A question I often get asked is, why do I enjoy Apple Fitness+ so much? The short answer is there are many reasons, but that’s not very helpful now is it? So I figured breaking it down here could help you figure out if it’s a good fit for you.

Why I struggled to stay consistent before

Before I started using Apple Fitness+ in 2023, my workout routine was very few and far between. I would probably go on a short walk, dance at the bar with friends, or cycle for 30 minutes every once in a while.

I know I’ve always enjoyed cardio, but I never had the motivation or a good reason to keep up with it. The dancing helped me be social, the walking got me out of the house, and the cycling gave me something to do when I was bored, but all of these activities seemed to lack purpose.

I also felt envious of other guys who had more muscle than me and I’d never done strength training before, so I didn’t know where to start. I was also too afraid to sign up for a gym membership and embarrass myself with unfamiliar moves and weights that seemed weak. I also didn’t have any friends at the time who I could go with.

What I needed from a fitness program

I did some research when I felt the desire to do some workouts at home to see which available services would suit me best.

The first thing I did was rule out any services that required you to buy equipment because I already owned an indoor exercise bike and wanted to put that to use and work it into my fitness routine.

This meant that Peloton, Echelon, and Tonal were not really for me. I also wanted a fitness service that I could do on my own time and didn’t gear mainly towards people who wanted live classes.

The thing I love is I can do the Apple Fitness+ workouts whenever I want, even if I wake up feeling a bit lazy or not wanting to do it as soon as I wake up. The flexibility is there and it helps me keep my habit on my terms.

What Apple Fitness does well (for me)

We are all unique in our tastes and what motivates us, but I’m sure I’m not alone when it comes to the things that work for me with the Apple Fitness+ service.

Motivating trainers

Over the past few years I’ve come to enjoy how motivating all of the Apple Fitness+ trainers can be. I can be having the worst day mentally or physically, but I know they are there to cheer me up and make me want to show up for myself.

Not only do they inspire me during my workouts, but they interact with me on Instagram when possible and I really appreciate that genuine connection. It makes me feel seen for all the effort I put in and that means a lot to me.

They also let us get to know them on a personal level throughout the workouts, which makes you want to come back to hear how things have been going for them or what new challenges they’re setting themselves like training for a marathon, growing their family, or furthering their education.

A large variety of workouts

I’m huge fan of how many different workout types they offer. Being able to do different kinds of workouts every day helps me build habits while not getting bored of the same old thing. I can listen to my body and mind and choose exactly what I’m in the mood for.

The core offerings for Apple Fitness+ include:

• Meditation
• Strength training
• Yoga
• Core training
• HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
• Pilates
• Dance
• Kickboxing
• Treadmill
• Cycling
• Rowing
• Mindful Cooldown

Modifications for every workout

This is what stuck out for me the most to begin with. I knew that no matter what workout I wanted to try for the first time, I knew I’d have modifications in every workout that could teach me how to learn every move at my strength and pace.

Even to this day, there are moves in strength, core, yoga, and Pilates that I’m not the most confident in, but I still feel able to try them to the best of my ability. I also know that having the ability to modify has helped me learn and grow to where I’m at today.

I have strengths and weaknesses just like everyone else, but I feel I’ve gotten better because of the expert guidance that the Apple Fitness+ team have offered.

Custom plans to fit your needs

You can build your own plans in a variety of ways. One can help you stay consistent, another can help you push further, or you can just tell the app exactly what types of workouts you want to do, how long you want to spend doing them, which days you’d like to do them on, and how long you’d like your plan to last from 2 weeks all the way up to 8 weeks.

Where it falls short

Nothing’s perfect, right? As much as I’d love to say this fitness service is, there are a few areas for improvement.

Tracking metrics

The metrics can be off in terms of calories burned for different types of workouts. For example, I can put the same amount of effort into different types of cardio like running, cycling, and HIIT, yet sometimes my cycling workouts don’t track well and I end up burning far fewer calories.

This is a bit demotivating for someone who likes to see a value associated with their efforts. The burn bar can also fail to connect sometimes which makes it hard to see how you’re doing compared to others who’ve done the same cardio workouts. I know these are likely just software bugs, but they’re definitely things that make a difference for dedicated users and athletes.

Failing workouts

It’s probably another software or server issue, but on rare occasions, workouts can cut out part way through or fail to launch. Again, this can definitely prove to be frustrating loyal users because it can disrupt the flow of workout stacks and demotivate you from continuing.

Who I think it’s perfect for — and who it isn’t

I’d say Apple Fitness+ is perfect for people who want to workout at home over going to a gym. While you can still do the workouts in the gym, and I have, it’s definitely structured for being at home where you can lay down to do things like chest presses from the floor and a bunch of core moves on a mat.

It’s pretty affordable at only $9.99 a month and it works out to be less if you have the Apple One plan and you’re splitting the cost with friends or family.

It’s a great fitness service for beginners because there are plenty of programs that are designed to get you started. There are also ones to get you back into the habit after taking a break from working out.

You can also make it as tough as you’d like with more advanced yoga moves, heavier weights, and longer workouts to push you further towards those bigger fitness goals.

Disclaimer: While I am an avid Apple Fitness + user, I am not endorsed or paid by them to mention their product. I am also not paid to promote any of the products mentioned in this blog post. I’m simply using my experience to help others learn and grow.