Everything You Need to Know about Apple Fitness+

Apple Fitness+ is a subscription-based fitness service designed to help you stay active and healthy with engaging workout and meditation classes. It seamlessly connects with Apple devices like Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, so you can exercise anywhere, anytime.

In this guide, you’ll learn what Apple Fitness+ is, how it works, its features, pricing, and how it compares to competitors like Peloton and Fitbit Premium. We’ll also cover how to sign up, use it across devices, and decide if it’s worth the investment for you.

What is Apple Fitness+?

Apple Fitness+ is a paid fitness subscription service launched in December 2020, designed to make exercising easy, fun, and accessible. It offers on-demand professional workouts in activities such as yoga, HIIT, dance, strength training, rowing, cycling, and more.

Fitness+ integrates seamlessly with the Health app and Apple Watch to track your progress, from calories burned to heart rate, in real time. Think of it as a personal trainer, gym, and meditation studio all in one, accessible from your Apple devices.

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With new workouts added weekly, Apple Fitness+ keeps your routine fresh, motivating, and tailored to your goals — anytime, anywhere.

How Apple Fitness+ Works 

Apple Fitness+ is designed to work seamlessly with Apple devices, making it simple to start and track your workouts.

• Device Compatibility: You’ll need an Apple Watch Series 3 or later (running watchOS 7.2 or later) paired with an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. From iOS 16 onward, you can use Fitness+ without an Apple Watch, though you’ll miss out on real-time metrics.
• Access Workouts: Open the Fitness app on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV to browse and start workouts. Classes are organized by type, duration, trainer, and music.
• Real-Time Metrics: With an Apple Watch, your heart rate, calories burned, and Activity Rings appear on screen during workouts. Post-workout summaries are available in the Health app.
• Health App Integration: All your workouts sync to the Health app to help you track trends and reach your fitness goals.

Apple Fitness+ Features & Benefits 

Apple Fitness+ offers an impressive set of features to suit all fitness levels.

• Variety of Workouts: 12 workout types including Yoga, HIIT, cycling, dance, strength, pilates, treadmill running, rowing, core, kickboxing, meditation, and mindful cooldowns. Sessions range from 5 to 45 minutes.
• Trainer-Led Classes: Experienced trainers provide clear instructions and modifications for all levels.
• Music Integration: Curated Apple Music playlists, Artist Spotlight series, and adjustable Audio Focus settings.
• Personalized Recommendations: The For You section suggests workouts based on your history.
• Custom Plans: Available on iOS 26+, these let you set your workout schedule, trainer preferences, and music choices.
• Workout Metrics & Rings: See heart rate, calories, and Activity Rings in real time. Earn awards for milestones.

Apple has recently introduced progressive strength training programs, breath meditation, pickleball conditioning, and Time to Walk episodes featuring celebrities like Adam Scott and Tiffany Haddish. A 2025 Strava collaboration now allows social sharing for runners and cyclists.

Apple Fitness+ Pricing and Plans

Apple Fitness+ offers flexible pricing options to suit different budgets: 

Subscription	Price
Monthly	$9.99/month shareable with up to five family members
Annual	$79.99/year
Apple One Premier Plan	$29.95/month including Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and 2TB of iCloud+ storage, shareable with up to five family members.
Free Trial	New Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV buyers (latest model) get three months free.  Existing owners get only one month free.

Note

Available in select countries like the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and more. Check Apple’s support page for availability.

How to Sign Up for Apple Fitness+ 

Getting started with Apple Fitness+ is straightforward. Follow these steps:

1. On your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, open the Fitness app. If you don’t have it, download it from the App Store.
2. Tap the Fitness+ option at the bottom. If you’re eligible, you’ll see an option to start a free trial.
3. Use your Apple Account email address and password to sign in.
4. Verify your payment method and billing information. If you don’t have one, add a valid one if prompted.
   
