Make Walking More Bearable With Dolly Parton’s Apple Fitness Series
I hate to walk much less than running, but a little more exciting than to spend an hour on the street in a boring suburb l. Give me hills, trails, water – anything but tarmac and walking past six different Starbucks three blocks away. And while Apple can’t make trees and lush landscapes grow out of nothing, the company’s new Time To Go audio stories at least reduce the monotony.
I’ll get rid of the bad news first: Designed to accompany your walk like your favorite band or podcast, these audio narrations are exclusive to Apple Fitness +. So, you won’t hear Dolly Parton comforting you tired of workout with shining stories unless you pay $ 10 a month (or $ 80 a year). Or, well, if you don’t subscribe to her award-winning podcast , which I fully support.
It’s not just the country’s queen who appears in Apple’s new Time to Go series. You’ll also find stories from Golden State Warriors striker Draymond Green, musician Shawn Mendes and actress Ouzo Aduba. I have nothing against these three, but I’m not sure what the squeaky, sometimes obscene communication style of the eternally enthusiastic Dolly can convey.
To listen to any of these audio announcements, put on your Apple Watch (required) and open the Fitness app on your iPhone or iPad. Scroll down to the new Time to Walk section:
Click on a person and you’ll see the option to add their Time to Walk episode to your Apple Watch:
Each of these episodes is a mixture of music and chatter – some about 50-50, others heavier than talking than music (usually just three songs). Once it is transferred to your watch, you will not be able to launch it through your iPhone or iPad. Instead, you’ll open the Workout app on your Apple Watch, where you’ll see your Time to Walk episodes among your regular fitness activities:
Oddly enough, the audio narration did not start right away as soon as my walking training began; I had to swipe left, which revealed the usual music controls. It could also be a quirk of my AirPods Pro connection, which has been fiddly lately; So, if you don’t hear anything at first, be aware that you might have to start an episode of Time to Walk on your own.
Alternatively, sit back and enjoy the mini monologue. Apple will release one new Time to Walk series every week on Mondays until the end of April. You will have plenty of time to distract yourself to keep up with your healthy habits.