An Apple Watch doesn’t just tell the time. You can make contactless payments, answer calls, and even send messages — all from your wrist. But the best thing about an Apple Watch is how it can track your activity to help you stay fit!
So, whether you’re always running marathons or just want to keep an eye on your health — we’ll show you everything an Apple Watch can do.
What makes the Apple Watch a powerful fitness tracker?
Apple smart watches are brilliant workout buddies. They come loaded with powerful apps you can use to set fitness goals and monitor your progress. Just like some the best fitness trackers out there.
The Workout app is the star of the show. Select a fitness program, set a goal, and then it’ll kick off a three-second countdown to get you out the starting blocks. And there are plenty of workouts to choose from. Everything from ‘Walk’, ‘Run’, and ‘Cycling’ to machine-based routines like ‘Elliptical’ and ‘Rower’. There are even sports like ‘Swimming’ and ‘Kickboxing’ too. It’ll track your progress, keep you motivated, and neatly outline all your results. Lovely stuff.
The Activity app will also help you dig into some post-workout data. You can track how much you’ve moved, exercised, and stood every day. And if you really want to count calories — this app shows exactly how many you’ve burned off.
How can an Apple Watch enhance your running experience?
Love to work up a sweat with a weekly run? Or do you prefer a daily dash around the block? Either way, an Apple Watch can boost your experience and help you go for that all-important personal best.
The Workout app is the best Apple Watch feature for ramping up your training routine. Choose the ‘Run’ option and pick between ‘Indoor Run’ or ‘Outdoor Run’ modes. So, whether you prefer your treadmill at home or a trek down your local trail — it’s got you covered. And thanks to built-in GPS, you can track your pace and the distance you’ve covered on those outdoor sprints or marathons.
All Apple Watches can even track elevation too. Making sure all those steep forest inclines are properly counted for and not ignored! Whether you’re on a budget or are happy to go all-out for the best — Apple Watch SE, Series 9 or Ultra 2 are all top running partners.
How does the Apple Watch count and track your steps?
An Apple Watch counts your steps with a built-in accelerometer, which measures your body’s movement. And this data is then collected and summed up in the Activity app. It’s important to get out for a quick walk every day if you can, so this is the best way to check if you’re getting enough exercise.
If you don’t think you’ll remember your daily stroll, you can set activity reminders to stay on track. From simple ‘Stand Reminders’ that’ll tell you to get out of your chair after an hour, to ‘Daily Coaching’ notifications to help you complete your fitness goals. There are plenty of ways to turn your Apple Watch into a personal trainer. And here’s how to set it up:
How does the Apple Watch Sleep tracker work?
All Apple Watches have a Sleep app that tracks how well you’ve slept. It can really help with your sleeping habits and make sure you get a good night’s rest. After all, sleep is super important for your general health — even more so when you’re recovering after a hectic workout.
Just wear your Apple Watch to bed and it’ll monitor the time you spent in each sleep stage (REM, Core, and Deep) and when you might have woken up. You can create sleep schedules and look at how much sleep you’ve got over the last two weeks. Want a lie-in at the weekend? No problem — just create a different sleep schedule for that perfect lazy Sunday.
You can also use your Apple Watch to track your breathing rate while you sleep. This’ll give you a really good look at your overall health and can even help spot conditions like sleep apnea. And there’ll be no more reaching for your alarm. Just set one up on your Apple Watch and turn it off in record time!
How does the Apple Watch track blood pressure?
None of Apple’s smart watches can measure your blood pressure on their own. Although there are rumours that Apple are working some kind of standalone blood pressure monitor. Maybe, it could be a feature we see in a future Apple Watch release?
If you do want to measure your blood pressure, there are some at-home smart blood pressure monitors that’ll connect to an Apple Watch. The Withings BPM Connect can sync and store your data via WiFi or Bluetooth. And its free Health Mate app lets you view your full data history too.
FAQs
Does the Apple Watch track sleep automatically?
An Apple Watch won’t automatically track your sleep straight out of the box. You’ll need to sync it up with your iPhone first. Here’s how to do it:
Open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap on the ‘Sleep’ option.
Make sure that ‘Track Sleep with Apple Watch’ is toggled on.
Close the Watch app and open the Health app.
Tap on ‘Browse’ and scroll down to the ‘Sleep’ category.
Once you’ve opened that, tap on the ‘Get Started’ button and follow the onscreen instructions to finish setting up.
Does the Apple Watch track sleep in low power mode?
It sure does. Saving battery life won’t affect your Apple Watch’s sleep tracking tech. Low power mode will only turn off a few background features like heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring.
Does the Apple Watch track oxygen levels?
Any Apple Watch Series 6 or later (excluding the first-gen SE) can measure the oxygen level of your blood. Just open the Blood Oxygen app on your Apple Watch and you’ll be able to take a measurement. But like sleep tracking, you’ll have to sync your Apple Watch up to your iPhone and set it up using the Health app.
Does the Apple Watch track my steps without moving my arm?
An Apple Watch counts your steps with its built-in accelerometer. To register a step, it needs movement. So, when you walk, your arms naturally swing in a way that helps the watch register a step. This means that if you’re pushing a buggy on a walk and your arm stays straight — then the watch might not accurately track your steps.
But like most smart watches and fitness trackers, the number of steps it counts are more of a “ballpark” figure. All Apple Watch models have GPS now, which should give you more accurate distance and speed info without your paired iPhone. So, it might be better to rely on this if you want some really precise data.
Any more questions?
The Apple Watch is an amazing thing. If you’re thinking about buying one, check out our Best Apple Watch guide to find the right model. Or take a proper deep dive with our Are Apple Watches waterproof? article.
