Skip to main content

Apple goes all in on health with Fitness and Workout apps

Apple has been sitting on the brink of the fitness market since it included its motion coprocessor in the iPhone 5S. After laying out improvements to the M8 motion processor and announcing the Apple Watch, the Cupertino company dove head first into the fitness world by showing off its set of new fitness apps for the Apple Watch and iOS.

Related: Apple Watch will help you get fit and pay for your morning latte

Fitness: The first of the new Apple apps is Fitness, an all-day tracker that measures different areas of health throughout the day using the built-in sensors in Apple Watch including the accelerometer, the iPhone’s GPS, and heartbeat monitor. These keep track of daily activity and track progress toward fitness goals throughout the day. The three rings in the app icon represent three parts of activity: time standing, steps taken, and exercise. The rings fill out throughout the day and close when a goal is achieved. The app will encourage users to be more active and make suggestions to help them meet their goals.

Related: Everything we know about iOS 8 so far

Workout: Along side Fitness is Workout, an app dedicated to tracking goals more specific to a more engaged approach to health. The Workout app is activated for a session of exercise, like running or biking. It tracks calories, duration, and distance, and keeps track of things like personal bests. The app displays progress in real time. 

The focus on fitness seems to be a top priority for Apple, as the Apple Watch was developed with help and input from fitness professionals, athletes, and healthcare experts. The information collected by the Apple Watch can also be displayed on iOS devices with the same Fitness and Workout apps.

Editors' Recommendations

AJ Dellinger
AJ Dellinger is a freelance reporter from Madison, Wisconsin with an affinity for all things tech. He has been published by…
This is the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and it looks stunning
Apple Watch Ultra 2

Last year, the Apple Watch Ultra chiseled a new category of lifestyle products. While a segment of adventure-centered smartwatches already existed, the Apple Watch Ultra merged the gap between bulky, sometimes distastefully designed outdoorsy smartwatches and ones fitting every occasion.

Apple announced the Apple Watch Ultra 2, with some notable improvements over the first generation, at its big September 2023 event, alongside the iPhone 15 and the Apple Watch Series 9. It's not a particularly flashy or eye-catching upgrade, but it should be important nonetheless.
A faster (and smarter) S9 chip

Read more
The Apple Watch Series 9 is here, and it’s hiding a big upgrade
Apple Watch Series 9.

Apple's September 2023 event is proving to be a packed show, and among the announcements has been the Apple Watch Series 9.

The Apple Watch Series 9 might seem like an iterative upgrade compared to the Apple Watch Series 8, and in many regards, it is. We're looking at a very familiar design, similar health-tracking features, etc. But there is one big upgrade that makes the Apple Watch Series 9 more exciting than you might initially realize, even beside the much flashier Apple Watch Ultra 2.
There's a new S9 chip — and it's a big deal

Read more
How to watch Apple’s iPhone 15 event today: 5 easy ways
A screenshot of Apple event links from the Apple TV app on an iPhone

Apple's next press event is set to kick off today, Tuesday, September 12, beginning at 10:00 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET. The uniquely named "Wonderlust" event will almost certainly introduce the world to the iPhone 15 series and next-generation Apple Watches — including the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. We could also see USB-C finally arriving on the Apple AirPods Pro.

Like last year's event, the iPhone 15 event will be streamed across various platforms, including Apple's website, on iPhone/iPad and Apple TV, X (formerly known as Twitter), and YouTube. Here's a look at how to stream the highly anticipated event as it happens later today.
How to watch the iPhone 15 event on your iPhone or iPad

Read more