Apple Expands Fitness Offerings as Consumers Embrace Digital Health

Apple is beginning 2023 with a series of new offerings for its Fitness+ service.

Beginning next week, the platform will roll out a new kickboxing workout and add a new theme called “Sleep” to its meditation library, the company said on its blog Thursday (Jan. 5).

In addition, Apple will debut a Beyonce-themed series of workouts as part of its Artist Spotlight program, in addition to new episodes of “Time to Walk,” an “audio experience” designed to get people interested in walking.

“No matter where people are on their health and well-being journey, Fitness+ makes it easy to get started and stay motivated with workouts and meditations that are welcoming to all,” Jay Blahnik, Apple’s vice president of Fitness Technologies, said in the release.

The launch of these programs comes at a time when consumers are growing more comfortable with digital health offerings such as the ones provided by Apple Watch, as recent research by PYMNTS has shown.

“Connected Wellness: What’s Next In The Connected Economy,” a PYMNTS report with research sponsored by CareCredit, showed consumers growing more at ease each quarter with digital wearables that monitor their vitals and share them with apps or platforms that help manage health.

The study found a notable percentage of Americans engaging in connected health, with 31% of consumers using sites or apps for mental health in August, a 32% increase from November 2021. That marked the fastest growth yet in any type of preventative health-related activity.

In addition, the study found that the “use of wearables like Fitbit, Apple Watch and smart rings is also rising, albeit not at the same blistering pace as mental healthcare apps,” with 43% of consumers using wearable health tech to automatically track, store and analyze their health metrics.

Meanwhile, digital health will also be a feature of CES 2023 in Las Vegas this week, PYMNTS reported Tuesday (Jan. 3).

Among the exhibitors at the Consumer Electronics Show will be health device maker Movano Health, which preempted the show with its late December announcement of the Evie smart ring, designed especially to monitor women’s health.

“As a medical device, Evie will go beyond the status quo of other wearables on the market, and we believe it has the power to transform women’s lives and overall health,” said John Mastrototaro, CEO of Movano Health. “We are bringing together medical-grade biometric data and insights in a comfortable and contemporary wearable that allows women to take ownership of their unique health journey.”