As the calendar flips to a new year, many of us embark on a journey for better health. Resolutions are made, goals are set, and the search for the perfect gym (and gym partner!) begins. However, for those living in rural areas, the pursuit of fitness can be challenging. Not every small town has a gym, and not all of us are made for early morning runs down icy roads during the golden hour. The good news is, in today's world, there's a solution that doesn't require you to leave the comfort of your home or travel long distances to the nearest fitness center.

Unlocking Health and Savings with Apple Fitness+:

Apple Fitness+ is not just another subscription; it's a gateway to a healthier, more active life. Apple Fitness+ is a tele-fitness service like Beachbody on Demand ($179/year) or Fiit ($119/year). It’s designed to complement your Apple Watch and Health app and it brings a world-class fitness studio, expert trainers, and your very own health monitor (with your Apple Watch) wherever you go!

Here are the key features of Apple Fitness+:

A Plethora of Workouts: Apple Fitness+ boasts a diverse library of workouts for all fitness levels and preferences. From HIIT to yoga, cycling, strength training, and more, it covers every aspect of your fitness journey.

The Trainers: You'll train with some of the industry's best fitness experts who guide you through each session with enthusiasm and expertise. 

Personalized Recommendations: The app analyzes your fitness journey, suggesting workouts based on your activity data from your Apple Watch. It's like having a personal trainer who understands your unique needs.

Seamless Integration with Apple Watch: This is one of my favorite features! Apple Fitness+ and your Apple Watch sync in real-time, displaying your heart rate, calories burned, and other vital metrics on your screen as you exercise. You'll always know when to push harder or take it easy.

Health Tracking and Progress Monitoring: Your Apple Watch diligently tracks your daily activity, heart rate, and sleep patterns. All this valuable data goes straight to the Apple Health app, allowing you to monitor your progress and make informed decisions about your fitness goals.

Privacy and Security: Apple has a firm stance on privacy. Your fitness data is encrypted and securely stored, making sure your personal information remains confidential.

Variety of Workouts: Whether you're a beginner or a full-blown athlete, Apple Fitness+ has something tailored just for you. Mix and match different workouts to keep things engaging and challenging. Work on your meditation, build up strength, work your core—whatever you want, Apple Fitness+ has something for you.

On-Demand: Access your workouts anytime, anywhere. That means you can have a morning yoga session, lunchtime strength training, or even take an evening cycling adventure.

Gym Buddies…Anywhere and Everywhere: You can invite friends and family to join your workouts in real-time with Apple Fitness+! If your bestie lives across the country, it’s no biggy. Workouts can be as social as you want with up to 28 people in a class!

Apple Fitness+ is $9.99/month or $79.99/year, but if you have Family Sharing activated (which is free!), you can save quite a bit of cash and get other perks included!

Savings with Family Sharing and Premier Plan:

Here's the deal: If you're an Apple user, you probably have subscriptions to iCloud and Apple Music, or something similar. The great news is that by bundling these services through Apple One's Premier Plan and utilizing Family Sharing, you can maximize both your health and savings.

With Family Sharing, you can have up to six people on your account. If you share the cost of Apple’s Premier Plan, which costs $37.95/month, that makes it less than $6.50/month per person for the entire suite of Apple services which includes 2 TB of iCloud storage, Apple TV, Music, Arcade, News+ and, of course, Apple Fitness+. 

Here’s the real tea—Apple doesn't require family members to be blood-related. You can team up with friends or roommates, creating your very own "Apple Fitness Family" and sharing both the cost and the joy of a healthier lifestyle.

A Healthier, Wealthier You

Apple Fitness+ is a great, affordable service that can help you kickstart your health journey, even if living rurally! When paired with the Premier Plan and Family Sharing, you can access a world of premium services while staying fit, motivated, and financially savvy. 

Let’s make 2024 the year you prioritize health! You deserve it.