Announcing “I accomplished my exercise targets today” has become a familiar phrase indicating the completion of fitness goals. Until now, this achievement was only attainable for Apple Watch wearers.
With the upcoming iOS 16 update, Apple is extending its Fitness app, equipped with activity monitoring features, to iPhone users. This iconic Apple Watch application tracks movement, workouts, and standing time through three distinct rings that users strive to close as they remain active throughout the day.
The Fitness app on the iPhone will feature a singular ring called Move, quantified according to the number of “active calories” it estimates you have burned.
Previously exclusive to Apple Watch owners, this app relies on the watch to keep track of steps, heart rate, and other activities. Additionally, it serves as a gateway to Apple’s subscription service, Apple Fitness+. (It remains uncertain whether the expansion of the Fitness app to a broader user base hints at the possibility of any iPhone user obtaining a Fitness+ subscription in the future.)
Nevertheless, iPhones are also capable of monitoring your steps, walking or running distance, and flights of stairs climbed. This data is already recorded in the Health app. Within the Fitness app, this movement will be quantified in terms of active calories, allowing you to establish and achieve a daily goal. The app will further classify your workouts gleaned from third-party applications like Strava or Runkeeper, converting them into active calories to count towards your goal. By consistently carrying your iPhone, it can function as a fitness tracker and enable you to share your Move ring with friends for added motivation.
While the positive effects of wearing a fitness tracker on physical activity and health are inconclusive, it should be noted that calorie tracking as an activity metric may perpetuate diet culture and could be inherently inaccurate. Nonetheless, according to Hopkins Medicine, adopting a fitness tracker and setting a daily step goal can boost your daily step count, which may benefit heart health. Ultimately, establishing specific goals can greatly motivate you to maintain an active lifestyle.
Digital tracking is not the sole method for setting and achieving goals. Nonetheless, having more options that do not necessitate purchasing yet another costly device and instead utilize your smartphone is a notable advantage. If you wish to experience the app, watch out for iOS 16 and install it when it becomes widely accessible this autumn.
