My Apple Watch-fueled fitness journey -- how hardware and software are helping me fix my h...

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in Apple Watch

My health is something that I haven't always done a great job of protecting. That changes now thanks to an Apple Watch Series 10 and a swathe of supporting software and hardware.

Apple Watch Series 10 in silver with silver bracelet
The Apple Watch Series 10 is a huge part of my fitness journey.



Apple has long made a play that it's as much a health company as it is a tech company, thanks in no small part to the popularity of the Apple Watch. It's why the company has medical professionals on staff and it's why Apple made such a big deal about the launch of sleep apnea detection alongside the Apple Watch Series 10's unveiling. With that in mind, it's probably no surprise to anyone that Apple will sit at the center of my new health focus.

And Mike Wuerthele and I are going to going to bring you all along for the ride.

Let me take you on a journey of health discovery



Over the next few weeks, we're going to share something of a diary here at AppleInsider, outlining the ways that Apple and other smart health tech companies are going to help me take control of health. It isn't just hardware, either. There will be a healthy (see what I did there?) splattering of apps and services thrown in, so I'll be diving into those as well.

The same goes for my progress. I'll share how my health is (hopefully, and the early signs are good) improving and I'll dive into why I think that might be. I'll discuss which tools have worked, and which have fallen by the wayside. We'll learn together, and hopefully, by the end of this series, we'll all have a better understanding of the options that are out there for people like me.

You already know Mike, he's been here for ages, and he's talked about some of his Apple Watch journey already. But, who am I?

Full disclosure -- here's what we're dealing with



When I said I hadn't looked after myself, I wasn't kidding. Sure, I've no doubt that there are people much worse off than me and I know that the issues I'm dealing with are probably a combination of genes and my own laziness and apathy.

In terms of the issues I'm hoping to work on, they're probably familiar to a lot of us. I need to lose some weight. Probably a fair bit of it, actually. I currently weigh around 250 pounds which at around 5ft. 9 is far too much. I wish I could say that it's all muscle but it very much is not. It needs to go.

A knock-on effect of the weight is hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure. My blood pressure has historically been too high, something that isn't helped by some of the medications I take.

I expect that improving my overall health will reduce my blood pressure in ways tablets have largely been unable to. I don't want a stroke or a heart attack, so the numbers need to shrink.

Those are the two main issues I'm working towards fixing, but there are others that I hope will improve as a result. I'm told that exercise can help with mood, lethargy, and concentration, among other things.

I also hope that the symptoms of my recently diagnosed sleep apnea will decrease as well, and I definitely don't want to have to use a CPAP for the next 40-ish years.

We'll find out over the coming weeks.

The plan -- here's how I'm going to improve things



So now that we know what needs to be done, the real question is how am I going to achieve it?

Well, the cornerstone of it all will be an Apple Watch Series 10. It's the 46mm model, not that it really matters, and I'll be using it to track workouts, my heart rate, and my overall activity levels across a range of metrics.

I'll be using a variety of apps which I'll get into in a future post. But I expect the Apple Watch to be vital to my efforts because I'm a sucker for stats. I like graphs, and the Apple Watch makes those available in abundance.

Because I'm in the UK, I have access to one more bit of information than those in the United States because my new Apple Watch still has a blood oxygen monitor, too.

Someone on a cycling bike wearing Apple Watch and tracking the workout
Apple Watch Series 10's fitness tracking will be vital to my efforts.



Other hardware that I'll be using includes an Aktiia blood pressure monitor, a handy Fitbit-like device that automatically measures my blood pressure throughout the day. Like I said, I like data. I'll also be adding a Withings BPM Connect blood pressure monitor and the company's Body Comp smart scale to the mix as well.

That's the hardware, but what will I actually do? Well, I won't be joining any gyms or taking on any marathons, that just isn't my style.

But we did recently get a dog which means there are walkies required. I figure that half an hour being dragged around by an excitable puppy is a good start -- and considerably more than my desk-bound existence previously managed. I'll be doing that almost every day as well, a big improvement on my previous endeavors.

The early indications are good, and I'll expand on that in the future as my journey continues.

So, what next?



My next update is just around the corner and that's when I'll detail a little more about the software that I will be using during my little jaunt into the world of fitness. All the hardware in the world is fine so long as you have the software to make sense of what those sensors are telling you, so I've sniffed out a few apps that I think will help while using the new features afforded by watchOS 11. If you're the developer of an app that you think could help here, reach out -- I'd love to take your wares for a spin and hopefully add them to my arsenal of apps.

And with that, I'm off to take the dog for a walk. Gotta fill those rings, right?



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 3
    I never had to loose much weight because I've always been active, but I needed to get rid of a stubborn 15 pounds. I run 8-10 miles every other day which is above average for my 70+ years old. But I used to do a lot more, and that 15# just would not leave. But I got MyFitnessPal to monitor my calories in/out and was honest about measuring the portions of food. It worked like a miracle drug. Those pounds melted away in weeks. My only disappointment is when Under Armor took over the app and they started charging a subscription fee for "premium" (formally free) options and kept reducing features for the free app. So I dropped it. But if you are OK with subscriptions (I am not for most things), this could work well for you.
    sflagel
  • Reply 2 of 3
    Way to go mate.

    I've been slowly documenting my same goals on my blog (https://lowededfitness.serveblog.net). I've taken a similar approach and will not be using diets. It's just exercise and reducing the amount that goes in. As we approach summer here in NZ it's easier because I eat less over summer but drink more. Winter is the other way around but I've managed to lose 23cm around my waist by doing nothing more than eat less and move more.

    Like you we've got a dog and she helps a lot to get me moving. I'm also planning on spending more time in my workshop.

    Just don't get hung up on weight as a metric. I sort of explain it (https://lowededfitness.serveblog.net/2024/07/break-the-scale-habit-embrace-body-measurements-for-true-health-progress/) but it has to do with BMI being a poor indicator of health and progress. Body measurements are the better option so get yourself a sewing tape measure and measure your neck, chest, waist (bottom of ribs around), high hip (through belly button around), and hips (butt around). Seeing as you're trying to measure fat loss as opposed to muscle gain you don't need metrics like bicep and thighs.

    Don't lose heart when reduction gets slow though. You'll get to a point where fat loss is much harder to do than it used to be. Just keep at it.

    I haven't even seen what you've achieved so far but already you're looking good because you've made that start.
  • Reply 3 of 3
    thttht Posts: 5,694member
    Yes. The time to start is always now. 

    It’s really about commitment and changing your eating habits. 

    Start out slowly. Don’t push too much. Listen to your body’s aches and pains. Commitment, commitment, commitment. That one hour everyday devoted to exercising has to be the number one thing you accomplish every day. Preferably in the morning. 

    Then, it really is calories in versus calories burned. If you need an app to watch this for you, subscribe to it and follow through. 

    Close those rings everyday. 
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