Apple’s new Fitness+ service launching December 14 at a $9.99 price

Apple has announced a brand new premium service, called Fitness+. As you can already tell, it has nothing to do with lying on the couch and everything to do with sweating.

Fitness+ requires you to have two Apple devices: an Apple Watch (Series 3 or later) and either an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV (4/HD or 4K).

The Fitness+ features will be found inside the updated Fitness app. Basically, Fitness+ is a fitness program that offers video workouts across a range of disciplines, in a neat, integrated and engaging way. The trainers leading the workout sessions seem to be a big deal in the Fitness+ experience. Apple promises a roster of enigmatic and passionate specialists who are going to make your workouts that much more enjoyable.

The workout types supported at launch will include Treadmill (walk and run), Yoga, Strength, Dance, Cycling, Core, Rowing and Mindful Cooldown. A separate program for gently getting absolute beginners ready to enter the real calorie-burning fray will also be available, which is very thoughtful on Apple’s part. Most workouts will only require a set of dumbbells, or no equipment at all.

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• Fitness+ will be available as a subscription service for $9.99 (US) per month or $79.99 (US) per year.
• Fitness+ can be shared among up to six family members for the same price, making it easy for other Apple Watch users in the household to enjoy the service.
• Three months of Apple Fitness+ are included for customers who purchase Apple Watch Series 3 or later and one month of Fitness+ is included for existing Apple Watch users.
• Apple Fitness+ is included in the Apple One Premier plan.
• You can follow the Fitness+ trainer team at instagram.com/applefitnessplus.

So, the whole thing works like this: you start a workout from your iPhone, iPad or Apple TV, and it also automatically engages on your Apple Watch. As you guys are fighting for your lives during the course of the session, your Apple Watch is going to track your related vitals. Those vitals will also be present on the screen of the device you initiated the workout from. At certain points, the trainers will prompt you to do stuff like check your heart rate or mind the countdown timer.

At the end of each workout, you’ll be presented with a nice summary of various metrics and accomplishments, such as your heart rate, calories burned, pace, distance covered, etc.

While you can already do most of these activities, including estimating the number of calories burned, etc., with each of your workouts (and certainly without owning an Apple Watch), Fitness+ is a really neat service that will try to make physical exercising as fun and as informative as possible. It’ll also work to suggest you new, appropriate workouts based on the ones you already enjoyed.

Apple Fitness+ will be available December 14 to customers in the US, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland. It’ll cost $9.99 per month, or $79.99 per year, following a free 30-day trial. Apple is also running a special promotion for new Watch purchases starting today, which will come with an extended three-month free trial of Fitness+.