I’m Not Joining a Gym, I’m Using Apple Fitness+ – How-To Geek

Many people sign up for gym memberships at the beginning of the year to get in shape and stay healthy, but that’s not me. I’m ignoring the gym this year and solely relying on Apple Fitness+ to achieve my fitness goals. Here’s why.

What Is Apple Fitness+?

Apple Fitness+ is a fitness service launched by Apple in December 2020. It aims to bring the power of your Apple Watch to your TV with guided workouts accompanied by curated music.

The service offers a dozen guided workout classes with trainers guiding you throughout the practice, accompanied by curated music. You can choose which trainer guides the practice and the type of music that’s played.

Initially, Apple required an Apple Watch to use Fitness+, but with iOS 16, they lifted that requirement, and all you now need is an iPhone. An estimate of your active calories will be synced to the Fitness app and go towards your Move goal if you’re not using an Apple Watch. Apple Fitness+ can be accessed on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.

The Benefits of Working Out at Home

While working out at a gym may be beneficial, it isn’t for everyone. Most people don’t use all of that equipment, whether that’s down to their chosen workouts or personal preference.

On the contrary, working out at home has its own benefits, which have increased with the addition of services like Apple Fitness+. Because this product requires little to no equipment to perform most of the workouts, it’s an excellent fit for anyone wanting to stay active without a gym membership.

To be fair, you will need some equipment to perform the corresponding workout successfully on treadmills, rowing, or cycling exercises. However, for others, like yoga, strength, and Pilates, you only need a mat, a pair of dumbbells, or a resistance band, which are usually inexpensive.

The Weather Is No Longer An Excuse

One of the reasons I like to work out at home is that I don’t have to leave the house. This means the weather won’t deter me from staying active when it’s raining or snowing outside.

This is ideal during the winter when snow and ice can make leaving the house a real issue. Since I live on top of a mountain, driving while it’s snowing can be dangerous, so during the snowy months, I’d rather complete workouts at home.

My situation isn’t applicable to everyone, but removing any obstacles that stand in the way of wanting to work out and actually getting working out can only be a good thing.

Take Your Classes Anywhere With You

Conversely, the service can still come with you if you leave the house. Since it’s meant to be used remotely, you can still do nearly any workout from your current location, whether that’s the park, a hotel room, or a friend’s home.

This gives the service an advantage over a brick-and-mortar gym, especially privately owned (non-chain) gyms where you might face challenges in locating a suitable place to work out while traveling.

Fitness+ also encourages people not to be confined to one space but to get out and be one with nature. The “Time to Walk” and “Time to Run” programs encourage users to get outside and be active while listening to inspiring stories and curated music by prominent individual figures.

You Never Work Out Alone

When you go to the gym, it can sometimes be overwhelming and intimidating to start working out around unfamiliar people. With Fitness+, the trainers continuously motivate you throughout your workout, reminding you they’re there to work with and help you.

Additionally, every class includes a modifier, ensuring that there’s always a trainer suitable for every skill level. This is always emphasized before the workout begins.

This approach surpasses the uncertainty of going into a workout blind and wondering if it’s effective in targeting the areas you want to improve. By customizing the workout duration, selecting your preferred music, and choosing a trainer who aligns with your goals, I can remain motivated throughout my sessions.

Built-in Workout Tracking

When you finish a workout, all your data is sent to the Fitness app for viewing and sharing. Unlike gym equipment that estimates how many calories you burn, a Fitness+ workout should give you more accurate numbers since it syncs with your Apple Watch if you’re using one.

Furthermore, this information is displayed onscreen throughout the workout, so you can see where you stand and decide whether to push yourself a little harder or ease up. It can be motivating to see your heart rate respond to the effort you put in.

Taking Fitness+ classes is the same as doing any other workout, so your calories burned become part of Apple Health. On top of this, you can import this data into third-party health apps, so you don’t need to input it manually when you’re done with your workout.

Finess+ Might Be a Wiser Financial Choice

You receive a one-month free trial of Fitness+ from the get-go, but if you recently purchased a new Apple Watch or iPhone, this trial can extend up to three months. From there, it’s only $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year, which is significantly cheaper than joining a gym.

For example, the closest gym to me is Planet Fitness where a membership costs $15 a month. That price doesn’t include all amenities and I can only use the gym’s equipment and work out at my “home” gym (which is selected when signing up).

If I want access to all the gym’s amenities, the price increases to $30 a month, not including tax. This option also allows me to work out at any Planet Fitness location and access special offers within the app.

There is a $5 monthly difference between a Fitness+ subscription and a gym membership on the basic tier and a $20 difference for the premium tier. When calculating yearly, the basic tier costs about $100 more per year, and the premium tier costs about $280 more.

Furthermore, if you want to cancel your Fitness+ subscription, you don’t need to go to a gym to do so physically, you can do it from the subscription menu in Settings. Tapping a button is a lot easier than chasing down staff to cancel your membership!

Staying Fit and Healthy for the New Year

Apple Fitness+ isn’t for everyone, especially those without an Apple device, but it is a good alternative to the gym. With its multiple classes, various trainers, and fair pricing, it’s one of the best premium workout programs for Apple users.

If you already have an active gym membership, you can use Fitness+ there, which also works with GymKit. However, most of its workouts can be done at home, where all you need is a mat and dumbbells, and many don’t require any equipment at all.

Apple Fitness+ is a great way to stay active and stick to your New Year’s resolution. But don’t just take my word for it, check out what a week of Apple Fitness+ is really like.