It’s a big week for all things Apple as the tech giant announces software updates and new products at its WWDC event — here’s everything you missed if you didn’t tune in. And if you thought things were quiet from the fitness front, we’re here to keep you updated. As well as announcing new cycling, hiking, tennis, and golf features for the Apple Watch with WatchOS 10, Apple made some quiet updates to its Apple Fitness Plus platform, and they are not to be overlooked.
Apple Fitness Plus frequently tops our best workout app list due to its wide variety of classes, that can be done from home, with no little to equipment or in the gym. Last year, Apple announced you no longer needed one of the best Apple Watches to access the fitness platform, and yesterday they announced three new features, coming soon to the platform.
Here’s what we know so far:
Custom Plans
Whether you’re fitting strength workouts around a marathon training plan, or you prefer to mix up your workouts depending on your days in the office, you’ll now be able to create a custom workout plan on Apple Fitness Plus. You’ll be able to create a schedule based on day, duration, workout type, and more, meaning you’ll spend less time scrolling through workouts, and more time doing them.
Stacks
This sounds pretty similar to a feature Peloton released a while back — and it’s a good one. You’ll now be able to stack classes in the app, meaning they’ll seamlessly play back-to-back, rather than having to return to your home screen or your library of classes. This is super smart and allows you to complete say, a 10-minute warm-up, a 20-minute cardio class, then a 5-minute cool-down all from one place.
Audio Focus
There’s nothing worse than not being able to hear your instructor clearly over the music, or your favorite track constantly being interrupted. Audio Focus on Apple Fitness Plus will allow users to customize the volume or the music, or the trainer’s voice, allowing you to prioritize one over the other during workouts.
All of these little updates might not sound groundbreaking, but will undoubtedly make it easier to use the app. From scheduling workouts around your diary to stacking classes to save time, Apple seems to be recognizing that with the best will in the world, sometimes getting to your yoga mat and starting a workout is, in fact, the biggest challenge.
