Quick Links
Ever since I got my Apple Watch, I’ve been motivated to move more. From small goals like setting reminders to stand to the ability to track all sorts of metrics like steps and flights of stairs I climb, I now look forward to moving more each day!
1Start Small
A few years ago, I dreaded going to the gym, getting a daily walk in, and didn’t even think about any form of cardio. This is because I always viewed exercise as something that had to be high-intensity and at least an hour long. However, just a five-minute walk counts towards an overall increase in movement.
Changing my mindset to focusing on small goals has helped me stay motivated to keep moving every day. Also, I try not to beat myself up if I miss a day of meeting my goals. When I practice this grace, I’m more likely to get back into the groove of things the next day.
2Set Stand Reminders
Screenshot by Marissa Zupancic — no attribution
The Apple Watch allows you to set aStandgoal for the day. My goal is currently 12 hours. This simply means that each hour, you should aim to stand and move around for one minute.
While this may seem small, I often find myself getting up to stand and completing a task, like putting away my laundry, that only serves to add more movement to my day.
Your watch will also remind you to stand 10 minutes before the hour ends if you haven’t stood yet, so there’s accountability, too. To set up these notifications, you can open the Watch app on your iPhone, scroll down toActivity, and turn onStand Reminders.
3Aim to Close Rings
In addition to aStandring, the Apple Watch also hasExerciseandMoverings.
The Exercise ring counts your exercise, which could range from an indoor walk to a dance workout. I’ve set my current goal to 30 minutes, so I sometimes do two 15-minute walks interspersed throughout my day.
The Move ring tracks calories burned, even when not exercising. On a day when my exercise is low, I still manage to burn about 200 calories just from daily tasks. You can also turn this goal all the way down to 10 if you’re not worried about or want to avoid tracking calories.
4Climb More Stairs
There’s also a way to track how many flights of stairs you climb in a day, too. Swapping the elevator to take the stairs just a few times a day counts towards a surprising number of steps.
When you open theHealthapp on your iPhone, you can see precise and in-depth statistics concerning various metrics. There’s a way to see unique data points like how long your average stride is when you walk and how many breaths you take per minute.
If you go toBrowse>Activityand then scroll down, you can see how many flights of stairs you’ve climbed.
5Track Different Types of Exercise
If you open up theExerciseapp on the Apple Watch, you can track specific types of exercise. If the type you’re trying to track isn’t listed, you can scroll down and clickAdd Workoutfor even more options. You can also simply log a workout asOtherif your exercise of choice still isn’t appearing.
For example, if you go on a walk in a mall or a grocery store, you can start anIndoor Walkand log that as exercise. There are also options for table tennis, mind and body meditation, and fitness gaming. There are plenty of other ways toget the most out of your Apple Watch, too.
While being more active can seem like a daunting task, the Apple Watch provides motivation, alternatives to traditional exercise, and interesting stats to track your overall activity.
