I was sweaty. And couldn’t “swipe right” for the life of me. Did I hit end? Oh no, the time isn’t accurate! Ah, the woes of trying engage in a fine motor task after running around, lifting a bunch of weights, and trying to catch my breath. But I figured it out after a couple tries.
If a workout isn’t recorded…did it ever happen?
This was Day 1 with my new Apple Watch Series 3.
The Apple Watch is one of the many products in the Apple ecosystem, its new version joined the current lineup of iMacs, iPhones, and iPads.
I have an iPhone, iPad, iMac, and MacBook Pro…but do I need the watch too?!?!?
After all, I write down my workouts every day, but is another Apple device really necessary?
(yes these are first world problems…but let’s just place that argument on hold for now)
Apple released the first Apple Watch Series a few years back and I was hesitant to buy it. I am glad I waited. I knew that the technology still had some kinks to work out. After I watched the latest Apple Keynote this fall, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the latest version…With it’s new list of features, I decided to make the jump and give the new Apple Watch a test drive.
Why did I buy the Apple Watch this time?
With my interest in health and fitness, it is (1) important for me to learn about this device in depth if future clients and research participants wear an Apple Watch, and (2) the Apple Watch may be a useful tool to track and monitor my own health. The Apple Watch Series 3 boasts new features that set it apart from previous Apple Watches. Namely, improved data collection related to working out and capturing heart rate.
This article outlines the features that I liked, and ways I would improve the Apple Watch Series 3. But first a primer on how the Apple Watch is setup for exercise and physical activity.
The Apple Watch wants you to close 3 rings each day. These rings are:
- A general movement ring (RED RING) – if you burn X number of calories per day, you will close this ring
- An exercise ring (GREEN RING) – if you exercise for 30 minutes, you will close this ring
- A standing ring (BLUE RING) – if you stand up for 12 hours out of the day, you will close this ring
Based on my research, promoting more standing at work, of course I am interested in the standing ring the most…
After using the Apple Watch for the 7-8 weeks, here is what I found.
(Hey Apple! I know a Phd Student that will be in job market in 3 semesters!)
7 Apple Watch Features I liked…
1. Ease of Starting a Workout (low response effort)
The Apple Watch is intuitive and all you have to do is tap the green stick figure, select your exercise and begin you workout. These app shortcuts are called “complications” and you can customize how they show up on your digital watch face. My favorites are the high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and outdoor cycle. You tap the exercise type once, and the workout begins following a 3-2-1 countdown.
To end the workout, you simply swipe left, and tap “end.” A nice surprise was that over time, my favorite activities shuffled to the top of the list, making repeated work outs that much easier to start.
(other preprogrammed activities include: running, cycling, elliptical machine, rowing, stair stepper, and swimming)
2. New and Improve Heart Rate (HR) Monitor
The new HR monitor was THE main reason I bought the Apple Watch. I sweat and work hard, but had no idea where my heart rate was…other than feeling like my heart was going to beat right out of my chest. It is nice to pair quantitative data to both easy and difficult workouts.
For the HR monitor data nerds, the Apple Watch does a nice job tracking: resting heart rate, heart rate recovery, and heart rate variability.
I’m not going to the specifics of each metric, but I learned that my:
- Resting heart rate: averages 40-50 beats per minute (bpm) during sleep
- Heart rate recovery: averages a reduction of 50 bpm following an intense workout
- Heart rate variability: averages 80 milliseconds (ms)
(I need to do a little more research on these different types of HR data to understand the real value of each…stay tuned)
Just a note on resting heart rate…”elite” athletes have an average bpm <60. I don’t consider myself “elite” by any means…I run very little, but lift a LOT of heavy weights, often.
So if you are wondering, yes, consistent weight training is a prescription for a healthy heart!
3. Detailed Workout Data
All of your workout data is easily organized and filed in your iPhone. That’s what Apple does. You can view your workout data on a second by second basis, or by month or year.
4. Standing Prompts
For BehaviorFit, this is a given. I love the standing prompts! Sit less, move more! (If you don’t know how bad sitting is, read this first.) If you have not stood or been active during each hour, then you are sent a reminder. These always occur 10 minutes to the hour, so they are predictable. However, the prompts are not perfect (see Fix 3 below).
5. Prompt Delivery
Throughout your day, especially at night time, you are prompted to engage in certain behaviors (a brisk walk) to close your rings. Short haptic (vibration) prompts buzz you to move or close a ring. These prompts are especially handy when you are in the middle of meeting or in class, your reminder does not distract other people.
