Fitbit announces new premium guidance and coaching offering

This post was originally published on the Fitbit press site. It has been adapted from its original format.

Fitbit, the leading global wearables brand, today introduced a new premium guidance and coaching paid offering designed to analyze your Fitbit data and activity level to deliver a custom curriculum of workouts, programs, content and other tools tailored to your specific goals. The first tools to launch with this offering include a new Fitbit Coach app, which rebrands the current Fitstar Personal Trainer app and combines its popular dynamic video workouts with new Audio Coaching sessions, expert-designed to help you increase endurance, speed and form. We’re also introducing Guided Health Programs, which provide step-by-step guidance, personalized insights, educational tools and rewards to influence positive behavior change and health outcomes. Throughout 2018 and beyond, Fitbit’s new premium offering will grow to include advanced tools with a library of programs and workouts developed with Fitbit’s Advisory Panel, to deliver adaptive health and fitness coaching personalized to you.

“This new premium service marks the next chapter for Fitbit – bringing smarter, adaptive and more personalized software experiences to our users that help drive positive health outcomes, thereby creating lifelong Fitbit customers,” said Jon Oakes, VP of Product at Fitbit. “With plans to open the platform to second and third party partners in the future, our premium offering will grow with new content and tools to give users an easy-to-follow path to improve their health.”

Dynamic workouts, tailored to you

The newly re-branded Fitbit Coach app incorporates Fitstar’s proven dynamic workout content that adapts as you progress, and uses your Fitbit data to recommend video and new audio workouts based on your fitness level and goals. Research shows 85% of people who use the video workouts from Fitstar now in Fitbit Coach for at least five sessions see an increase in strength.

• Personalized bodyweight workouts: Select your preferred trainer to guide you through video workouts that adapt to your progress and feedback. The technology that powers Fitbit Coach will update each future workout based on your feedback, like a real-time personal trainer.
• New Audio Coaching sessions: Increase endurance, speed and form by listening to 40+ expert-designed run and walk audio sessions, and stay motivated with varying difficulties, durations, trainers and music stations; new sessions such as elliptical and weights coming in 2018.
• On-demand exercises: Access favorite workouts, or select bodyweight sessions based on duration, difficulty or exercise type to receive step-by-step instructions focused on form and technique.
• Recommended workouts: See recommended exercises in the Fitbit Coach app based on your Fitbit activity data. For example, if you did a bike ride yesterday, the app will suggest a session that targets your abs, arms and chest so your legs can recover.

Guidance to influence healthy behavior

Whether you’re trying to run your first 5K or eat healthier, Guided Health Programs provide the support and tools to help you get there. Each multi-week program combines personalized guidance and tailored step-by-step instructions, along with the educational tools, health insights and milestones to drive positive results.

The first programs focus on fitness and nutrition, the two areas Fitbit users have expressed the most interest in improving, with additional fitness, nutrition, wellness and sleep programs expected in 2018:

• Beginner Running: A six-week program designed by experts to help new runners make their way from the couch to running straight for 45 minutes. Powered by Fitbit’s new Audio Coaching workouts, and expert-designed curriculum, you’ll build endurance, learn proper form and stay motivated.
• Kick Your Sugar Habit: A four-week program designed to help you recognize and reduce added sugars and develop healthy eating habits. Using a new proprietary tool, the program will help you understand and avoid added sugars, which are not labeled on foods, and help align your consumption with World Health Organization guidelines through tips, goals and rewards.

“For a health program to have truly long-lasting effects, it has to be tailored to you,” said Dr. Sherry Pagoto, professor of medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and member of the Fitbit Advisory Panel. “With one of the world’s largest health databases, Fitbit is able to provide deeper, more meaningful insights to help you stay on track, get encouragement when you need it most and celebrate your successes to keep you motivated. This type of personalized coaching will enable people to build healthier habits and have better success in achieving and maintaining their health goals.”

Pricing & Availability

The new coaching services will launch with the Fitbit Coach personal training app, available on Android, iOS, and Windows devices in Fall 2017 with introductory pricing of $7.99 per month or $39.99 per year. Audio Coaching will be available on Fitbit Ionic in 2018. The first Guided Health Programs will be available this winter in the “Coach” section of the Fitbit app.

Today, Fitbit also announced Fitbit Ionic, Fitbit Flyer and Fitbit Aria 2.