Apple unveiled Time to Walk, an “inspiring new audio walking experience” on Apple Watch for Fitness+ subscribers to encourage users to walk more often. Each original Time to Walk episode invites users to immerse themselves in a walk alongside influential and interesting people as they share thoughtful and meaningful stories, photos, and music. Time to Walk can be accessed with Apple Watch and Bluetooth headphones such as, you guessed it, AirPods.
How does it work?
Each Time to Walk episode is shaped by the guest’s personal, life-shaping moments and includes lessons learned, meaningful memories, thoughts on purpose and gratitude, moments of levity, and other thought-provoking topics — recorded while walking outside or in locations that are meaningful to them. The narrative comes to life through photos that appear on Apple Watch, perfectly timed to amplify a corresponding moment the guest shares.
Following the guest’s stories, the experience extends with the guest introducing a short playlist of songs that has given them motivation and inspiration, so the listener can continue their walk to a soundtrack intimately connected to each guest.
Time to Walk was launched with four episodes from the following guests:
- Country music star Dolly Parton has won nine GRAMMYs and is also a celebrated actor, businessperson, and humanitarian. Dolly reflects on her career, family, and growing up in rural Tennessee.
- NBA player Draymond Green won three basketball championships with the Golden State Warriors, helping to change how the game is played. He reflects on the virtues of failure and tuning out criticism.
- Musician Shawn Mendes went viral on social media at 15, had his first platinum album by 19, and has toured the world. He shares how a slower pace has helped him personally and creatively.
- Emmy Award winner Uzo Aduba found stardom on the series, “Orange Is the New Black,” but only after many rejections. She talks about lifelong relationships and keeping the faith.
New episodes will appear in the Workout app on Apple Watch from a different guest each Monday through the end of April. Users can browse and enjoy previous Time to Walk episodes when it is most convenient for them.
On the record
“Walking is the most popular physical activity in the world, and one of the healthiest things we can do for our bodies. A walk can often be more than just exercise: It can help clear the mind, solve a problem, or welcome a new perspective,” said Jay Blahnik, Apple’s senior director of Fitness Technologies. “Even throughout this challenging period of time, one activity that has remained available to many is walking. With Time to Walk, we’re bringing weekly original content to Apple Watch in Fitness+ that includes some of the most diverse, fascinating, and celebrated guests offering inspiration and entertainment to help our users keep moving through the power of walking.”
How to get started?
Time to Walk episodes are automatically downloaded to Apple Watch with a Fitness+ subscription, and users can start an episode directly from the Workout app. Once a Time to Walk episode is selected on Apple Watch, a Walk workout automatically begins and users can go at any pace that suits them while listening with AirPods or paired Bluetooth headphones. New episodes ranging from 25 to 40 minutes will appear automatically in the Workout app on Apple Watch, and users can also browse episodes in the Fitness+ tab in the Fitness app on iPhone. For Apple Watch customers who use a wheelchair, Time to Walk becomes Time to Walk or Push, and users can choose between a walking workout or a wheelchair pushing workout.