Most fitness apps are aimed at the younger demographic — people in their 20s and 30s trying to get in shape. A few may have gentler workouts included for slightly older groups, but most are definitely skewed toward a younger audience.
Apple Fitness Plus changes that standard by introducing workouts designed specifically for pregnant women and older adults. These workouts are intended to be easier to start but customizable enough that participants can increase the intensity if they want. The new Workouts for Pregnancy consists of 10 workouts that target strength straining, core workouts, and mindful cooldown periods. The workouts are 10 minutes long and catered to every stage of pregnancy as well as every fitness level.
The workouts for older adults largely focus on strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and mobility. Studies have shown that once adults begin to slow down and are no longer as active as they once were, aging seems to accelerate. These workouts can help people stave off the aging process. Again, these workouts are 10 minutes long and can be performed on their own or as part of other Fitness Plus workouts.
In addition to these more targeted workouts, Apple Fitness Plus subscribers also gain access to new weekly studio workouts, new yoga courses, and more variety in both strength training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts. These are all in the beginner stages of the app, allowing people new to fitness — or those returning after a long break — to ease their way back into shape without risking injury.
Apple Fitness Plus is also introducing new trainers to the roster. The familiar faces users already know will remain, but a new member named Jonelle Lewis will join the yoga team. In addition, Anja Garcia will lead the Workouts for Pregnancy section and add her expertise to the HIIT workouts.
Apple Fitness Plus is the first subscription service built entirely around the Apple Watch and is available for $10 per month. It’s a series of guided workouts that fit almost any fitness level and age group. If you want to get in shape, but you’re afraid of going to the gym until the pandemic clears up, Apple Fitness Plus is a viable alternative that offers a wide range of workout options.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.