Motivation… if it came in a bottle, we’d all have it.
This might not be exactly how Cher described it, but I love the way it sounds. There’s no quick fix when it comes to health, fitness and motivation. That comes from within – however, today there’s some incredible tools to help one be more accountable to their goals by providing instant and consistent feedback.
The Apple Watch is promising to unite the capabilities of an all-day fitness tracker and a highly advanced sports watch in one device you can wear all the time.
The Apple Watch – What Does This Mean for Your Health and Fitness?
The Apple Watch, a ‘smart watch’ product set for release this spring, is being touted as enabling ‘a new generation of health and fitness apps.’ As exciting as this sounds to exercise enthusiasts, what exactly does a smart watch mean for health and fitness?
Vital Signs Tracking Capabilities
The release of the iPhone’s M7 chipset saw the introduction of highly advanced motion tracking functionality, enabling users to measure the number of steps taken during running and walking sessions using pedometer apps.
Although Apple does own patents for smart phone technology that can track users’ blood pressure, the Apple Watch appears to be a far more appropriate application of this type of feature given its
wearability.
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Image care of
9to5Mac.com
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The advent of iOS 8 serves to further compound the excitement surrounding the Apple Watch because it is capable of detecting not just the blood pressure, but the steps, heart rate, and even hydration of the user. It seems highly likely we will see that promised ‘new generation of health and fitness apps’ which incorporate the amazing functionality available through the Apple Watch
It will be interesting to see the introduction of these features, as well as the Apple Watch integrated accelerometer, because they fall in direct competition with devices such as Withings heart rate monitors and movement trackers from companies like Garmin, Polar and
Fitbit.
The Apple Watch ‘Activity’ and ‘Workout’ Apps
The Apple Watch comes with a built-in Activity app, which features
Stand, Move,
and
Exercise
modes.
The
Stand
mode provides you with reminders to stop sitting and stand up periodically, which is ideal for all you desk jockeys out there who are cooped up in an office every day.
The
Move
mode is a little different, in that it compiles the total amount of time you have moved around on a given day, as well as displaying how many calories you've burned.
Finally, the
Exercise
mode is designed caters to more intense physical activities.
The Workout app goes beyond your everyday movements to explore how you’re performing during more intense physical fitness activities. It enables you track specific exercises such as cycling and running so you can view historical statistics in a native format, and not having to use a third-party program from the App Store.
The Future of the Apple Watch
Again, much of this functionality serves to make other apps and devices redundant, making this an arguably bold but nonetheless sensible move for Apple, consolidating all fitness-related functionality under the umbrella of their brand.
Even so, this is very exciting because the technical aspects of the Apple Watch will pave the way for all kinds of innovation in the field of iOS app development.
For us end users, this means far more streamlined interfacing and functionality without having to waste time with temperamental health and fitness apps, enabling us to focus more on getting the most out of our workouts.
One thing's for sure - I'm eager to an Apple Watch for myself!
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Further Reading
- Forbes.com http://www.forbes.com/sites/neilversel/2014/09/09/apple-watch-is-good-first-take-but-healthfitness-gadgets-need-work/
- Wired.com http://www.wired.com/2014/09/apple-watch-fitness-apps/
- 9-to-5 Mac.com http://9to5mac.com/2014/01/31/iwatch-ios-8-apple-sets-out-to-redefine-mobile-health-fitness-tracking/