Apple Fitness + offers eleven types of workouts
Three colored rings must be closed per day. Red stands for movement, green for training – and the blue ring shows people who are sedentary how often they got up during the day. The interactive streaming platform Apple Fitness+ offers eleven different types of training to help you achieve this daily goal. The service has been available in Germany since November 2021. Stiftung Warentest subjected it to a rapid test.
Visualized success. If the three colored rings are closed, the daily goal has been reached. © Source: Apple Fitness, Screenshot Stiftung Warentest, Getty Images (M)
A course has several levels of difficulty
Whether it’s yoga, strength training or rowing, if the exuberant nature of the trainer picks you up, the fitness spark quickly jumps over to you. There are usually three of the trainers. Sometimes they perform the exercises (simultaneously) with different intensities. Within the sports, users can filter – for example by trainer, length of workout, training equipment (such as Theraband or dumbbells) and music genre.
The program runs technically flawlessly
The technology also plays its part: the Apple Watch seamlessly sends vital data such as heart rate and calorie consumption to the iPhone or iPad. They are displayed in the training video and can be shared with the community if required. Especially on the iPhone, the videos are a bit too small for practical use. For good legibility, we recommend streaming the English-language offer with German subtitles on a modern, AirPlay-2-capable smart TV or a Macbook. However, the smart TV only displays the vital data if it is connected via an Apple TV box.
Apple device only
The all-round package Apple Fitness+ can only be used by those who are in the Apple universe anyway. An installation without Apple Watch and iPhone or iPad? Impossible. If you don’t have one, you first have to reckon with several hundred euros in acquisition costs. For those who are already in the Apple world, the online fitness studio subscription is rather cheap at ten euros a month.
Training plan is missing
As early as September 2020, we examined five online fitness studios and three YouTube fitness channels. What we missed with Apple Fitness + compared to the other online gyms was the ability to create a training plan for individual goals such as muscle building or weight loss. With over 600 videos, it can quickly become confusing.
Large selection. Apple Fitness+ offers many different sports, but no training plan. © Source: Apple Fitness, Screenshot Stiftung Warentest, Getty Images (M)
Refreshingly diverse
Apple does away with clichés and shows sports cannons of all body shapes. Pregnant women and seniors also train. The training sessions are also moderated in and out in sign language. The other online fitness studios tend to rely on young trainers with thin and athletic bodies, one looks for inclusion in vain.
Conclusion: Good offer with an annoying shortcoming
All in all, Fitness+ is a balanced, well thought-out offer with high-quality videos in a simple and modern design – just as you are used to from Apple. The lack of a training plan is wasted potential, as it would be easy to link the service to the calendar.
Tipp: In the “real” fitness studio, the trainers sometimes intervene to correct things – online this is not the case. For self-correction, inexperienced people can exercise next to a mirror and compare themselves with the original on the screen, says Theodor Stemper. He is a professor of sports science at the University of Wuppertal. If you unlock our review of online gyms, you will find even more helpful tips for training.