Apple is growing the subscription platform across 28 new markets as tech and fitness brands ramp up multilingual content and digital well-being tools
In a year when every major tech platform is seemingly racing to claim its stake in fitness and/or wellness, Apple is rolling out its largest Fitness+ expansion since launching the service.
The tech giant will bring Fitness+ to 28 new markets on Dec. 15, including Chile, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Singapore and Taiwan, with Japan slated to receive the service early next year.
Apple confirmed that hundreds of existing workouts and meditations will be digitally dubbed in Spanish, German and Japanese, with new dubbed episodes added every week. Users can pick their preferred audio language within a workout or meditation, or set their app to automatically play dubbed versions when available.
The move lands as some of the biggest fitness players are using language as a way to cultivate new fans and build greater global reach.
Runna, now part of Strava, recently expanded into seven new languages to reach runners across Europe, Latin America and Asia, while connected fitness giant Peloton has been scaling captions and multilingual subtitles across its live and on-demand classes, translating roughly 100 sessions a day. iFIT is taking a similar path with its AI Coach beta, which launched this year in 19 countries with local language support baked in. Ergatta, meanwhile, has expanded its gamified Races experience to nine languages so rowing and treadmill users get a more tailored feel wherever they train.
Apple’s update also turns up the volume with K-Pop as a new music genre across all workout types and gives Fitness+ users across 49 countries and regions the chance to tap into 12 workout types spanning strength, yoga, HIIT, Pilates, dance, cycling, kickboxing and meditation.
Sessions run from five to 45 minutes and work across iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, while custom plans automatically build a personalized schedule based on activity preferences, durations, favorite trainers and music.
“Through its seamless integration across Apple devices, Fitness+ has helped inspire users to live a healthier day,” Apple vice president of fitness technologies Jay Blahnik said. “From seeing real-time personal metrics right onscreen with Apple Watch or AirPods Pro 3 to the ability to bring the service with you wherever you go on iPhone or iPad, we’re delivering unmatched motivation to users. We couldn’t be more excited to bring this experience to even more users around the globe with our biggest expansion yet.”
The Fitness+ expansion fits squarely into Apple’s broader fitness strategy, which has been expanding beyond hardware upgrades to include Workout Buddy, a new AI-driven motivational tool.
“Our users have invested so much sweat equity in our fitness ecosystem,” Julz Arney, Apple’s senior director of fitness technologies and Fitness+, told ATN earlier this fall.
Apple Fitness+ is available as a subscription for $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year and can be shared with up to five family members.
Beyond health and fitness, the wellness push from tech giants now extends into digital habits.
TikTok recently introduced a new Time and Well-being space to help users unwind and build healthier screen habits with tools like an affirmation journal, a soothing sound generator, guided breathing exercises and new Well-being Missions that reward users for mindful behaviors.
Meta, meanwhile, just acquired wearable maker Limitless, the company behind a small AI-powered pendant that records conversations and pitches life coaching and personal health management as two of its use cases.
