Apple just declared war on "Quitter's Day" with a major Fitness+ update

Starting the new year with resolutions to improve your fitness level? Apple's got your back, and the Cupertino company is now announcing new programs coming to Apple Fitness+ to help you stay active in the new year. 

New workout programs coming to Apple Fitness+ 

Starting January 5, there are going to be four new programs added to Apple Fitness+. 

The service is getting a new series of programs for the new year. If you're looking to get back into working out, there's a new Make Your Fitness Comeback program, which features three workout types: Yoga, Strength, and HIIT. The plan has a four-week duration and offers you three workouts per week, for just 10 minutes each. 


The second program is called Build a Yoga Habit, and it's 4 weeks long. The workouts here are focused on increasing your flexibility, helping you reduce stress, and building strength. You get two 10-minute flows every week. One is slow, and the other one is energetic, and those are designed to complement your existing workout routines and help you build a Yoga habit. 

There's also a Back-to-Back Strength and HIIT program. You get 20-minute workouts here with 10 minutes of Strength and 10 minutes of HIIT. The workouts are three times per week, while the whole program is three weeks long. 

For people looking to get into Strength training, Apple is offering you a new Strength Basics 3-week program. It helps you learn the fundamentals. The program can also be useful for people looking into returning to a strength routine, as you can double-check the techniques and basics. 

Apple Watch motivation study 

The Cupertino giant has also published a new analysis of Apple Watch data from the Apple Heart and Movement Study. 

Usually, people are known to quit their New Year's fitness resolutions by the second Friday in January, which is known as Quitter's Day. Curiously enough, participants in the study (over for years) have kept up their exercises through Quitter's Day.

Basically, during the first two weeks of January, over 60% of the Apple Watch users participating in the study increased their daily exercise. According to Apple, many of these users continued the increased levels into the following months. 

80% of these people maintained the new, increased level of exercise through the second half of January. Then, 90% of that group also maintained these levels in February and March. 

The study includes over 250,000 people in the US who consented to participate, and is done in collaboration with Brigham and Women's Hospital and the American Heart Association. 

New Strava challenge 

There's a limited edition award for Apple Watch users when you close all three Activity rings for seven days in a row in January. Meanwhile, Strava users with an Apple Watch can participate in a challenge called "Quit Quitting". If you log 12 workouts anytime in the month, you'll earn an Apple Watch badge in the Strava app. 

New programs by Fitness+ and the commitment to improve your health 

Not everyone has time for long workouts, and Apple clearly understands that. Short sessions, clear plans, and steady progress can help people actually stick to their fitness goals instead of quitting early. 

On top of that, seeing real data that people keep moving with the help of Apple Watch is motivating, especially during the time when most resolutions usually fail.

This is exactly the kind of fitness nudge I need

For me personally, this hits at the right moment. Staying fit is also one of my New Year's resolutions, and I like the idea of having structure without pressure. 

Ten or twenty minutes feels doable, even on busy days, and having reminders and badges is a nice extra push. It doesn't look like I'm being forced to work out – more like I'm being gently encouraged to keep going.