This past Sunday was the first time running with the Apple Watch, and I have to say it was delightful. To be able to run without the iPhone - either in an armband holder, holding it in my hand, or it sloshing around in a pants pocket - is such a luxury. I preloaded my running playlist onto the Apple Watch, and it alone was able to play music through to my set of AirPods Pro. Don’t need to rely on the iPhone for tunes anymore.
I also don’t have to reply on third-party apps to track my running. The Apple Watch’s native workout app does the job superbly, without selling my information to a third party. (As always: if the produce is free, you are the product.)
What the Apple Watch can do that the iPhone absolutely cannot is heart-rate tracking. It’s interestingly informative to see the stats post exercise. For example, my maximum heart-rate during the run was 191 beats-per-minute (BPM), with an average of 175 BPM. That sure seems like a lot of blood pumping to me! What’s most fascinating is that my heart-rate remained elevated for the hour immediately after running. I was just lounging on the couch watching football! I guess the extremities are still crying for energy delivery, even after the exercise is over.
I’ve become that person now: checking their Apple Watch every now and then during a workout to see the progress. Even during the normal day-to-day, I am moving the left wrist up to see my current step count (got to get the daily 10,000!). I hope this gamification of health doesn’t become obsessive compulsive. The Apple Watch is suppose to assist, not become an albatross.
Where is the love?