watchOS 7, tvOS 14, iOS 14 could debut new workout demonstration app

AppleInsider

Apple is doubling-down again on health and fitness in its operating systems, and appears to be building an app to help users walk through different workouts, and perform them safely.

Apple Watch Series 5 heart rate tracking during a run

The app, reportedly called "Seymour," looks to be a separate app from the Activity app. At present, it looks like it will be launched alongside iOS 14, watchOS 7, and tvOS 14. It isn't clear how much data the two apps will pass between each other at this time.

"Seymour" is said to allow users to download fitness videos, with specific guidance provided on how to get proper credit for completion on the Apple Watch. While the download can be triggered on the Apple Watch, it appears that a larger screen, such as a television with an Apple TV, an iPad, or iPhone will be required to view the videos -- which makes sense, given the size of the Apple Watch screen.

According to MacRumors who spotted the app on Monday night, workouts included are core training, cycling, strength training, some form of dance, yoga, and indoor running.

At present, there does not appear to be a monetization path for the videos. There are no in-app purchases or subscription fees currently associated with the training materials.

As with the previous PencilKit and Message improvement reports, it isn't precisely clear when the features may roll out. They may or may not make a potential early June beta release during the annual WWDC -- which is in question because of the ongoing coronavirus situation.

bestkeptsecret

AppleInsider said:

"Seymour" is said to allow users to download fitness videos, with specific guidance provided on how to get proper credit for completion on the Apple Watch.

This will be welcome. One of the common complaints I've heard is people doing a 30 min outdoor walk and getting credited for only 18 minutes or so.

I'm curious how the cycling videos will be.

Anyhow, no guarantee that this will come out, but if it does, it definitely won't be called "Seymour"!!

Beats

Apple hasn't done much with Watch+TV which is ridiculously obvious. I'd wanna see a workout TV app with Watch monitoring.

I wanna see Apple TV get any love really. 

Rayz2016

bestkeptsecret said:

AppleInsider said:

"Seymour" is said to allow users to download fitness videos, with specific guidance provided on how to get proper credit for completion on the Apple Watch.

This will be welcome. One of the common complaints I've heard is people doing a 30 min outdoor walk and getting credited for only 18 minutes or so.

Mmmm. I just took this as a hint to walk faster.

fotoformat

I ride a fixie every day but, living in a rural environment, I have to dismount on looong hills. Unless I'm missing something on the Apple Watch 3 "Workout" app, I'd love to have the ability to simply toggle with a push of the button or crown between cycling and walking - different speeds and calories burnt - so that the cumulative results showed as a single exercise. Something like a "cycle-cross" option could work, except those sporty types run between dismounts and carry their transport... although I often do carry a backpack with the daily baguette, bunch of bananas and a bottle of rouge!

steveau

fotoformat said:

I ride a fixie every day but, living in a rural environment, I have to dismount on looong hills. Unless I'm missing something on the Apple Watch 3 "Workout" app, I'd love to have the ability to simply toggle with a push of the button or crown between cycling and walking - different speeds and calories burnt - so that the cumulative results showed as a single exercise. Something like a "cycle-cross" option could work, except those sporty types run between dismounts and carry their transport... although I often do carry a backpack with the daily baguette, bunch of bananas and a bottle of rouge!

A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread--and .... A BANANA!!! Man are you missing out!

GeorgeBMac

bestkeptsecret said:

AppleInsider said:

"Seymour" is said to allow users to download fitness videos, with specific guidance provided on how to get proper credit for completion on the Apple Watch.

This will be welcome. One of the common complaints I've heard is people doing a 30 min outdoor walk and getting credited for only 18 minutes or so.

I'm curious how the cycling videos will be.

Anyhow, no guarantee that this will come out, but if it does, it definitely won't be called "Seymour"!!

Uh, well, when you start walking you tap on the exercise app and then 'Outdoor Walk'.

If you forget Apple will remind you as soon as it figures out what you're doing.

This is not rocket science!

GeorgeBMac

This sounds like just another third party app.

macplusplus

GeorgeBMac said:

bestkeptsecret said:

AppleInsider said:

"Seymour" is said to allow users to download fitness videos, with specific guidance provided on how to get proper credit for completion on the Apple Watch.

This will be welcome. One of the common complaints I've heard is people doing a 30 min outdoor walk and getting credited for only 18 minutes or so.

I'm curious how the cycling videos will be.

Anyhow, no guarantee that this will come out, but if it does, it definitely won't be called "Seymour"!!

Uh, well, when you start walking you tap on the exercise app and then 'Outdoor Walk'.

If you forget Apple will remind you as soon as it figures out what you're doing.

This is not rocket science!

There is no “exercise” app, there is a “Workout” app. What the OP points to is that not every workout is recorded as exercise (the green ring) and this is correct being one of the biggest annoyances of Apple Watch. Apparently watchOS seems to “calculate” an exercise in a very rough fashion, based almost solely on the heart rate. I take medication to slow down the heart rate along with an antiarrythmic and even with the fastest walking pace I barely exceed 72 bpm. Guess what? I can never record exercise minutes with that despite several calibrations as suggested by Apple !

The solution is to use the “Other” workout type with “Open Goal” option. That moves the exercise ring whatever you do (or don’t), and is still an inelegant option.

ihatescreennames

macplusplus said:

GeorgeBMac said:

bestkeptsecret said:

AppleInsider said:

"Seymour" is said to allow users to download fitness videos, with specific guidance provided on how to get proper credit for completion on the Apple Watch.

This will be welcome. One of the common complaints I've heard is people doing a 30 min outdoor walk and getting credited for only 18 minutes or so.

I'm curious how the cycling videos will be.

