Apple Launches New Fitness+ Workouts for Expectant Mothers and Older Adults
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It’s only been a few months since Apple launched its new Fitness+ service, and it’s already expanding its collection of workouts into new areas that should help draw in and benefit more groups of people.
No doubt, inspired by its diverse group of trainers, Apple Fitness+ has now added three new categories of workouts: Workouts for Pregnancy, Workouts for Older Adults, and Workouts for Beginners.
Apple says the new workouts are intended to help “make fitness welcoming and inclusive to all” and help even those with little to no exercise experience build confidence and get into a routine.
In addition, Apple notes that Fitness+ will be expanding its team of world-class trainers, welcoming Yoga and Mindful Cooldown trainer Jonelle Lewis to the team. Current rowing trainer Anja Garcia is also joining the High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) group.
Workouts for Pregnancy
Regular participants in Apple’s Fitness+ workouts will have perhaps already noticed that one of the trainers, Betina Gozo, is now a mom-to-be, and she’s talked about her pregnancy openly in recent workouts. Now, Betina will be joined by new moms Emily Fayette and Anja Garcia in the course of workouts designed to help women stay active during their pregnancy while also preparing them for life with a new baby.
The brief workouts are only 10 minutes long and are designed for any stage of pregnancy and any fitness level. They also include tips and modifications to make the exercise routines more comfortable as the body changes. The workouts can be done on their own or mixed in with other Fitness+ weekly studio workouts, with modifications shown in the series.
Workouts for Older Adults
Fitness+ trainer Molly Fox, who already hosts Yoga, Mindful Cooldown, and Core workouts, will be leading a new series designed expressly with older adults in mind.
These workouts will focus on strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and mobility and are mostly low-intensity routines intended to be done with either a light dumbbell or just bodyweight. They’ll cover Strength with trainer Gregg Cook and Yoga with Dustin Brown for Yoga, while those looking for something more intense can do dance workouts with Jhon Gonzalez or HIIT with Bakari Williams.
Workouts for Beginners
While Apple offered a handful of starter workouts when Fitness+ first launched, which are still available, it’s expanding those with a whole new range of Yoga, Strength, and HIIT workouts for those who aren’t sure they’re ready to jump into anything more serious just yet.
These workouts will be suitable for those new to a fitness regimen and for anybody who is getting back into exercise after a long break. They’re focused on building strength, stamina, and flexibility and are all low-impact routines to help new users feel comfortable with the Fitness+ service.
Time to Walk With Jane Fonda
As part of this expansion, Apple has also announced that Jane Fonda will be joining its Time to Walk workout series in honour of Earth Day. The actor, producer, author, and activist will share her own inspiring story about standing up to her fears and taking action to fight climate change.
Apple unveiled Time to Walk back in late January as an experience designed to encourage users to talk outdoor walks by providing “thoughtful and meaningful stores” from various guest celebrities.
The service initially launched with four episodes featuring country music legend Dolly Parton, NBA star Draymond Green, Emmy Award winner Uzo Aduba (of Orange Is the New Black fame), and pop musician Shawn Mendes, and has since added other notable guests such as Malcolm Gladwell, Wanda Sykes, Kesha, Ibram X. Kendi, and Anderson Cooper.
Apple Fitness+ is available for $9.99/month or as part of an Apple One Premier plan in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the U.K. and requires an Apple Watch Series 3 or later. For users who haven’t yet signed up, Apple is also still offering a one-month free trial for any current Apple Watch owner or a three-month trial with the purchase of any new Apple Watch. You can also snag a six-month free trial if you purchase a new Apple Watch at Best Buy.