That’s why I was initially attracted to Future. After signing up, I was asked to choose a personal trainer. The app offers a variety of choices with a short biography for each person. I decided on Ashley, mostly because she and I have an alma mater. Shortly afterwards, she contacted me via the app and we arranged a FaceTime video call to review the plan. Then, during the video call, I set out my goals, along with a list of different injuries that can make certain exercises more difficult than others. In turn, she wanted to know what kind of equipment I have at home so she can send me the right workouts. I told her I owned some dumbbells, a yoga mat, a foam roller, and a Peloton bike, and she said it was perfectly fine to get started.
One of the benefits of the Future service is that each member is offered an Apple Watch Series 3 for the duration of their membership. You would put down a deposit of $ 200, which you would then get back if you decide to cancel. Alternatively, you can pay the difference between the deposit and the watch’s retail price to buy it straight.
The reason Future offers the Apple Watch is because it’s the primary way Future trainers keep track of whether you’re working and how well you are doing. I already had an Apple Watch Series 5, so I did not choose the offer.
Future
After the call, Ashley sent me workouts via the app. A typical workout would include a short warm-up, followed by a few minutes of exercise and then stretching or lathering. Each routine has an accompanying video instruction as well as a pre-recorded voice guide. Occasionally Ashley would add verbal encouragement or some tips on how to maintain proper form as well. After each workout, Ashley can see my heart rate levels (thanks, Apple Watch), and I can give her feedback on how I think it went.
It was a little difficult at first. I could not do the workouts she was assigned (spring jackets were a bit difficult due to plantar fasciitis, for example) and the routines were sometimes almost an hour long, which was a bit much for me. After a discussion, she agreed to shorten the routine to about 30 minutes, but to have more through the week (so instead of three times a week, it would be four). She also adapted the workouts to better meet my needs, such as knee push-ups instead of regular exercises, and a general emphasis on low-impact workouts that are much better for the above plantar fasciitis.
On top of that, Ashley would constantly send me a message, either to remind me of my workouts, or to ask me why I skipped a particular day. There were days that even though I felt confused from exhaustion, I still had to hit a workout because I did not want Ashley to blame me the next morning.