Polar has launched a subscription-based Fitness Program for its wearables, providing users with personalized cardio training plans tailored to their fitness goals, routine, and recovery data.
The Fitness Program is designed for individuals who are new to their fitness routine and want a structured plan that utilizes their biometric data. The program creates a four-week plan using insights from the Polar watch, including heart rate, recovery, and sleep data. It schedules cardio workouts and optional strength and mobility sessions into a user’s weekly fitness plan, allowing users to integrate their preferred activities and choose their training and rest days.
The program is “designed for long-term commitment,” aiming to optimize users’ fitness routines for time and complexity. It automatically adapts to a person’s training load and recovery status, creating a personalized plan. This service can be thought of as a personal trainer, providing users with a tailored fitness plan without the need for manual planning.
The Fitness Program costs €10 and is currently available for Android users in all EU countries, Norway, and the UK. iOS users will have to wait until this summer to access the feature, and there is no confirmed release date for the US market.
Polar’s launch of the Fitness Program follows Garmin’s introduction of a similar paid training guidance plan called Active Intelligence. Garmin’s plan costs $70 per year or $7 per month and has received criticism from its user base, with many users expressing discontent on the r/Garmin Reddit forum about paying for data and guidance that their smartwatches already collect.
