apple's tactic is for you to drive yourself at your own speed regardless of the discipline.

Classes will last from 5 minutes to 45 minutes, with most in the 10-30 minute bracket. Difficulty varies, but before you begin the class, it's difficult to know what the difficulty level is. Instead of pushing you to do something you can't cope with, Apple's solution is for you to drive yourself at your own speed regardless of the discipline.

Much of the lessons we have taken so far revolve around three interval training blocks. For eg, the rowing class is about building up to an imaginary race, with the intervals becoming harder as you go. Similarly, the Core sessions are about moving you steadily, but ensuring you get a break in between.

That's great for beginners and those who have the desire to push themselves, but for those who want to be pushed harder, it may be a little lacklustre. That's why live gym classes are so successful that you are pushed beyond your capacity, which is not what you get here.

Trainers

• Numerous trainers
• Diverse group of instructors
  

There are a variety of personal trainers across the disciplines, reflecting a wide diversity. The majority are from the US, although others are from the United Kingdom.

Everyone is super nice, open, and full of smiles. As Brits, we learn that the anecdotal tales are not 100 percent relatable, mostly about "college" and "game day" but it doesn't really get in the way. We've noticed by the end of each of the classes we've taken so far that we're geed up and ready to sweat.

Of course, you won't find that every trainer fits your style or approach - we didn't, and while you can't tell Apple's recommendation algorithm that you don't like a trainer, you can at least tell them the ones you like, so next time it recommends them again.

They also use sign language as a fun touch, but they don't make a big deal about it.

Seamless integration

• Connects to your Apple Watch
• Workouts saved to your phone automatically

With Apple Fitness+, if there is one thing that is a resounding success, it's the simplicity of it all. The integration is seamless between the Apple Watch and the screen you're using.

The two devices are immediately linked without any hassle once you have selected your class, and the class doesn't start until you either press play on the screen or on your watch.

When you do, your key vitals are shown on the screen - relaying your stats for every beat back to you - and as you work out, it's easy to keep track of your results.

With an accompanying soundtrack, the lessons are all choreographed. When you exercise, the trainers reference the beats to make it sound a lot more normal as to why you listen to what you listen to.

Beyond key stats such as your workout time, heart rate and calories burned, the screen flashes other important information such as how long you are doing with the total completion of your rings before the end of the interval, or how you are doing on what Apple calls the 'Burn Bar' in some classes (which we explain more below).

The knowledge is accessible via your Apple Watch, for the day, or via the workout tab after an exercise session is finished, as if it was a workout you had performed before Fitness + existed. However, on the iPad or Apple TV, you can't view previous workouts - they are only there for the classes to play.

Burn Bar

• Compares you to the community

The trainers refer to anything called the Burn Bar during some of the workouts. It's Apple's effort to add to the experience a degree of competition.

Compared to those who have already completed the same exercise, this helps you see how you are doing. It is focused on your 2-minute rolling effort during the workout, seen as calories burned - so the harder you practice, the more you step up in the pack. At the end, you get a final ranking.

It's a good idea, but it's a little distracting, too, because it's so ambiguous. Many who have heard of the Peloton leader board or seen it can see it as nowhere near as aggressive or deserving of boasting, and there is no sense of localised culture to it.

We would love it to show us in Apple Watch Successful Challenges against those with whom we are activity synced or competing against. It's just not that important to you personally at the moment and there are definitely no bragging rights.

Beginner or expert

• Let's you work at your own pace
• No live classes

With a number of coaches, we've already done a number of lessons, from yoga to core to strength to rowing, and expect to do more. All of them were easy to get into, available, and all surprisingly friendly.

What is obvious, though, is that you drive all the courses. Yeah, there are tips to go at a certain speed from the coaches, but it's easy to take stuff at your own pace. It's a good thing and a bad one.

If you don't want to go as hard as the coach, then you don't have to. The lessons and trainers aren't about beating you up. No one's going to tell you off if you miss a couple of days. Fitness+ is not about making you feel bad about skipping a class if you need to be pushed, and that, we suspect, might lead to you actually not bothering until you lose interest. The only rivalry is yourself.

If you're bad at going to the gym, then it's doubtful that Apple fitness+ can carry the gym to you unless you want it to.

VerdictApple Fitness+ is as easy and straightforward as you would like it to be, linking your Apple devices to pre-recorded fitness classes and tracking your efforts with your Apple Watch seamlessly.In favour of real safe teachers who want to make you feel good about yourself and the fact that you've put in some workout time, even if it's only 10 minutes, Apple has steered away from household names or celebrity trainers.While all that works just fine, though, it is the absence of oriented programmes with concrete end goals or a sense of devotion to needing to show up at a certain moment. That makes us wonder how many would stick to it without losing motivation for more than a couple of months.Fitness+ is unlikely to help provide the emphasis if you are someone who wants a target. You'll definitely love this subscription option if you're someone who has already dabbled with fitness apps that allow you to complete a class every day or week and enjoy that independence.Fitness+ definitely lives up to its name, but we believe there needs to be more of a pull than our own inspiration alone for us to be truly glued.

Also consider

Zwift Run

In particular, if enhanced by accessories to improve your training, the virtual running assistant might be more up your path.

Peloton Bike

Although clearly an entirely different product idea, in terms of inspiration, you will get live classes and more. It's costly though.