Keeping up with those New Year's fitness resolutions? The chicest, best workout clothes already help us maintain our motivation, but it looks like a new Apple Fitness+ feature will be giving our daily step count a big boost, too.
The tech company's latest product is "Time to Walk," an audio walking experience that Fitness+ subscribers can take advantage of on their Apple Watch. Think of it as the lovechild between a guided workout and an entertaining podcast: Each walking exercise is hosted by a celebrity, such as country-music superstar Dolly Parton, pop crooner Shawn Mendes, Golden State Warriors power forward Draymond Green, or Emmy-winning "Orange is the New Black" actress Uzo Aduba.
The walks will range from 25 to 40 minutes per session, and will feature songs, anecdotes, advice, and monologues from actors, musicians, athletes, and more. (You just know Dolly's got funny stories from over the years!) The experience will be visual as well as aural: Stories will "come to life" through photos that appear on the Apple Watch, each timed to correspond with the memories and moments shared by the star host. (Fun fact: Each episode was reportedly recorded while the celebrity guests were walking in locations that were meaningful to them.)
New celeb-hosted walks will be automatically added to the watch's Workout app every Monday through the end of April, so expect more illustrious names to join the talented bunch above.
The "Take a Walk" feature can be yours with a Fitness+ subscription for $9.99 a month after a free monthlong trial—so long as you have an Apple watch, of course. (Apple AirPods or other Bluetooth headphones are also required.) During app use, all of your usual workout metrics will continue to be recorded, such as pace, distance, and heart rate. And for those who use a wheelchair, there is a corresponding app called "Time to Push," which automatically kicks off an Outdoor Wheelchair Walk Pace workout.
The new exercise feature is part of a larger Apple roll-out, with Fitness+ first launching in December of last year. While the bulk of the Fitness+ programming is made up of high-intensity, studio-style classes (cycling, rowing, dance) and home workout tips for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, "Time to Walk" is the first component entirely dedicated to outdoor exercise. Let's get stepping!
