If there was ever a month for a fitness platform to announce a bunch of new features, January would be it, right? New year, new you and all that jazz. Well, Apple has gone all out for 2025, adding a host of new features to its Fitness+ platform.
Apple Fitness+ has been around since the end of 2020 so this year is its fifth and it’s kicking things off by adding a specific programme for pickleball, a progressive strength programme and a special programme for specific yoga poses.
There are also new artist spotlights, a new Introduction to Breath Meditation programme, new episodes of Time to Walk and a workout takeover with professional dancer, Alex Wong. Last but certainly not least for any Strava fans out there, Fitness+ is also collaborating with Strava for enhanced integration that displays richer details in the Strava feed.
So what are the new features in more details and which is the most exciting?
IMAGE CREDIT: APPLE / THE DISCONNEKT
What’s new in Apple Fitness+?
Apple Fitness+ has always been great at catering to all abilities and tastes. It’s one of the best things about the platform with each workout offering three instructors to follow depending on your level. The new programmes follow the same format, but they also cater towards different hobbies too.
Three Perfect Weeks of Strength
This is designed to be a progressive strength programme that helps you build and maintain strength. It’s a three-week guided programme that targets all the major muscle groups and there are a total of 12 workouts, all of which are 30 minutes long.
Week one is called ‘Progressive Overload’, week two follows with ‘Time Under Tension’ and week three is called ‘Dynamic Power’.
The idea is that you complete the three-week foundational routine, and perhaps return to it at a later date, adjusting weights as you get stronger.
Strength, Endurance, and Agility for Pickleball
Featuring professional pickleball champion Catherine Parenteau, the Strength, Endurance and Agility for Pickelball programme features a mix of exercises to help you develop the areas you need for pickelball.
The programme has been inspired by Parenteau’s own training regime and given she is ranked number one in the world in both singles and doubles, I’d say it’s a good one to follow if you want to get better at the sport.
Yoga Peak Poses
Love yoga but not very good at the Crow? Or maybe you struggle with the Dancer move? The Yoga Peak Poses programme is designed to be similar to a yoga retreat setting where you focus on form.
Each session within this programme focuses on a single yoga pose, with three being targeted initially in Dancer, Twisted Hand to Big Toe, and Crow. There’s a 10-minute prep flow to warm you up in each of the three sessions, followed by a corresponding 10-minute practice session for the pose being targeted.
IMAGE CREDIT: APPLE / THE DISCONNEKT
Introduction to Breath Meditation
Fitness+ already has meditation within its offering, but the ‘Introduction to Breath Meditation’ programme is designed to teach easy-to-follow techniques for managing stress, boosting energy, and enhancing focus.
There are five 10-minute meditations to choose from, including belly, box and ocean breathing. Breath has also been introduced as a theme in Fitness+, bringing the total to 12 alongside Calm, Sleep and Sound.
New Artist Spotlights
The Artist Spotlight series sees entire workout playlists dedicated to a single artist. Peloton does something similar with its Artist Series workouts. For 2025, the new artists joining to options on Fitness+ include Janet Jackson, Coldplay, Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar.
Janet Jackson will be first, arriving on 13 January, followed by Coldplay a week later on 20 January. Bruno Mars will be available from 27 January and Kendrick Lamar from 3 February.
New Time to Walk
Apple’s Time to Walk series is designed to help you walk more often and it initially launched in 2021. For 2025, there will be new episodes from 13 January, beginning with Adam Scott, who will also star in the second season of Severance that premiers on 17 January on Apple TV+.
Other Time to Walk episodes for this year will include artist and record producer Steve Aoki, actor and producer Lana Condor, actor and singer Tiffany Haddish, singer, songwriter and actor Rita Ora, Latin urban artist Daddy Yankee, and actor, producer, and dancer Maddie Ziegler.
Integration with Strava
In terms of the integration with Strava, richer details will appear on a user’s Strava timeline when they do a Fitness+ workout. This will include the workout image, workout number, music genre, trainer name, and metrics.
New and existing Strava subscribers can also redeem up to three months of Fitness+ for free.
IMAGE CREDIT: APPLE / THE DISCONNEKT
When are the new Apple Fitness+ features for 2025 arriving?
All of the features and content mentioned above – apart from where I mentioned specific dates – is available on the Apple Fitness+ platform from 3 January 2025.
Subscribers to Fitness+ will be able to see the new content and programmes on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. If you have an Apple Watch, you also get extra workout metrics that enhance the experience.
How much is Apple Fitness+?
Apple Fitness+ is available as a subscription service for £9.99 per month or £79.99 per year, and can be shared with up to five other family members.
