I love my Apple Watch Ultra, and have been using the tech giant’s smartwatches since they debuted in 2015.
Throughout that time, they’ve helped me hit new fitness goals every year, whether that’s running further or lifting heavier. The Apple Watch even helped me get medical assistance for an underlying heart issue that would’ve gone undiagnosed without it.
The Apple Watch has been a big part of my life during that time, but there’s always been one big flaw – it didn’t know when to quit…
Apple Watch’s biggest issue
Picture this: You’ve hit a new personal best on, say, running a 10k. Your muscles ache, deeply, and you know you’ll need to take a recovery day the next day. But, just like clockwork (pun intended) your Apple Watch is going to nudge you and try and get you moving again.
It’s not just big sessions, either. Sometimes it’s just nice to have a rest day and play computer games – yes, it’s ok for me to have non-fitness hobbies too, Apple Watch – or you pick up a minor injury that requires a day away from the gym or your running route of choice.
Put simply, the Apple Watch couldn’t compete with the likes of Fitbit trackers that tally up sleep, workouts, muscle fatigue and more to put together a nifty Daily Readiness Score. The higher the score, the safer it is to push yourself and minimize the risk of injury. Lower score? Might be wise to take things easier.
The idea is simple, but the execution is much smarter than I am
Why watchOS 11 will fix this problem
Fixing this (pretty irritating) flaw this time around are a pair of new watchOS 11 features. The first, customizable Activity Rings, is nice and easy.
You can now tailor your Activity Goals on a daily basis, so shift workers no longer have to panic about getting their steps in, and those on long-haul flights no longer need to walk from one end of the plane to the other over and over.
It’s also ideal in daily life, especially for anyone, like me, with kids and the ever-changing calendar that comes with them, when you’re not sure when your next workout day will be at any given time.
So you can now pause your Apple Watch activity ‘Streak’ if you suffer an injury, sure, but the other new feature may help you avoid those, too. You can pause it for a day, week, month, or more.
Also introducing, Training Load.
“Training Load helps users understand the strain on their body from workouts over the last seven days compared to the last 28 days”, Apple says.
The idea is simple, but the execution is much smarter than I am. Your cardio workouts will now generate data that Apple’s new algorithm can parse into an effort rating on a scale from 1-10 between easy and intense. This works alongside data from the Health app, like your height, weight, age, and GPS data for outdoor activities.
You can add effort ratings to non-cardio workouts, too, and the result is that you’ll be able to plot out the next 28 days of your workout intensity level, mapping out how hard you should push in any given workout.
In theory, if you’re taking it too easy, your Apple Watch can give you a gentle kick on the backside. Pushing it too hard will see it suggest you take it a little slower resulting in a more balanced experience.
Between these two new features, I’m excited to put my best foot forward with training knowing I’m no longer doomed to receive those “you’ve not closed your activity rings today” messages at 10pm at night when I’m trying to relax.
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