Is Apple Fitness+ Worth It?
Apple’s subscriber-only app offers a range of accessible, trainer-led workouts, but it may be best-suited for beginners
Like many of us, I optimistically add “exercise more” to my New Year’s intentions just about every year. This time around, though, I made my resolution a bit easier to stick to by relying largely on beginner-friendly home workouts. (No more agreeing to yearlong gym memberships in January.)
What Is Apple Fitness+?
First, the basics: Apple Fitness+ is an iOS app with thousands of instructor-led home workout videos. It currently offers a dozen different workout styles: strength training, HIIT, core-specific exercises, yoga, Pilates, dance, kickboxing, cycling, rowing, and treadmill routines. There are also guided cool-downs and meditations.
It’s easy to sort through the large video library. You can filter by duration, equipment type, preferred trainer, music type, and the muscle group you’d like to focus on (in the case of certain strength workouts). The app also gives you access to the Custom Plan feature, which creates a personalized weekly schedule of videos.
Who Is Apple Fitness+ For?
It’s a great option for anyone who likes to squeeze in quick, beginner-friendly workouts at home. In other words, people like me. I want to get my blood pumping, improve my overall strength, and maybe get better at the hip-hop dance routines. I prefer a little of this and a little of that rather than a tailored program that focuses on any one thing, like weightlifting or running.
I’ve now tried nearly every workout type available on the platform and particularly enjoy the Pilates, strength, and dance videos. I find most are just hard enough for someone who exercises semi-regularly. I often work up a sweat and I’m a bit sore the next day, but I don’t dread the classes, as I do with certain high-intensity ones.
They’re also perfect if you’re space-limited. I work out from the comfort of my tiny Brooklyn living room, usually rolling out my yoga mat in front of the TV and sometimes bringing out sets of 5- or 7-pound dumbbells. The treadmill, rowing, and cycling workouts do require a machine, of course, but none require the larger weight machines found in a full gym.
The videos range from 5 to 45 minutes. That’s great for anyone short on time but less than ideal if you like a longer workout. You can stack shorter videos together, but there’s not an easy way to skip each video’s warm-up and cool-down. I also particularly like the integration with my Apple Watch and the Fitness app on my iPhone, which I discuss in the section on gear integration below.
In general, I appreciate that Apple has prioritized including a diverse group of trainers and pays attention to integrating accessibility features, like the use of American Sign Language, in ways that make a real difference for users. Loni French, CR’s associate director of internal communications, regularly uses Apple Fitness+ and says she gravitates toward workouts led by people of color and appreciates that she sees trainers of all sizes, including pregnant people.
Graphics: Consumer Reports, Apple Graphics: Consumer Reports, Apple
But the platform isn’t necessarily a good fit for everyone. Yael Grauer, a program manager at CR specializing in cybersecurity, tried it out and says she was disappointed by the lack of comprehensive training programs, like a cohesive long-term program to build strength. The Custom Plan feature does feed you a personalized schedule of workout videos, but they don’t build to a goal or become more advanced over time.
Erin Nitschke, a certified personal trainer and scientific adviser for the American Council on Exercise, explains that home workout videos—which typically rely solely on bodyweight exercises or else light dumbbells and resistance bands—may not be the best option for someone looking to build significant muscle. “While some home workouts incorporate resistance training, they can lack the heavier loads needed for muscle growth,” she says, though they’re “great for cardiovascular fitness, endurance, flexibility, and general strength maintenance.”
You also miss out on the personalized instruction you get during an in-person class or session with a trainer. While most Apple Fitness+ videos offer modifications to moves, you may need the real-life support of a professional if you’re dealing with injuries or mobility limitations, Nitschke says. “Without a professional monitoring your form,” she says, “there’s a higher risk of improper technique, which could lead to injury.”
While I like that there’s no need for gym equipment—or a pricey gym membership—others feel differently. Misha Banner, a user experience manager at CR, couldn’t go to the gym during the height of COVID-19 lockdown, so she tried Apple Fitness+ at home instead, mostly doing yoga videos. They were decent, she says, but she canceled her subscription once gyms reopened. She prefers getting out of the house, she says, plus having access to a full range of machines and weights.
That’s in line with Nitschke’s advice, too. “The best workout is the one you enjoy and can stay consistent with,” she says.
Integration With Your Apple Gear
You don’t need an Apple Watch to use the app, but it’s handy. I play the videos on my Apple TV. During a workout, I can see my heart rate, calories burned, and the progress on my rings at the corners of the TV screen—information fed from my Apple Watch SE, which I connect at the start of the workout. I can also see the amount of time elapsed and sometimes how much time is left during a certain segment of the workout.
Later, when I review my logged workouts in the Fitness app, I can see the specific videos I’ve completed, including a thumbnail and the associated stats. This isn’t essential, but if you already keep track of your workouts in the Fitness app, it’s nice to have.
Another useful level of integration: The workouts highlight the featured music. You can choose workouts based on genre—rock, hip-hop, etc.—and see the individual songs featured. From there, you can open a tune directly in Apple Music. Again, not essential, but it’s another level of fun integration, particularly if you’re already an Apple Music lover.
Photo: Courtney Lindwall/Consumer Reports Photo: Courtney Lindwall/Consumer Reports
How Much Is Apple Fitness+?
Apple Fitness+ costs $10 per month or $80 when purchased annually. You can share a membership with family members included in your Apple Family account. New subscribers get a free trial of a month, so it’s easy to give it a spin commitment-free. You also get three months free with the purchase of an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Apple Watch.
Apple Fitness+ is included in an Apple One subscription, which bundles six Apple subscription services: Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and iCloud. The highest-tier Apple One subscription costs $38 per month.
The $10 monthly fee for a single membership is similar in cost to other popular fitness platforms—like Fitbit Premium, Peloton App, or Les Mills—and less than you’d likely pay for a single boutique workout class or to be a member at a gym. But it does cost more than the thousands of free online videos that offer similar instructor-led home workouts, including many on YouTube.
For me, the integration with my Apple Watch and the Fitness app on my iPhone, the diversity of workout options, and user-friendly interface of the app make it worth the subscription price. I also really enjoy the instructors, which is often a make-or-break factor for these kinds of things. (Shout-out to my favorite dance instructor, Ben.)
How to Cancel Apple Fitness+
Decided the app isn’t for you after giving it a try? No big deal. If you’re on your iPhone or iPad, go to the Fitness app, under the Summary tab. Tap your profile picture in the top right to go to your account settings. Go to your account’s name, then Apple Fitness+, and then hit Cancel Subscription.
