Apple’s Fitness+ offers a path to health, at a steep cost

It’s here: Apple has launched Fitness+, a workout-on-demand service purpose-built for the Watch, the world’s top selling timekeeper.

Like all things Apple, Fitness+ looks beautiful and works seamlessly. Watch owners who open the Fitness app on their devices will now find a slate of new workouts, ranging from the familiar (for me: strength, HIIT, core) to the novel (yoga, dance, rowing). About 200 workouts of varying lengths are ready to go at launch, with more added weekly.

You won’t be left out if you’re brand new to fitness. Each workout type has an “absolute beginner” mode that walks you through the basics, while workouts include low-impact variations for each movement.

Start a workout and you’ll immediately spot the Apple Watch integration: its measurements (including heart rate and calories burned) are there on your device. It’s occasionally gimmicky, when trainers mention a particular metric that then flashes brightly. But if you’re the type of exerciser who’s constantly glancing at your wrist during your workout, it’s nice to see those numbers up on screen at all times.