Another year has come to a close. With it, comes new goals!
Whether starting a new workout routine, planning your first run, or committing to healthier sleep habits, Apple Health has all the tools and features you need to jumpstart your wellness and fitness journey.
Dive deep into the features of the Apple Health app and understand how they work with your Apple devices to support your health and fitness goals!
What is Apple Health?
Apple developed Apple Health to organize health and fitness data in one hub. Built with several features, it records health information through active tracking. With it, users can easily access significant health data that will give them specific insights about their physical well-being.
The Apple Health App is pre-installed on iPhone devices starting with iOS 8 and is also available on the Apple Watch.
5 Ways Apple Health Can Help with Your Health and Fitness Goals
1. Activity Tracking
While the Fitness app from your iPhone visually represents the Activity Rings, the Health app stores and consolidates the health data gathered from your activities. It then presents it more thoroughly so you can have a detailed view of your fitness trends.
A visit to the activity section of the Health app will show you how well you are doing with your daily steps and other activities.
Based on these data, you can improve your performance or set more realistic targets for your daily goals.
How to view:
iPhone > Health app > Browse > Activity
2. Sleep Tracking
Rest is just as important as movement, if not more. Building better sleeping habits is key to becoming healthier and happier.
Thankfully, the Apple Health app has a Sleep feature that allows you to:
- Customize sleep schedule.
- Track sleep summary (daily to up to 6 months) and monitor sleep trends.
- Integrate third-party apps for broader insights and more comprehensive sleep analysis.
The iPhone itself provides a basic overview of your sleep data. However, this information becomes even more helpful when integrated with Apple Watch and other third-party apps. Metrics like sleep stages, heart rate, respiratory rate, and more become accessible.
How to customize sleep schedule on iPhone:
Heath app > Browse > Sleep > Your Schedule > Edit
How to connect Apple Watch to your iPhone:
- Turn on Bluetooth on your iPhone and connect to WiFi or cellular network.
- If your Apple Watch is off, turn it on by pressing and holding the side button until the Apple logo appears.
- Hold your iPhone close to your Apple Watch until the prompt Set Up Apple Watch or Continue appears. Tap either option and follow the next instructions for setting up the watch.
- Keep your Apple devices close to each other as they sync. Wait for the watch face to show, signaling the end of the process.
3. Workout Tracking
The greatest thing about Apple's mission to help users with their health is that they tailor Apple devices to fit specific needs.
The Workout App on Apple Watch has numerous workout types. You can also set, customize, and adjust goals for any of these workouts and get a detailed performance report using the Apple Health app. Using both apps makes a powerful combination that works perfectly for your new goals.
You can gear up confidently for new activities like Run Clubs, golf tournaments, and dive courses with the support of WatchOS 10 and onwards and specific devices like Apple Watch Series 10. New depth and temperature sensors and new capabilities create better performance tracking.
How to set up and customize goals on the Apple Watch Workout App:
- Press the Digital Crown to view the app menu.
- Tap Workout App (green icon).
- Turn the Digital Crown to the workout type you want to customize.
- Tap the meatballs menu (represented by three dots) then tap Create Workout.
- Choose a goal you want to set such as Calories, Time, or Distance, and select a value. You may also choose Open Goal for unrestrained tracking, and tap Done.
- Tap the Back Button (looks like a less than sign) to save the customized workout.
- Turn the Digital Crown or on-screen controls to adjust the goal values.
- Tap the customized workout to start and track your progress in real time.
4. Health Monitoring with Significant Health Metrics
Did you know you can take a scientifically validated hearing assessment using your AirPods Pro 2 and iPhone? With the Headphones Accommodation feature for Personalized Audio, you can take a basic hearing profile set up.
Additionally, the headphone audio level capability helps with noise level monitoring in your environment. It shows real-time decibel levels and warns if the volume is too high for prolonged listening.
Lastly, Heart Rate, Blood Oxygen, Respiratory Rate, and Wrist Temperature all provide significant health insights that can be used for two main purposes:
- Help pinpoint early signs of health issues like arrhythmia and prevent long-term damage of poor health.
- Improve performance and overall well-being.
5. Additional Health Insights from Third-Party Apps
HealthKit, a developer framework from Apple, allows apps to integrate seamlessly with Apple Health. Apps that use the framework make metrics and other insights you can't find on Apple devices accessible on your iPhone or iPad.
That being the case, you can try new events and goals with the current most popular apps in the fitness and health community like Strava, Nike Run Club, MapMyRun/MapMyFitness, and many more.
How to connect Apple Health App to third-party apps:
In third-party app
For third-party data to show in Apple Health, it must first be synced, usually in the App Settings. Within the third-party app, enable all required health permissions and data you want to access in Apple Health.
In Apple Health
- Open Apple Health.
- Tap your Profile shown in a circular icon at the top right corner of the screen.
- Scroll down to Privacy and tap Apps.
- Tap the app you want to manage and adjust the toggles for the health data you want to track.
Start Your New Beginnings at Power Mac Center!
Come by Power Mac Center and find Apple Devices and accessories that equip you for new challenges, leveled-up performances, and fitness goals! Get to your best and healthiest version using the best health features and capabilities of Apple Health.
