Apple's online fitness service arrives in another 15 countries, including Italy, with three new workouts: here's all the info to stay in shape with the Apple Watch
After debuting in the United States and another handful of countries, Fitness+, Apple's service focused on wellness, sports and, in particular, on Apple Watch smartwatches, is coming to Italy. It's no coincidence, moreover, that the expansion of Fitness+ to another 15 countries in the world was announced along with the new Apple Watch 7, presented during the online event California Streaming (focused, however, on the new iPhone 13).
Apple Fitness+ is a service completely oriented to training, physical and mental, of Apple Watch users. Launched in September 2020, it is based on streaming video courses: users can follow them for their own workouts, monitoring the results thanks also to statistics generated by Apple's smart watch, to be kept strictly on the wrist during the sessions. Following a break-in period in some specific countries, Apple has decided to add Italy and 14 other countries to the list of markets where Fitness+ is available. It's not yet available, but it will be by fall and interested parties can already sign up for the Fitness+ information newsletter, directly from the service's page on Apple's official website.
Apple Fitness+: workouts
Apple Fitness+ in Italy will offer basic workouts plus three new features. Tra gli allenamenti di base fanno, parte tra gli altri, HIIT, Camminata e corsa su tapis roulant, Vogatore, Bici, Core Training, Defaticamento consapevole e Ballo, mentre tra quelli appena introdotti troviamo Pilates e Meditazione guidata, insieme alla new entry assoluta chiamata Allenamenti per la stagione sciistica.
I corsi, dedicati agli sportivi così come a coloro che entrano per la prima volta (o rientrano dopo molto tempo) nel mondo del fitness, sono proposti da Apple in lingua inglese con sottotitoli in sei lingue differenti. L’idea alla base di Fitness+ è quella che l’utente debba sentirsi in palestra, anche se è a casa propria o all’aperto, grazie al coinvolgimento generato da una lunga serie di fitness trainer professionisti molto noti in America.
Pilates, nelle varianti Strenght, Core e Yoga, segue gli esercizi resi noti dalla disciplina, funzionali per l’aumento del tono muscolare a basso impatto, con lezioni da 10, 20 e 30 minuti. The Guided Meditation course, divided into nine themes with 5-, 10- and 20-minute activities, allows for mindfulness exercises to reduce stress and restore balance to the psyche and, consequently, the body. Created by Olympic and world champion Ted Ligety, with fitness trainer Anja Garcia, Workouts for the ski season aims to conquer the right preparation for the opening of the ski slopes.
In the fall it will be the turn of Group Workouts via SharePlay. These are teams of up to 32 people, who can use the company to find inspiration and motivation in exercises. While performing the routine, you will be able to share images from your camera, showing others your performance and admiring those of the participants while, at the end, you will be confronted with an overview of the results achieved by individuals.
With regard to Guided Meditation, there's also another point worth mentioning: with the update to watchOS 8, the Breathing app will turn into Mindfulness, through which you'll be able to indulge in a more in-depth guided breathing path, a previously absent session called Reflect, and Fitness+ meditation exercises in audio by connecting bluetooth earbuds to your smartwatch.
The Artist Series workouts also promise a good amount of fun, with playlists from musicians and groups like Billie Eilish, Nicki Minaj, Calvin Harris and Imagine Dragons. Just start the program to be able to embark on a training session, guided by the music of the favorite singer.
Apple Fitness+: when it arrives and how much it costs
The date to set in the calendar for Apple Fitness is September 27. As anticipated, Apple's service is dedicated exclusively to Apple Watch owners who meet certain criteria. Series 3 or newer devices running WatchOS 7.2 or later are required to access basic features; in addition, Cupertino's smart watch must be paired with at least an iPhone 6s running iOS 14.3 or later.
To stream the courses, you can also use iPad with iPadOS 15, Apple TV HD or Apple TV 4K with tvOS 15.
What about the price, however, Apple still has not blurted out, deciding to leave this last information for the launch date. Currently, in the U.S., the cost after the free trial month is $9.99/month or $79.99/year, to be used with five other members of the core In family. Also in the US, then, Fitness+ is included in the Apple One Premier plan.