You might be missing out on a lot. Here’s how to make good use of the health apps and features Apple offers on their devices.
Apple has long touted its Watch as a great tool to have to keep track of your well-being, and even those who may not have a Watch still get metrics that are tracked by their iPhone. But aside from keeping watch over their cardiovascular health, most users may simply ignore or are just completely unaware of all the other health features that Apple offers.
If you’ve got an Apple ecosystem, but mainly a Watch and an iPhone, then we delve into the ways you can maximise the health apps on your devices. And no, we’re not just talking about the Health app though the majority of the features will be there. We recommend checking these features out on a Watch that’s at least a Series 4 running watchOS10.4 and an iPhone that can run iOS 8 or later.
[Hero image: Apple]
The Health app can give you a great overview of your personal health, but you can also use it to keep an eye on the wellbeing of your other family members. This is especially useful if you’ve got elderly parents or kids. Some drastic changes in health like low cardiovascular fitness will trigger push notifications to everyone who gets shared the data so you have the chance to act upon worrisome symptoms early on.
Aside from the notifications, having an overview of a loved one’s health trends could also help in discovering possible symptoms of a more serious underlying problem. For example, a change in trend under mobility could perhaps signal a stroke for an elderly parent. For a parent with a child, a visit to the paediatrician could be easier because you have data to back you up. It could also mean prevention like making sure kids get enough sunlight (which the Watch tracks) to prevent myopia. Third-party devices like the Dexcom G6 can even help track glucose levels for diabetics (unfortunately, the device is not yet available here in Thailand).
It’s also important to note that you get to decide whatever you want to share. You’re in control of your health data. On top of that, the information is also encrypted.
If you’re on a fitness kick and you’ve hired yourself a personal trainer, you can share your health data with them. Not only will they be able to track your progress, they can also see what exactly you need and adjust your training regimen accordingly. If you’re recovering from an injury, this can be especially helpful because you and your coach can keep track of your mobility stats.
The Journal app may be lost in the sea of apps on your phone, and perhaps you don’t really find a good use for it. However, parents with babies could use it to record the growth of their young ones. In every entry, you can add photos, videos, and voice recordings, which is why it’s a great app to keep a record of the progress your baby is making.
For non-parents, you can, of course, use the app as originally intended and journal about your day. You can even set up notifications so that it reminds you to do it.
The Mindfulness app on the Watch can guide you through a minute of reflecting or breathing to re-centre yourself in the midst of a busy day, but it can also be used to track how you’re feeling whether it’s at a certain point or at the end of the day. The questions are simple and not extensive but it’s a great way to check in with yourself. Like other metrics, if there’s a worrying trend, the Health app on your phone could prompt you to take a simple mental health questionnaire and will make suggestions as to how to proceed according to your results.
The Health app allows you to have an overview of everything that could affect your well-being, from how much sleep you have to how you feel. It can even predict menstrual cycles for women somewhat accurately. With this data, you can get an idea of how each aspect of your health could affect another. For example, a bad night’s sleep results in you not feeling the best mentally, which is obvious. But with the data, you might also see that it affects your workout routine or cycle. The information gives you a little more self-awareness to what’s going on with your body.
In case the Watch and iPhone displays are too small for you, you can view your information on an iPad if you have one. Unlike the iPhone, the iPad can give you all the info you need at once glance in landscape mode.
When he's not busy binging 'The West Wing' for the umpteenth time or geeking out over a number of franchises, Eric writes stuff on tech and pop culture. He loves coffee and long naps on the couch.
Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates.
Thank you for your subscription.