5. Tap Subscribe to confirm.
6. Pair your Apple Watch with your iPhone if not already done (via the Watch app). For Apple TV, ensure it’s signed into the same Apple ID.

You’re now ready to explore Fitness+ on your devices!

How to Use Apple Fitness+ on Different Devices 

Apple Fitness+ is versatile, working across multiple devices. Here’s how to use it:

On iPhone/iPad: 

1. Open the Fitness app and tap the Fitness+ tab.
2. For the first time, you need to select which activities you want to do so that Apple can curate the lessons accordingly in the For You tab.
3. Go to the Explore tab to browse all activity types. It also shows audio workouts, Artist and Music Spotlights, and tips from Fitness+ trainers.
   
4. You can also search classes by type, trainer, duration, or music from the Search tab.
5. Tap a workout, choose duration and trainer, and select Let’s Go to stream it.
   
6. You can also use Stacks to stream different activities in a single session. Choose an activity, tap the three dots on top and pick Add (activity) to Stack. Now, tap the Stack icon and hit Let’s Go.
   
7. Use the Summary tab to track progress and view awards.
   

What I liked about the workouts is the fact that the trainers also use American Sign Language for hard-of-hearing people for a couple of phrases. Therefore, no matter what shape, size, form, or disability, Fitness+ has workouts for everyone.

On Apple Watch:

1. Pair your Watch with your iPhone. Metrics like workout time, heart rate, and calories burned appear on your Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV screen during workouts.
2. Use Time to Walk or Time to Run from the Workout app for audio-guided outdoor sessions. You need to connect your AirPods or other compatible Bluetooth headphones.
3. Close Activity Rings and check the Burn Bar to stay motivated.

On Apple TV: 

1. Open the Fitness app on Apple TV (tvOS 14.3 or later). 
2. Sign in with the same Apple ID as your iPhone or Watch. 
3. Select workouts on the big screen for an immersive experience. 

Without Apple Watch (iOS 16+): 

1. On iPhone or iPad with iOS 16 or later, play a workout from the Fitness+ tab and select Work Out without Watch to start the streaming. 
2. You won’t see real-time metrics, but you can still stream workouts and track them manually in the Health app.
   

This flexibility lets you work out wherever you are, with or without a Watch.

Pros and Cons of Apple Fitness+

Like any service, Apple Fitness+ has strengths and limitations:

Pros: 

• Flexible home workouts
• 12 workout types for all fitness levels
• Real-time metrics and Health app integration
• Motivational trainer-led classes

Cons: 

• Requires Apple devices
• Needs stable internet
• It may be less intense for advanced athletes

Therefore, I suggest taking the free trial and finding out if it fits your exercise needs. 

Apple Fitness+ vs. Competitors 

Apple Fitness+ competes with services like Peloton, Fitbit Premium, and Nike Training Club. Here’s how it stacks up: 

• Peloton: It offers live and on-demand classes with a focus on cycling and strength. Peloton has a broader equipment focus (e.g., bikes and treadmills), but it’s pricier ($12.99-$44/month). Fitness+ is more affordable and integrates better with Apple devices. 
• Fitbit Premium: Provides workouts and health insights for $9.99/month. It’s less immersive than Fitness+ and lacks the same ecosystem integration, but it works with non-Apple devices. 
• Nike Training Club: Free with premium options, it offers workouts but lacks real-time metrics and Apple’s polished interface. It’s a good budget option, but less personalized. 

Is Apple Fitness+ Worth It? 

Apple Fitness+ is ideal for Apple ecosystem users who want variety, convenience, and seamless health tracking. Beginners to intermediate users will love the trainer-led sessions, while ASL-friendly classes make it inclusive. If you own Apple devices and prefer home workouts, it’s an excellent investment, especially with Apple One.

Final Thoughts

Apple Fitness+ combines top-quality workouts, motivating trainers, and real-time health monitoring into one platform. With flexible plans, fresh weekly content, and seamless integration, it’s a smart choice for Apple users who want to stay fit, motivated, and consistent.

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