My unsung challenge of 2022 is getting back into the habit of exercise. I didn’t include it on my earlier list because exercising or working out is too cliché a New Year’s resolution. Most never follow through for the long haul, as may be necessary if they are feeling the need in the first place. I didn’t want that to be me.
Last year, I purchased a new Apple Watch, the Series 7 in Product (RED). It was an upgrade over my old Series 3 in boring Space Gray. I very much appreciate the larger, always on display. The red color is perfect for me and my taste. But both this Series 7 and my previous Series 3 had a problem: they were annoyed with me. Part of Apple’s current ethos is fitness. You set up your stats, and the watch, or iPhone if you don’t have a watch, can prompt you to close your fitness “rings”, animated circles of color designed to help you stay motivated to be physically fit. One ring is red, for calories burned, the next is yellow, for time spent working out (above a certain heart rate threshold), and the last is blue for standing up and moving about (once per hour for 12 hours) (to help with chronic sedentariness).
I am not very physically active, so my rings, with the exception of the blue stand ring, never really got closed unless I was cutting grass, or cleaning the house, or something like that. And my watch would constantly be reminding me to close my rings and I wouldn’t. It was hard not to feel the thing was being judgmental and even a little sad with me for my lack of activity.
But, my new watch came with a bonus: a three month trial subscription to Apple Fitness+, Apple’s workout suite. I know I need to be less sedate and incorporate more movement into my lifestyle, but I hate working out. I hate treadmills, exercise bikes, and walking/jogging. I find it mindnumbingly boring, even if I have music or something to listen to. It is arduous, monotonous, and generally it kills me to do it. So I don’t. I resisted trying Apple Fitness+ because I thought it would be more of the same. But eventually curiosity got the better of me.
I activated my trial and looked around the TV app. One cool aspect straightaway is that the watch connects to the Apple TV to coordinate your workout with what is on the screen. Ostensibly Fitness+ is a vast library of guided workout videos of the genre that have been around for a long time, but this feature is killer. I don’t have to look at my watch, but it monitors my heart rate, calories burned, time spent working out, and my fitness rings, and puts all that on the screen while the video is playing. As I follow the instructors I can see my progress and achievements in real time. It is a huge motivator.
The videos themselves are categorized by workout type, duration, and instructor. There are three instructors for most videos, with one demonstrating a moderate form of the exercise, one doing a simplified version, and one doing an advanced version. It is up to you as to who you follow throughout the workout to get the level of exertion you want, or feel you are physically capable of doing. So far I find myself doing strength training as a warmup/beginning workout, followed by a HIIT (high intensity interval training – think cardio), followed by a dance session, followed by a cooldown/meditation. In all it takes 40-50 minutes to workout start-to-finish, with the videos themselves being mostly 10 minutes long. Taking water breaks, or simply switching between videos, takes up the rest of the time. I find for me, a beginner work-er-out-er this is a perfect intensity and time investment. To whit, they even have a section of beginner workout videos that introduce you to the format, moves, and overall gestalt of Apple Fitness+. I have not progressed beyond this section of videos yet, as I am only three workouts in and still beginning.
I couldn’t be happier, or prouder of myself. Happy, because Apple did what Apple is terrific at: making something complicated, or arduous, and making it dead simple, easy, and fun. I have a stupid grin on my face while working out that I can’t wipe off because most of me is enjoying my workouts, which is not something I thought I would ever say. The dance is something that I am terrible at, but have a blast doing*. I have no idea how to move like the instructors, but I move anyway, and it’s good for me. I am so proud that after too long, I am finally working out, closing my rings, and starting to get fit and get regular exercise. It is something that I have needed for a long time, and that can only benefit me as I get older and continue to move through life.
*My dog Cassie, a small, partly disabled poodle-mix has gotten into the spirit of my workouts. She sees me moving around like a silly person, and can’t help but try to do what her dad is doing. So I grab her front paws, help her up, and “dance” with her for a spell. She then gets so excited she zooms about and makes silly herself. It is hilarious and I hope she keeps doing it.
Overall, Apple Fitness+ takes all the thinking and most of the work out of working out. All I have to do is move like the instructors and, well, that’s it. Forty minutes later I’ve crushed my workout goals and feel great while needing a shower. The rest of the day I feel so relaxed, it is amazing. I really wish I had done this sooner. Should I keep up the daily workouts, I will definitely not mind paying for the service when the trial ends.
And best of all? My watch is finally happy with me. Fireworks go off on the screen with each ring closed and it doesn’t bug me to close my rings throughout the rest of the day. Perfect.
a simple man 