But of course, standing in a room full of seated individuals does.
That’s ok! Be the change!
6. Automated Daily and Weekly Feedback
On Mondays, you receive feedback on how well you did with your goal in the previous week, tips to achieve your goals, and motivation to keep going. Depending on how active you are, you may receive feedback before 5pm or even after leaving your AM training session. These messages are very helpful because in 5-10 seconds you can quickly assess your daily activity level up until that point.
7. The Use of “Cool Lingo”
This may be personal preference, but the feedback in the previous point is more accessible and related when terms like “crushed it” and “congrats” pop-up on your wrist. I know it’s a computer on my wrist, but that’s how I would want a coach to talk to me, so I approve.
Those 7 areas were just a few features of the Apple Watch that stood out to me. Here are a few shortcomings.
4 Things I Would Fix…
Fix 1: Customize other activity rings
The movement ring (red ring) is the only one that you can adjust. Apple is even explicit about this on their site. You set this goal based on the number of calories you want to burn each day.
You cannot customize the other 2 rings!
Exercise ring adjustment: Allow users to adjust the total exercise time.
In addition, linking this time to the intensity of exercise is crucial too. After all, sprinting for 2 minutes is a little different than walking for 2 minutes.
You may be a person starting at 0 minutes of exercise per day, or someone that wants to track exercise more than 30 minutes per day.
Either way, we each have our own individual goals. It is important to reach these goals gradually. In behaviorspeak, Apple missed a step called shaping.
Small goals first. For people just starting to exercise, they may be discouraged because they will not receive the reinforcers and feedback that others will receive when putting on the watch right out of the box.
Standing ring adjustment: Allow users to choose how many hours they want to stand.
My early research indicates that not everyone can get up and move every hour, even if they wanted to! And this goes for people that are interested in improving their health. The same issue resides here, if 12 standing hours is the end goal, we need to build up to that number first. Maybe by standing at some point for 6-, 8-, or 10-hours is the right progression instead of going straight to 12.
I am all for more movement, but when done right.
Missing these shaping step are major oversights. Without this customization piece, an Apple Watch user may never contact those ever so needed reinforcers.
I mean, who doesn’t like a good fireworks show on your wrist every once in awhile???
Right, Kevin?
Fix 2: Individualize Medals/Achievements
This is reinforcement 101. If you engage in a certain behavior, like exercise, and it produces some consequence (and you like it), you do it again. Apple embeds their activity ring program with individualized medals and achievements.
Gamification at its best. However, depending on YOUR personal exercise goals, some medals may be dangled in front of you with no hope of completing it.
For me, my goal is to workout (hard) 4-5 times per week. So, I will likely never reach the “Close all rings 7 days in a row” award.
I think Apple should have programmed rest days.
Rest day medals anyone?
Fix 3: Improve Standing Detection
Standing is sometimes not detected. I stood at my desk multiple times, working, and then my watch tells me to stand up. But I AM STANDING! Maybe the standing ring is misnamed. It should really be called the “move-a-little-bit-ring.” The key is movement. Regular movement, every hour. The watch detects when you are inactive regardless if you are sitting or standing.
I touched on the problem with standing all day here.
My own research participants are required to be move at least 100 steps every half hour. Fitbit’s get-up-and-move criteria is 250 steps/hour. Apple’s algorithm is a secret, but I imagine it is close to these numbers as well.
Fix 4: Tie Activity Rings to Long-Term Goals
Where are the goals headed? What does closing rings everyday and earning medals mean for the individual, for you? Yes, gadgets and data are fun to play with, but why are we getting and staying in shape in the first place? Meeting goals just to meet goals is bland.
I am not taking anything away from Apple Watch. They have done fantastic work. I am writing this blog because of Apple.
Meeting any goal should be linked to the big picture. I met my movement goal, now what?!?!? General health recommendations (like exercising for 30 minutes) are a nice place to start, but WE ALL NEED INDIVIDUALIZATION. Does your blood pressure reduce? Heart rate improve? Why do we want to meet this goals? Our health cannot stop at just wearing a watch, after all they just set up exercise habits, not maintain them. bigger questions needs to be answered.
To wrap up…
I workout to maintain my current health and fitness and increase my odds of a healthier future. Why do you workout? What do you want to start working out?
The Apple Watch is an incredible tool and technology has brought us to new heights.
Keep moving my friends,
Nick
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Are you struggling with handling your own gadgets and gizmos?
Need help tracking health targets?
Let me know we can work together on this.
