Here Are the 9 Reasons I Love Working Out With the New Apple Fitness+

Right now I'm into strength training, rowing, and yoga, but I love that Apple Fitness+ has such a variety of different types of workouts. It helped me branch away from my usual workout routine, and trying something new helped spark my motivation to work out more.

I've tried dance, core, and HIIT and loved them, and also loved the mindful cooldowns. The different workouts appeal to me based on my mood, so I can choose yoga if I'm feeling mellow or sore, or rowing or strength when I want to push hard. When you choose a workout, there's a preview video so you can get a taste of what the workout will be like.

My 8-year-old son has even gotten into it and loves holding the remote and choosing the workouts he wants to try — strength workouts are his fave, and it's fun being able to do it together.

One feature I use the most is being able to choose workouts based on time. Since I'm a working mom, it's great to be able to easily choose a workout based on how much time I have. I like to combine a 30-minute rowing workout with a 20-minute strength workout and finish with a 10-minute yoga flow.

Another thing I love about this feature is that if I'm not really into exercising, I can just choose a 10-minute workout, and after I'm done, I'm usually inspired to keep going and do another one. Those 10-minute workouts add up! But sometimes I only have 10 minutes to spare, and this makes it easy to find a quick workout.

I've tried workouts from at least eight different Apple Fitness+ trainers, and every single one of them has been welcoming, inspiring, down-to-earth, and encouraging. If you find a favorite instructor, a helpful feature is that you can sort workouts by trainers. I love the representation of age, gender, race, and ethnicity, because often with other workout programs, there are only 20-year-old white women.

There are hundreds of pre-recorded workouts you can choose from, and new workouts are added every week, so I could never get bored doing the same workouts! But I love that I still have access to older favorite workouts. It's a great mix!

Before trying Apple Fitness+, I used to enjoy rowing alone while watching YouTube videos, but I love that rowing workouts are available. Seeing the other five people on the screen all pushing to keep the same pace really drives me to want to push, too. It feels like we're all rowing on the same river! With that group motivation, I was able to row more meters during a 30-minute workout than I ever rowed alone.

I also love that the trainers take each other's classes, so you can see friendly faces doing the workout along with you, offering that community feel I love from group fitness classes.

With Apple Fitness+ available on my iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, I can use it anywhere I go, and that ease of use makes it more likely to happen. Right now, I love using it on the Apple TV in my basement, because the bigger screen makes it feel more exciting. And if my kids hear the music, it inspires them to want to join in.

But sometimes I want to be alone and quiet, like when I'm doing a yoga flow, so I'll bring my iPad into my home gym area. And although I love the music and the trainer's encouraging words, sometimes I use my iPhone and mute the sound, and just lean it next to my computer so I can follow along while rowing, but listen to a YouTube video instead. I love all the viewing options!

Apple Fitness+ allows you to choose the genre of music you love most, like Latin groove, hip-hop/R&B, and rock, or my personal faves, upbeat anthems and throwback hits. I like that I can choose workouts based on the music I find most inspiring, but I also liked working out to music I don't typically listen to. It opens up my listening palette, and the newness of the beats adds a different element of inspiration.

As soon as you choose a workout on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, a workout automatically begins tracking on your watch. Then, at the end of each workout you complete, a summary pops up on the screen and on your watch. You can see your total workout time, calories burned, average heart rate, and the progress made on your activity rings. It feels like a pat on the back!