When I completed my review of Apple Fitness Plus a few weeks ago, I found the on-demand workout service to be highly unsatisfactory Pushed by the lack of difficulty labels and other indicators that the service was not yet mature enough for me to break a sweat, I moved on to an alternative service that was more accessible and fulfilling

But as someone who likes to change up my workout routine, I returned to Apple Fitness Plus' sexy California studio Virtually, of course Fresher classes, more timely playlists, and high praise for the coaching staff And not just because Dolly Parton is one of the hosts of Time to Walk

Besides, one of the benefits of Apple Fitness Plus that I didn't explain in my initial review is the convenience of being able to take workout classes anywhere you have an Apple device In my home, it is almost everywhere, so I have no excuse to forget to close the activity ring on my Apple Watch Series 6

That's probably exactly what Apple is going for with Fitness Plus, and I'm fine with that But here are some reasons why I'm in favor of incorporating Apple Fitness Plus into my activity regimen and some upgrades I still want

While Apple Fitness Plus does not have dedicated classes for beginners or low-impact exercisers, the floor-based workouts always have a modifier, or coach, to model easier moves throughout the session At first, I thought this substitution felt forced, but as I progressed through the classes, I came to appreciate seeing the proper adjustments on the screen

This modification is especially helpful in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) because there are many moves that my knees cannot do, such as jumping, pivoting, and lunging Over the years I have learned how to scale it back when necessary and how to adapt the workout to my athletic abilities, but Apple Fitness Plus has succeeded in removing some of the thinking from the equation

Apple Fitness Plus would not be possible without its team of coaches The company has taken obvious steps to ensure diversity across race, place of birth, body type, and age, and it has worked For example, Amir Ekbatani has a prosthetic leg, but his strength training is among the best in Apple Fitness Plus As he breaks down the movements, he also explains the facts of fitness science, adding a special perspective that can only be found in his classes

Every coach brings the same interests, knowledge, and personality to the mat (or machine in the case of cycling, running, and rowing) But overall, coaches act and speak like normal human beings who want to be friends, not fitness junkies who make you feel inferior because you have less muscle than they do

What I would like to see Apple Fitness Plus do more of is in-app achievements and contests Currently, the Burn Bar shows calories burned compared to other users who took the same class But that's all there is in terms of competition, both on an individual level and on a platform-wide level If working out can be a game, then let it be a game, Apple

At the very least, Fitness Plus should be like Apple Watch activities, with in-service awards and badges for reaching class and calorie burn milestones Better yet, a cumulative performance summary should appear on a tab in the fitness app Perhaps that summary could also recommend future class sequences based on the goals I am trying to achieve

If there is one feature I urgently need in Apple Fitness Plus, it is a difficulty rating Yes, this is the hill I would die on The class trailers give a sneak peek of the workout that is about to take place, but not enough to tell the user if it is appropriate for their experience level Even with modifiers, there have been more than one or two times when I have felt that a yoga practice was too difficult for me Yoga is one of those workouts where skill levels are widely and intentionally labeled to prevent injury

I don't care whether Apple rates its own classes or whether users submit ratings after class; Peloton classes are rated on a difficulty scale of 1-10, so beginners and pros alike know what class they're in

I want to try Apple Fitness Plus; see this guide on how to set up Apple Fitness Plus You'll need an Apple Watch to workout, so check out our Apple Watch deals now and start closing the ring with Fitness Plus like I did