Subscription services offer a great way to get fit if you put in the work – but which should you pick?
Peloton has long been the biggest name in instructor-led home workouts, but now Apple Fitness Plus is offering a very similar service for a similar fee. So what are the differences, and which one is best for you? Gym memberships usually skyrocket at the start of a new year. Coronavirus has changed all that though, with many of us looking at other ways to rid ourselves of the extra weight we’ve gained due to all that festive excess. If you want to bypass going to a gym and have been looking at alternative ways to get more exercise in or around your home then both Apple Fitness Plus and Peloton make obvious places to start. Apple Fitness Plus launched back in September 2020, and if you’re keen to start working out in 2021 it’s definitely going to be of interest, although it’s got less of a track record compared to Peloton. With its high-profile image and many ‘live’ workouts where you pitch yourself against others Peloton enjoys a fervent following around the globe. So which one to go for? In a nutshell Apple disciples will probably flock to the Apple Fitness+ option, but Peloton has a lot going for it. They’re actually both good for slightly different reasons. Let’s find out why. Subscription-based, Apple Fitness Plus is a service that costs $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$14.99 a month or $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$119.99 annually. If you’ve got the Apple One Premier bundle then it’s possible to use the service with Family Sharing for $29.95 a month. If you’ve bought an Apple Watch Series 3 or later since September 15 then you can explore it free for three months. Existing owners get the benefit of one month free. In order to use Apple Fitness Plus you’ll need yourself, obviously, plus an Apple Watch and an iPhone, iPad or Apple TV in order to stream the classes. You might also want to invest in some weights to get the full benefit of the workouts where your trainer is using them. Add in a sprinkle of enthusiasm and you’ll be good to go, although the lack of ‘live’ atmosphere you get compared to many of the Peloton workouts might prove offputting to some it has to be said. The workout options for Apple Fitness+ currently consist of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) along with strength training, yoga, dance, core, cycling, running and walking workouts on a treadmill, plus rowing and cooldown options. Supplementary workouts will be added on a weekly basis according to Apple. Having been around for much longer than its new Apple Fitness+ counterpart, Peloton provides subscribers with a well-seasoned workout experience that benefits from some very cool hardware. Compared to Apple it’s got a much more complete package in that respect, with the high-tech bikes and treadmills it sells offering a much more immersive experience paring perfectly with the wealth of live workout events it offers. Used on its own, Peloton’s app-only membership costs $12.99 per month, which allows you to access its extensive workout classes.
