The new year has begun, and if you plan to exercise more and live a healthier lifestyle, the Apple Watch can help you with this. We will discuss three ways.
For example, an Apple Watch makes good intentions easier
Traditionally, the first month of the new year is a time when people set new goals for themselves. That often means exercising more, living a healthier life and spending less time with your smartphone. An Apple Watch can lend you a hand with all three of these New Year’s resolutions. We show you how.
1. Live healthier and exercise more
Every year, Apple makes its smartwatch more suitable for registering your daily movement. This largely revolves around the Activity app, which challenges you every day to fill three colored rings. These keep track of whether you are standing, moving and actively moving. That does not mean that you have to exercise every day: a round of walking or cycling is enough to get you thirty minutes of active exercise.
From watchOS 5, Apple makes it extra fun to take on this challenge, because you can now also challenge other Apple Watch wearers for a seven-day competition. Can you beat your friend or family member by scoring more points for a week by being more active? Then challenge someone like this:
- Open the Activity app on your iPhone;
- Tap the ‘Share’ tab;
- Share your Activity rings with someone who wants to challenge you;
- Tap his or her name in the Share tab;
- Tap “Match by” name. “
2. More sports
More exercise is already a good way to live a healthier life in the new year, especially if you combine it with a sport. The Apple Watch has a built-in Workout app, which is expanded every year with more sports that the watch can register. For example, the Watch keeps track of your performance when you go running, swimming, cycling, walking, rowing and more. Since watchOS 5, the Watch can independently detect these workouts.
In addition, there are plenty of third-party health apps that you can install on the Apple Watch. Consider, for example, the running apps from Strava, Nike and Runkeeper. These ensure that you no longer have to go out with your iPhone in your pocket and you can only start exercising with your Apple Watch on your wrist.
3. Spend less time with your smartphone
It may sound a bit crazy to put a smartwatch on your wrist if you want to spend less time with electronics, but nothing could be further from the truth. If you set up the Apple Watch correctly, you will spend much less time staring at a screen.
This works as follows. By going to Notifications in the Watch app on your iPhone, you can set which apps can and cannot send notifications to your Apple Watch. By seriously reviewing this list and allowing only the apps you really need, you’ll be much less distracted by app notifications.
Only the apps you’ve approved give another tap on your wrist, which you can then quickly check on your watch if they’re worth it. If that is not the case, your iPhone will simply remain in your pocket, so that the device cannot distract you with other things.
Also read: New Year’s resolutions for 2020: with these 6 apps you will achieve them