Kickboxing coming to Apple Fitness+.
Apple has just revealed a series of new features, new trainers and more in the first big Apple Fitness+ update for 2023. There’s a lot of new stuff coming across the service, all of which will launch next Monday, January 9.
Here’s what’s coming.
Kickboxing
Apple only rarely adds a whole new activity category. So, the arrival of kickboxing is worth taking note of. Kickboxing has appeared a little bit in Jamie Ray Hartshorne’s workouts already, so it’s no surprise that he’s leading the kickboxing sessions here. He’s joined by a new trainer, Nez Dally, and there will be 10-minute, 20-minute and 30-minute sessions.
You don’t need special equipment, though please make sure you don’t aim your kicks at delicate objects.
Two more new trainers
Alongside Nez Dally, two other trainers join the roster, bringing the total to 29. Brian Cochrane will join the HIIT trainers and Jenn Lau will lead Strength workouts.
Sleep meditations on Apple Fitness+.
Sleep meditations
Meditation is an already-popular part of Fitness+ but until now it has lacked sleep sessions, designed to encourage you to drift off to sleep when you’re finding it difficult, or to wind down, for instance. It was an obvious gap that is now filled.
Like almost all of the Fitness+ sessions, it’s available on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. Which means it’s a video session. Of course, you don’t want a bright video playing in your bedroom, but Apple has thought of that. As the session progresses, the screen will dim, leaving less and less of a visual distraction, though some indicators remain visible so you can see how long the session has left, for instance.
There are four 20-minute meditations to introduce the new Sleep theme. Although it works on a full-size TV, through Apple TV, it seems to me that the iPhone and iPad are better matches. It can work with Apple Watch, too, though you need to be wearing headphones such as AirPods, and that means taking them out as you drift off to the land of Nod, which could wake you up a little.
Beyoncé Artist Spotlight on Apple Fitness+.
Beyoncé
No, she’s not becoming a trainer, but Beyoncé is the newly featured performer in the Artist Spotlight series, where the soundtrack to each workout is entirely taken from the one artist. And the trainers have really gone for this in a big way.
I mean, you have to see these workouts. There’s a disco ball hanging in the studio and the seven new workouts, including dance, HIIT, treadmill and yoga, see the trainers wearing suitably extravagant costumes. A special mention goes to Tyrell Désean for a splendidly eye-catching get-up that perfectly catches the Beyoncé vibe in his cycling workout.
Time to Walk on Apple Fitness+.
Time to Walk
There’s something very special about Time to Walk, the walking workout that’s designed to work just on the Apple Watch. The fifth season is starting on January 9, with actor Jamie Lee Curtis.
If you haven’t tried Time to Walk, you should. It’s a powerfully intimate experience, with you and the guest doing the same thing, taking a walk, at the same time. It’s just that guest’s voice, talking directly to you, about their life and it invariably includes something inspiring and moving. Upcoming guests include Amber Ruffin, Jason Segel and Nathan Chen.
Apple Fitness+ is now available to people who don’t have an Apple Watch—though I’d say the experience with the Watch is way better. You can watch videos on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. If you’re new to it, you get a free month’s trial. If you’ve just bought an Apple Watch, you get three months free. And recently, Apple extended that three-month offer to anyone buying an Apple TV, iPhone or iPad as well.
