Apple on Friday announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch for the new year.
Starting January 5, Apple Fitness+ introduces four brand-new workout programs that offer users weekly training plans. The Artist Spotlight series launches new workouts with full playlists featuring KAROL G and Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show superstar Bad Bunny. And this season of Time to Walk features new episodes with Penn Badgley, Mel B, and Michelle Monaghan.
Apple noted that so many people give up their New Year’s fitness resolutions by the second Friday in January that the day is known as Quitter’s Day. However, the Cupertino company says an analysis of data contributed by approximately 100,000 participants in the Apple Heart and Movement Study over four years identified participants with Apple Watch consistently keep up their exercise levels through Quitter’s Day and beyond.
The new Apple Fitness+ features include:
- New Year limited-edition award: Close all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January to win the award.
- “Quit Quitting” Strava challenge: Users who log 12 workouts anytime in Strava during the month will win an Apple Watch badge in the app.
- New multiweek programs: From January 5, the “Make Your Fitness Comeback program” will be available for Strength, HIIT, and Yoga.
- Fitness+ Artist Spotlight returns: New workouts with full playlists featuring KAROL G and Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show superstar Bad Bunny.
- New Time to Walk episodes: New episodes feature actor and producer Penn Badgley, TV personality Mel B, and actor Michelle Monaghan.
Apple also claims that 60% of users participants who consistently wore an Apple Watch and shared Activity data, boosted their exercise by over 10% in the first two weeks of January compared with December levels, with nearly 80% of those users maintaining the increase through the rest of January. 90% of that group sustained higher activity levels through February and March.
