Apple Watch is getting a new challenge for Heart Month on February 14. (Image credit: Apple) Apple has rolled out its new Heart Month Activity Challenge for the month of February. This is aimed at helping users stay fit and activity by encouraging them to complete all thirty minutes of their exercise on February 14. Apple Watch assigns a user a daily target of exercise minutes, steps, and ‘Stand goals’. Completing these goals regularly and on special days helps users gain special awards. Each year, Apple rolls out a challenge for this month aimed at heart health.
“We’re strong believers at Apple that if you can empower people with information about their health, you can change the trajectory of their well-being,” Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer said in press statement. “Keeping your heart healthy requires a holistic approach — something we’ve focused on since the first generation of Apple Watch with the inclusion of activity and workout apps, in addition to heart rate,” he added.
This year too, those who complete this challenge will also earn a special reward on their Apple Watch. In addition to this, Apple’s subscription service Fitness+ will feature a special section of 30-minute energising workouts that will motivate users to get their weekly minutes of exercise. Apple Fitness+ is not available in India.
The exercise sessions will available starting February 14.
Apple is also showcasing apps which can help users take better care of their cardiovascular health. According to the company, apps like HeartWatch, Gentler Streak, and Zones can help users optimise their fitness and overall wellness with personalised workouts, monitoring key heart rate metrics, and tracking health vitals.
Further, Apple Books and Apple TV will showcase content focused on heart science, healthy heart and healthy living for this month.
Apple study on Heart and Movement
Apple has also revealed insights from a new study, which looked activity data as part of an ‘Apple Heart and Movement Study’. In this study researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital worked in collaboration with the American Heart Association and Apple.
They analysed more than 18 million workouts logged using Apple Watch during the pandemic. Researchers found that study participants relied on walking, cycling, and running the most in order to complete their activity minutes.
They also found that participants ages 65 and older were actually more likely than their younger counterparts to stay on track. These participants were meeting their goal of at least 150 minutes of activity per week.
Further, participants with above-average cardio fitness levels averaged more than 200 minutes of activity per week. Those with high cardio fitness averaged more than 300 minutes of activity per week, according to the study.
“Through this study, we’re able to analyse the interaction between activity and Cardio Fitness and follow trends in ways that were not previously possible. We anticipate that exploring physiology at this scale with such a rich research data set will shed light on wellness and maintaining health,” Calum MacRae, principal investigator of the Apple Heart and Movement Study and cardiologist and professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School said in a press statement.
Apple is also collaborating with additional research institutions to conduct heart health studies with the Apple Watch.
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