Samsung smart TVs gain six new health and wellness apps

(Image credit: Samsung)

In a month that has already seen Virgin unlock a selection of free Sky channels for one month for its customers and Sky Q offer to bundle Disney Plus into its customers' bills for a better experience, Samsung has also decided to offer a little bit more during lockdown. 

The South Korean firm has announced that Samsung smart TVs in a variety of regions around the world now have access to six new health and wellness apps, in partnership with leading fitness brands. With apps from barre3, Calm, Echelon, Fitplan, Jillian Michaels Fitness and obé Fitness, Samsung says it is offering exclusive fitness content now, on your Samsung smart TV.

Later this year, these apps will be part of Samsung Health, a comprehensive fitness platform for Samsung smart TVs (a project which was announced at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show). However, with homebound Samsung TV owners needing fitness solutions – and general diversion – more than ever right now, Samsung and its partners are bringing consumers early access to over 5000 hours of free at-home wellness content right now.

Over 250 instructive videos are available now – from barre classes and guided meditations, to celebrity-led personal training sessions – for Samsung smart TV owners to access from home.

Availability of the free wellness apps does vary according to both your region and the Samsung smart TV model you own. The US release means access to all six apps, while in the UK four apps are available: Calm, Echelon, Fitplan and Jillian Michaels Fitness.

 A list of what's now available, and where, is as follows: 

  • barre3: available now, on all 2018 and 2019 Samsung smart TV models in the United States and Canada
  • Fitplan: available now on all 2019 Samsung Smart TV models in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia
  • Echeleon: available on all 2018 and 2019 Samsung Smart TV models in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia
  • Jillian Michaels Fitness: available now on all 2018 and 2019 Samsung Smart TV models in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand
  • obé Fitness: available now on all 2018 and 2019 Samsung Smart TV models in the United States and Canada
  • Calm: available now on all 2019 Samsung Smart TV models in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Korea, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Brazil, Portugal, UAE, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Morocco

Samsung says that these premium health and wellness apps will be fully integrated into Samsung Health, which will launch this summer on 2020 Samsung Smart TVs, and bring with it more new apps.

Samsung Health promises to provide consumers with more alternatives to traditional exercise options, like gyms and group classes, and to adapt to each user’s unique schedule – allowing it to become a crucial pillar of your daily routine for years to come (so, not just during lockdown). At least, that's Samsung's plan.

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Becky has been a full-time staff writer at What Hi-Fi? since March 2019. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, she freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 20-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance is of course tethered to a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo, This is Cabaret and The Stage. When not writing, she dances, spins in the air, drinks coffee, watches football or surfs in Cornwall with her other half – a football writer whose talent knows no bounds. 

  • Friesiansam
    Will these "apps" be optional downloads, or will they be foisted on us whether we like it or not?
    Reply