Apple Fitness Plus: Is It Worth It?.
Everyone wants to be fit and look good, and Apple Fitness Plus makes it possible with a little more than your iPhone. Apple Fitness Plus is a subscription service that provides users with workout programs, guided meditations, and more.
Of course, you have to invest in the work yourself. Getting in shape takes effort, but there are many types of workouts, from high-intensity interval training to strength training. You can try Apple Fitness Plus for free for one month. Here's how to make the most of that time and decide if you want to continue your subscription after.
Where to Find Apple Fitness Plus
Apple Fitness Plus can be found in the default Fitness app on your iPhone. All you need to do is open "Fitness" and tap on the icon in the center (labeled "Fitness+") to access the service.
Once on this screen, you can choose between different types of workouts by tapping the icons on the screen. You can choose between meditation, HIIT, yoga, core, strength, Pilates, dance, cycling, treadmill, rowing, and mindful recovery.
There are other options like Collections, Time to Go, Programs, Artist Spotlight, and more. The Apple Fitness Plus app is a comprehensive collection of different workout types to help everyone find their favorite activity.
How to Get the Most Out of Apple Fitness Plus
Apple Fitness Plus is all about developing and tracking the amount of effort you put in (and the results you get). There are several steps you can take to improve your results.
Keep your Apple Watch up to date
Your Apple Watch will do most of the hard work when it comes to tracking things like heart rate. Apple Watch users will get the most out of Apple Fitness Plus, especially if they update their watch to the latest OS to ensure accurate tracking. At the time of writing, watchOS 8 is the latest version.
Upload your workouts
You need Wi-Fi or cellular data to access workouts. If you're going somewhere and you know you won't have Wi-Fi access, don't worry – you can download your workouts to your iPhone, iPad, or other Apple devices in advance.
Workout with TV
It can be difficult to see all the videos on the small screen of your phone. The good news is that you can access Fitness Plus through your Apple TV. You will be able to see your workouts better. If you're afraid someone will hear you exercising (and let's face it, workout videos can be crappy), just sync a pair of Airpods to your Apple TV 4K and you're good to go.
Try new workouts
If you are just getting into fitness, you may not know where to start. Apple Fitness Plus has several beginner-friendly programs. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try new workouts; for example, the Collections feature of Apple Fitness Plus has programs like the 30-Day Core Challenge or Run Your First 5K to help you reach your fitness goals.
Look at the recording strip
Burn Bar is a feature that allows you to compare your progress and performance with other people of the same age and weight. You can turn it off, but if you leave it on anonymously, your progress will be added to the Burn Bar competition. It is only available for HIIT workouts, treadmill, cycling and rowing.
You'll see it after two minutes of training, and it will continually update to show the last two minutes of effort. You will be rated as "Lagging", "In the Pack", "In the Middle of the Pack", "Ahead of the Pack", or "Ahead of the Pack". At the end of your workout, Burn Bar averages your performance to give you the final result.
You won't win anything by beating everyone else, but the Burn Bar is a simple motivational tool for those who love to compete.
Use your time to run
Running is a relatively easy workout suitable for beginners that can be done at any time. However, it can be difficult to get started and work your way through the initial burn until you hit a "runner's high". With advice from trainers and inspiring stories, Time To Run helps you focus on something other than pain.
Time to Run is an audio experience created across episodes, sort of like a podcast. You'll hear great music and playlists put together by trainers, as well as visuals from different locations. This is a great way to learn to control your pace.
Be consistent
Training is a marathon, not a sprint. You won't see results right away – and if the workouts are challenging but doable, that's a good indicator that they're helping. You can expect to notice a difference in how you feel after about a week, but it can take up to a month before you notice any physical changes.
Keep up your workouts and don't give up just because you don't see results right away. Try to close your activity rings every day, even on days you don't exercise.
Watch your diet
If your goal is to lose weight, Apple Fitness Plus can help you find the right calorie-burning workout, but there's just as much work to do in the kitchen. The old adage says that to be in shape you need to eat 80%, exercise 20%, and it's true. You can find quite a few apps on the App Store that will help you track your calorie intake so you can better reach your goals.
If Apple Fitness Plus seems interesting to you, you can try it for free for a month. After that, it's $9.99/month or $79.99/year. If your goal is to run a 5k or finally perfect your yoga poses this year, give it a try and you might find just the workout program you need.
Apple Fitness Plus: Is It Worth It?
Apple Fitness Plus: Is It Worth It?