Apple Watch: for a healthier, happier you
HERE’S HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR APPLE WATCH AND DISCOVER THE APPS THAT WILL HELP YOU BE HEALTHIER, MORE RELAXED AND MORE EFFICIENT
Don’t be fooled by the name – Apple Watch is so much more than a stylish timepiece. It’s your personal trainer, an advanced activity tracker, the perfect workout partner and motivational DJ. You just need to know which apps to use. It comes with 20 Apple-designed apps built-in, but there are also thousands of third-party apps available to download, promising to make you fitter, calmer, cleverer and more organised.
But how do you differentiate the genuinely game-changing from the just plain gimmicky? We’ve put together a list of our favourite apps, with the help of Liz, Partner and keen half-marathon runner, and wellbeing influencer Adrienne Herbert (@adrienne_ldn).
CLEVER NEW WAYS TO TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
The Activity app on Apple Watch is beautifully simple. It has three coloured rings – Move, Exercise and Stand – which encourage you to achieve a calorie-burning goal, exercise for 30 minutes a day or stand for at least one minute every hour. It’s a great way to set achievable daily goals, and you can see your progress by checking how close you are to reaching your targets and, as many Apple Watch users term it, ‘closing your rings’.
‘Closing your rings becomes addictive,’ says Liz. ‘Having my goals visualised and right there on my wrist definitely makes me exercise more. I became very aware of needing to complete my exercise goals each day.’
For those embracing a wide-ranging fitness regime, the Workout app on Apple Watch lets you select an activity such as running, cycling, yoga, or even swimming (with the water-resistant Apple Watch Series 2 and up). You set a goal, like duration, distance or calories, and then keep track of your progress with a quick lift of your wrist.
‘I’ve also been using a really popular app called Strava lately, as I’m training for a half marathon and I’ve been cycling to work, too,’ adds Liz. ‘It tracks runs and bike rides and, unlike many other apps, you don’t need to carry your iPhone with you as well.’
“Having my goals right there on my wrist definitely makes me exercise more”
TAKE YOUR PLAYLISTS WITH YOU
Music can be a much-needed motivator when it comes to exercise, whether it’s a fast beat to get you to step up the pace or just a welcome distraction from those burning thighs. And subscribers to Apple Music can stream millions of songs right on Apple Watch, so you don’t have to take your iPhone with you. You can start your three month Apple Music trial here.
‘Apple Watch is brilliant for music,’ says Adrienne. ‘You can basically carry 50 million songs with you on your wrist.’
And if you’re planning to work out regularly with your Apple Watch, then wireless Bluetooth headphones are a must. Try Apple AirPods, or Powerbeats 3, which are specifically designed for sport so they’re sweat- and water-resistant.
TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF
If one of your goals is to de-stress, then Apple Watch can help here, too. The built-in Breathe app gives you regular reminders to, you guessed it, breathe throughout the day, and guides you through a series of deep breathing exercises.
‘It has a lovely animation that gets larger and smaller as you breathe in and out – it’s really quite soothing!’ says Liz. ‘One of my favourite things about the Breathe app is that it’s a quick way to de-stress on the go – perfect if you need to relax before heading into a high-pressure meeting.’
We also love Headspace, a popular daily meditation and mindfulness app you can download from the App store. The Basics course is free, but you’ll need to sign up for a monthly subscription for the full range of guided sessions. The sessions cover everything from managing stress to getting a better night’s sleep.
“You can basically carry 50 million songs with you”
TRACK YOUR SLEEP AND WAKE UP REFRESHED
Talking of shut-eye, Apple Watch is great for monitoring and ultimately improving your sleeping habits. Though it doesn’t come with a sleep-tracking app built in, there are plenty out there to download. Sleep Watch is an app that automatically tracks your total sleep and restful time, as well as your average heart rate, and gives you a daily update.
And Sleep Cycle is an app that tracks your sleep patterns, and also has a clever alarm feature that detects when you’re in the lightest phase of sleep, helping you to feel more refreshed and energetic in the morning. It also has a silent alarm that takes advantage of Apple Watch’s Taptic engine and wakes you with a vibration against your wrist instead of a loud beep.
YOUR CARDS AND CALENDAR ON YOUR WRIST
Apple Watch includes a handy Calendar, so you can always access your schedule while working out. You can also get reminders for upcoming events and meetings (and even get directions to those meetings right on your wrist). And with built-in cellular, you can call and text with your Apple Watch – you don’t have to have your iPhone with you.
Want to buy a bottle of water after your workout? With Apple Pay on Apple Watch, you can make secure payments from your wrist – and there’s no annoying £30 spending limit. You can also store your loyalty cards, including, of course, your my John Lewis card, on your Apple Wallet so you never need to dig around in your wallet for bits of plastic again.
And you don’t have to run the risk of losing your cards while you’re out: everything you need is on your Watch. ‘There’s no need for me to carry my card when I’m on a run,’ says Adrienne. ‘With Apple Pay I can pick up anything I need or jump on the Underground with a tap of my wrist.’
Apple Watch isn’t just versatile in what it can do – it’s also something of a fashion chameleon. The case comes in two different case sizes and multiple finishes and colours. And you can choose from hundreds of different straps (that are easy to swap in and out) so your Apple Watch matches your style or mood.
Getting the most out of your Apple Watch is as easy as it looks. Just watch our videos to learn more.
