Apple has already made a big addition to its Fitness+ service – with Time to Walk workouts added to the Apple Watch.
The Apple Fitness+ service was launched last month, and offers a host of studio and gym workouts led by expert trainers all tracked by the Apple Watch.
We’ve tested Fitness+ and it’s an excellent app, with slick, well thought-out workouts and easily the best soundtrack of any service. But it does have a beginner feel to it, and these walking workouts add to that picture.
The walks are between 25 and 40 minutes long, and you can choose to listen to a story from one of the celebrities and figures Apple has signed up.
At launch there are Time to Walk episodes from Shawn Mendes, Dolly Parton, Emmy Award winner Uzo Aduba and NBA player Draymond Green. And new episodes will land every Monday until the end of April.
Think of them as podcasts for walking, where the presenter is also out on their own walk. The stories, while varied, are also formed a journey, with a mix of life lessons and inspirational stores.
With so many of the world’s population living under lockdown rules, this new focus on walking by Apple could be just the ticket. For many, a walk is the best exercise on offer, with gyms closed – and it’s superb for mental health and burning calories.
The Time to Walk episodes are well made and perfectly suited to a relaxing walk – you do feel like the story-teller is along for the ride with you. But of course, there’s a wealth of podcasts and music and content out there that you might find more appealing.
How we test
James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.