Anyhow, no guarantee that this will come out, but if it does, it definitely won't be called "Seymour"!!

Uh, well, when you start walking you tap on the exercise app and then 'Outdoor Walk'.

If you forget Apple will remind you as soon as it figures out what you're doing.

This is not rocket science!

The solution is to use the “Other” workout type with “Open Goal” option. That moves the exercise ring whatever you do (or don’t), and is still an inelegant option.

This is one of the things that has bothered me from the start. As noted earlier, I can start an Outdoor Walk and go for quite a long time but finish only to find that I have earned much fewer Exercise minutes than I was actually walking for. Meanwhile, a co-worker laughs that he sits on the couch, starts an Other workout and closes his Exercise ring while watching Netflix.

Don't get me wrong, I get that I should be maintaining a minimum pace for it to count as exercise. The thing that bugs me is that Other seems to just count up the calories and exercise minutes for doing literally nothing except starting the workout in the app. Why is it that doing actual exercise sometimes doesn't count but, depending on which workout is chosen, other times little physical movement/work/exercise counts?

I guess the Other workout is based on the honor system.

StrangeDays

macplusplus said:

GeorgeBMac said:

bestkeptsecret said:

AppleInsider said:

"Seymour" is said to allow users to download fitness videos, with specific guidance provided on how to get proper credit for completion on the Apple Watch.

This will be welcome. One of the common complaints I've heard is people doing a 30 min outdoor walk and getting credited for only 18 minutes or so.

I'm curious how the cycling videos will be.

Anyhow, no guarantee that this will come out, but if it does, it definitely won't be called "Seymour"!!

Uh, well, when you start walking you tap on the exercise app and then 'Outdoor Walk'.

If you forget Apple will remind you as soon as it figures out what you're doing.

This is not rocket science!

There is no “exercise” app, there is a “Workout” app. What the OP points to is that not every workout is recorded as exercise (the green ring) and this is correct being one of the biggest annoyances of Apple Watch. Apparently watchOS seems to “calculate” an exercise in a very rough fashion, based almost solely on the heart rate. I take medication to slow down the heart rate along with an antiarrythmic and even with the fastest walking pace I barely exceed 72 bpm. Guess what? I can never record exercise minutes with that despite several calibrations as suggested by Apple !

The solution is to use the “Other” workout type with “Open Goal” option. That moves the exercise ring whatever you do (or don’t), and is still an inelegant option.

Why is Other an inelegant solution? You've established yourself as a fringe case with a HR too low to be detected as exercise, but there is a work-around. What sort of solution would be better?

macplusplus

StrangeDays said:

macplusplus said:

GeorgeBMac said:

bestkeptsecret said:

AppleInsider said:

"Seymour" is said to allow users to download fitness videos, with specific guidance provided on how to get proper credit for completion on the Apple Watch.

This will be welcome. One of the common complaints I've heard is people doing a 30 min outdoor walk and getting credited for only 18 minutes or so.

I'm curious how the cycling videos will be.

Anyhow, no guarantee that this will come out, but if it does, it definitely won't be called "Seymour"!!

Uh, well, when you start walking you tap on the exercise app and then 'Outdoor Walk'.

If you forget Apple will remind you as soon as it figures out what you're doing.

This is not rocket science!

There is no “exercise” app, there is a “Workout” app. What the OP points to is that not every workout is recorded as exercise (the green ring) and this is correct being one of the biggest annoyances of Apple Watch. Apparently watchOS seems to “calculate” an exercise in a very rough fashion, based almost solely on the heart rate. I take medication to slow down the heart rate along with an antiarrythmic and even with the fastest walking pace I barely exceed 72 bpm. Guess what? I can never record exercise minutes with that despite several calibrations as suggested by Apple !

The solution is to use the “Other” workout type with “Open Goal” option. That moves the exercise ring whatever you do (or don’t), and is still an inelegant option.

Why is Other an inelegant solution? You've established yourself as a fringe case with a HR too low to be detected as exercise, but there is a work-around. What sort of solution would be better?

You know, Apple Watch tries to target especially those "fringe cases" with all those EKG and Afib detection features... Instead of relying on some HR values pre-recorded in that famous gym hall it could base its calculations on the resting, moving and moving more averages and spikes of the individual? Maybe it will "learn" eventually but until it "learns" people will just give up and forget about closing the rings after a couple of failed trials. That green ring requires refinement.

GeorgeBMac

macplusplus said:

GeorgeBMac said:

bestkeptsecret said:

AppleInsider said:

"Seymour" is said to allow users to download fitness videos, with specific guidance provided on how to get proper credit for completion on the Apple Watch.

This will be welcome. One of the common complaints I've heard is people doing a 30 min outdoor walk and getting credited for only 18 minutes or so.

I'm curious how the cycling videos will be.

Anyhow, no guarantee that this will come out, but if it does, it definitely won't be called "Seymour"!!

Uh, well, when you start walking you tap on the exercise app and then 'Outdoor Walk'.

If you forget Apple will remind you as soon as it figures out what you're doing.

This is not rocket science!

There is no “exercise” app, there is a “Workout” app. What the OP points to is that not every workout is recorded as exercise (the green ring) and this is correct being one of the biggest annoyances of Apple Watch. Apparently watchOS seems to “calculate” an exercise in a very rough fashion, based almost solely on the heart rate. I take medication to slow down the heart rate along with an antiarrythmic and even with the fastest walking pace I barely exceed 72 bpm. Guess what? I can never record exercise minutes with that despite several calibrations as suggested by Apple !

The solution is to use the “Other” workout type with “Open Goal” option. That moves the exercise ring whatever you do (or don’t), and is still an inelegant option.

fringe...

72 BPM counts as resting for most people