Hands-On With the New Apple Fitness+ 'Time to Walk' Feature

[MacRumors]

Apple today announced the launch of a new "Time to Walk" feature that's available to Apple Watch owners who are also Fitness+ subscribers, with the service offering up audio stories from celebrities.

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We took a quick look at Time to Walk in our latest YouTube video to see what it's all about and whether it's a worthwhile addition to the Fitness+ service.

Time to Walk is technically a watchOS 7.3 feature and will be announced in the watchOS 7.3 release notes, but it is accessible now in watchOS 7.2 as Apple released it as an over-the-air server side update.

Designed specifically for outdoor walks done while wearing an Apple Watch, Time to Walk features stories from musicians, actors, and athletes, with each story lasting from 25 to 40 minutes. Right now, there are four audio stories available from country music star Dolly Parton, NBA player Draymond Green, musician Shawn Mendes, and actress Uzo Aduba.

Each audio story is meant to focus on the guest's "personal, life-shaping moments," and Apple has designed these workouts to feel like you're walking alongside the celebrity that's speaking. The person telling the story is also on a walk, and will describe their surroundings before jumping into a personal discussion.

Shawn Mendes, for example, describes his walk in Griffith Park in Los Angeles before he delves into a discussion on the anxiety he faced when he went viral as a 15 year old, and the mindfulness techniques that he uses to achieve a sense of calm. Each of the Time to Walk stories is accompanied by photos at key intervals in the story, with Apple designing the discussions to feel like an intimate one-on-one experience.

Apple Watch owners are meant to feel like they're walking right alongside the celebrity sharing their Time to Walk story, and stories are punctuated by the ambient sounds like birds, footsteps, breathing, and other people in the area. After a story has finished, each speaker provides three songs to listen to that are related.

Time to Walk workouts are available to all Apple Fitness+ subscribers and can be accessed in the Workout app as a unique workout type. Since the audio is coming from the Apple Watch, AirPods or other Bluetooth headphones are required to listen. Time to Walk episodes can also be found in the Fitness+ section on the iPhone.

Time to Walk episodes download automatically as long as you have the setting enabled on the iPhone, and it's turned on by default. It can be found if you open the Apple Watch app, scroll down to Workout, and make sure "Add Newest Workouts to Watch" is enabled. Apple plans to release new Time to Walk episodes every Monday through April.

Apple is hoping that Time to Walk might serve as a gateway to getting people more involved with Apple Fitness+, which has been designed to be welcoming to people of all skill levels. Apple launched Apple Fitness+ last month, and the service offers workouts across a wide range of categories from dance and yoga to cycling, running, and HIIT.

A Fitness+ subscription is required for Time to Walk, and Fitness+ is priced at $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year, though those who purchased a new Apple Watch this year can get a free three month trial.

Article Link: Hands-On With the New Apple Fitness+ 'Time to Walk' Feature

 

[JM]

The birds and nature sounds sound kind of nice. I'd give it try. "Someone walking with" me sounds kind of nice.

 

[iLoveDeveloping]

Really don’t get this feature at all. It’s not a workout, it’s not a repeatable thing. Not like a Hiit workout or fitness plus workouts, once you have listened to it once, you aren’t going to listen to it again. It becomes redundant, pointless. I’m not sure what this feature even is, it’s a podcast that you can’t delete within the app with some walking metrics added. It’s a weird idea. If it launched with like 200 stories from different people then I could get on board a bit but 4? Seriously, I’d finish this in you guessed it 4 days and then can’t use it again. Don’t understand it at all.

 

[Drogba11]

I’ll stick to listening to my death metal when I walk thanks

 

[DrRadon]

I feel like it's really hard to compete with audible and I don't like that this is a subscription (but than again it's not even available in Germany so what).

 

[Canyda]

I don't understand the point of this - when I walk outside, I tend to do so with my wife and we talk. If I'm alone, I listen to my own music or one of my regular podcasts. I have zero desire to listen to a celebrity tell me stories.

However, to each their own. Apple must think there's a market for this.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Really don’t get this feature at all. It’s not a workout, it’s not a repeatable thing. Not like a Hiit workout or fitness plus workouts, once you have listened to it once, you aren’t going to listen to it again. It becomes redundant, pointless. I’m not sure what this feature even is, it’s a podcast that you can’t delete within the app with some walking metrics added. It’s a weird idea. If it launched with like 200 stories from different people then I could get on board a bit but 4? Seriously, I’d finish this in you guessed it 4 days and then can’t use it again. Don’t understand it at all.

You don't need to understand it much less put your stamp of approval on it. It is designed for those who do understand it, and in their own quiet way, will use it as they start a walking program possibly for the first time in their life.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I don't understand the point of this - when I walk outside, I tend to do so with my wife and we talk. If I'm alone, I listen to my own music or one of my regular podcasts. I have zero desire to listen to a celebrity tell me stories.

However, to each their own. Apple must think there's a market for this.

