As many of you will recall I got an original Apple Watch 1 at HIMSS in 2016.  I really enjoyed it, but over the years the screen got dimmer and dimmer until I was unable to use it. Then the pandemic came along and along with no watch, I canceled my gym membership at LA Fitness (that took some time due to their efforts to make cancelation as difficult as possible) causing my exercise routine to go to heck as did my weight.

So I decided the key to getting back into shape was to set up a simple home gym.  A neighbor was getting rid of their elliptical and I gladly accepted it. I had my yoga mat (a membership I had also canceled), and then added a simple rowing machine. With all of this, I realized that to really get going and keep going I needed the motivation I had experienced with my old Apple Watch. Tracking my exercise and closing those three rings is a motivator to me. So, I purchased an Apple Watch 6 with GPS, but without the cellular network. I also purchased a set of resistance bands to replace the weights I had been using at the gym.

Once again, Apple Watch got me going and kept me at it.  Since getting the watch I am on a 27-day streak of closing all 3 rings.

The various exercises I can do with the two pieces of equipment, the resistance bands, and the yoga mat are almost limitless and with evening and weekend bike rides, hiking and kayaking I can vary it all up.

The other new Apple Watch features such as the ECG heart rate monitor in which you hold a finger against the crown and the Blood Oxygen App have also proved interesting and I use them frequently for self-knowledge.  The one issue I have found with the ECG app is that it has a tough time getting a signal after a workout; due I believe, to moisture on my fingers.  You’ll note in the image on the right that the bottom graph says “Poor Recording” as it was unable to get a clean signal from my finger when placed on the bezel. I have had this occur a number of times during or after a workout.

My main fitness apps are MapMyFitness where I record my workouts and Strava which I use to record rides, hikes, and kayaking trips. I used both of these on the original watch as well. These all feed into my Apple Health Kit and I’ve registered for a few of the Apple research studies as well.

Overall I am very pleased with the watch, the battery life is very good, the watch is easy to use and it has done what I hoped; created a motivator for me.  On a non-health note, I even used it for a phone call and the other person was stunned to hear I was speaking with them through the watch.

Would I recommend an Apple Watch? For sure, it’s a simple tool with a great motivational system that will be a plus for many people to get them going and more importantly keep them going. And finally, has it changed any outcome measures, or am I just exercising more? Well, my weight has gone down and is getting close to pre-COVID and my resting heart rate is now in the mid-50sand I feel much better. Still more room for improvement, but progress.