Apple Fitness Plus is getting a fresh makeover in the Strava app. The two companies just announced they\u2019re collaborating to revamp how Fitness Plus integrates with the popular fitness community, which includes more detailed workout summaries, Strava athletes appearing in Fitness Plus content, and a free three-month trial to the service for Strava subscribers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Starting today, you\u2019ll be able to see a thumbnail of the Fitness Plus workout and information like episode number, music genre, trainer, metrics, and achievements. While mostly a design update, this brings Fitness Plus more in line with other Strava integrations from services like Peloton and Ladder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Technically, Apple Watch users have been able to import their workouts into Strava from the get-go. However, that integration has been limited with bare-bones workout summaries. While you could see the activity type, calories burned, and basic heart rate metrics, there wasn\u2019t any information about the class or instructor. (As you can see from this screenshot, you\u2019d be hard-pressed to know that my New Year\u2019s Day yoga workout was even a Fitness Plus class.) <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The Fitness Plus and Strava integration goes in both directions. For starters, new and existing Strava subscribers in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia will get a free three-month trial of Fitness Plus regardless of whether they have an Apple Watch. (You do, however, need an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV to access the service.) Popular Strava athletes will also feature as guests in Fitness Plus workouts. That includes a strength workout with runner Hellah Sidibe<\/a> on January 13th and a treadmill workout with Kayla Jeter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n So far, Apple has only offered free Fitness Plus trials with the purchase of a new Apple gadget. And while the service regularly features well-known athletes as guest hosts in its programming, it\u2019s never sourced those guests from a third-party fitness community. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Sidibe, for example, may not be quite as famous as two-time Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety (who recently hosted a Fitness Plus series). However, if you\u2019re into running and on social media, there\u2019s a good chance you\u2019re familiar with Sidibe\u2019s seven-year <\/em>daily run streak and penchant for running with four smartwatches. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cOver the past 10 years, we\u2019ve hugely admired what Strava has done to impact the fitness space, especially around community,\u201d says Jay Blahnik, Apple\u2019s vice president of fitness technologies, acknowledging that Apple doesn\u2019t often partake in this sort of collaboration. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Blahnik says working with Strava also presents a new opportunity for Fitness Plus\u2019 reach. When the service first launched, there was an emphasis on making sure it was inclusive, motivating, and accessible for people of all levels. And in those early days, it often felt like Fitness Plus was like a fitness starter pack for the average person who might need a little encouragement \u2014 something The Verge<\/em> pointed out in its initial review<\/a>. That\u2019s not exactly the typical Strava user.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThey don\u2019t need us for motivation! They\u2019re already self motivated,\u201d says Blahnik. Instead, for seasoned athletes, Blahnik is pitching Fitness Plus as a supplemental resource for cross-training and discovering new activity types. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cMaybe they\u2019re taking up running for the first time, and they want to make sure that they don\u2019t get injured, and they need to do the yoga and the strength,\u201d adds Zipporah Allen, Strava\u2019s chief business officer. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Both Allen and Blahnik also note that the collaboration isn\u2019t a one-and-done type of deal, hinting that the integration could evolve further down the road. While both demurred on providing specifics, Blahnik noted the companies \u201chave bold ambitions for what [they] might be able to do down the road in terms of sharing.\u201d <\/strong>(Asked if perhaps one day you could tap on a Fitness Plus class a Strava friend took and immediately be taken to that workout on your phone, Blahnik said they\u2019d keep that in mind.) <\/p>\n<\/div>\n In the short term, it\u2019s a beneficial move for both companies. Strava recently angered users by changing the terms of its API for third-party apps<\/a>, leaving some disgruntled users<\/a> questioning the value of a Strava subscription. A free three-month trial to Apple Fitness Plus could appease some of those users. Strava has long been a de facto fitness data hub for dedicated athletes, giving Fitness Plus easy access to long-term athletes who aren\u2019t likely to quit their New Year\u2019s resolutions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n