What is so hard to understand that not everyone wants, or can listen to music while they walk? What is so hard to understand about other people doing things different than you?

 

[Apple_Robert]

I’ll stick to listening to my death metal when I walk thanks

Just don't drop dead doing it.

 

[choreographics]

Really don’t get this feature at all. It’s not a workout, it’s not a repeatable thing. Not like a Hiit workout or fitness plus workouts, once you have listened to it once, you aren’t going to listen to it again. It becomes redundant, pointless. I’m not sure what this feature even is, it’s a podcast that you can’t delete within the app with some walking metrics added. It’s a weird idea. If it launched with like 200 stories from different people then I could get on board a bit but 4? Seriously, I’d finish this in you guessed it 4 days and then can’t use it again. Don’t understand it at all.

Well, I don’t get the point of cycling on a bike without moving even an inch. But it’s okay. There‘s a workout for everyone, for younger and older, for fit and fitter. And I am sure some people need some motivation to at least have a walk outside (where possible) before starting their workout career.

I listened to Shawn today, it’s well-executed and somehow very comforting/calming. Does a podcast or your favorite playlist do the same job? Probably, but it doesn’t motivate you to start thinking about your health and well-being and make the first step. Literally.

 

[Canyda]

You don't need to understand it much less put your stamp of approval on it. It is designed for those who do understand it, and in their own quiet way, will use It as they start a walking program possibly for the first time in their life.

Sure, which is why my posted ended with: "However, to each their own. Apple must think there's a market for this."

If you, or anyone else, finds this a useful add-on to Fitness+, then more power to you and I'm glad you enjoy it.

 

[Fozziebear71]

I'm guessing the majority if not all of these are going to be celebrities that I could care less what they have to say, virtue signaling about how they are smarter than the majority of Americans and everyone should listen to their superior viewpoint. I'll pass.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Sure, which is why my posted ended with: "However, to each their own. Apple must think there's a market for this."

If you, or anyone else, finds this a useful add-on to Fitness+, then more power to you and I'm glad you enjoy it.

It's not for me but, hopefully, some others will find it useful.

 

[Canyda]

It's not for me but, hopefully, some others will find it useful.

And I agree. I just won't be one of those people.

 

[Johnny907]

You don't need to understand it much less put your stamp of approval on it. It is designed for those who do understand it, and in their own quiet way, will use It as they start a walking program possibly for the first time in their life.

If someone isn’t walking right now, it’s not because they don’t have something to listen to, Robert.

 

[Apple_Robert]

If someone isn’t walking right now, it’s not because they don’t have something to listen to, Robert.

That is true. My point was, if this little tool motivates a person to get out and exercise, great. I am happy for them, even if it this particular model would not be for me.

 

[Johnny907]

Well, I don’t get the point of cycling on a bike without moving even an inch. But it’s okay. There‘s a workout for everyone, for younger and older, for fit and fitter. And I am sure some people need some motivation to at least have a walk outside (where possible) before starting their workout career.

I listened to Shawn today, it’s well-executed and somehow very comforting/calming. Does a podcast or your favorite playlist do the same job? Probably, but it doesn’t motivate you to start thinking about your health and well-being and make the first step. Literally.

That last bit sounds like it was taken verbatim from Apple’s own PR. Literally.

 

[Apple_Robert]

And I agree. I just won't be one of those people.

Nothing wrong with that. It just irks me to see some here put down a simple motivational tool just because it's not for them. At least we are on the same page, even though we arrived differently.

 

[robbysibrahim]

Curious about what Apple think this solves for us. It's essentially a Siri Shortcut for starting a Walk workout and playing a Podcast.

 

[Lowhangers]

What stupid crap. I would never pay a subscription to hear more celebrity ********. ?

 

[trhoffmann]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t all of the Fitness+ routines indoor based? This may be Apple’s initial attempt to extend (the value of) Fitness+ to outdoor activities. Perhaps we will see a ”Time to Run“ and “Time to Bike” next?

 

[bodonnell202]

So much negativity over a feature you don’t have to use if it’s not for you. I’ve been trying out Fitness+ as gyms are currently closed here so I decided to try out time to walk when I went for a walk today and Dolly Parton told some very sweet stories about her family and humble beginnings and the meaning behind some of her songs. I think it’s a nice feature. I also get that it isn’t for everyone and that’s ok.

 

[PhillyGuy72]

Oh.

 

[NufSaid]

While I might not use this one much the fitness+ is a killer service. I have greatly enjoyed the workouts. Obe was nice but the workouts were not great.

What would make this even better would be the ability to put workouts on a calendar to plan a week out.

 

[firestarter]

What is so hard to understand that not everyone wants, or can listen to music while they walk? What is so hard to understand about other people doing things different than you?

What is so hard to understand about a discussion forum where people post their own opinions which other people can agree or disagree with?

You don't need to be discussion police. It's interesting to hear what a variety of people think.