On a bright fall day in Cupertino, California, Apple Park is bustling with activity. Employees are heading into the futuristic glass-and-aluminum building, while others are out on the perimeter path for a morning run. The sound of birds chirping fills the air, and the whole atmosphere feels like a glimpse into a better future, as envisioned by Steve Jobs.
Inside a wood-paneled room at Apple Park, I sit down with Jay Blahnik, VP of fitness technologies, and Dr. Sumbul Desai, VP of health, to discuss Apple’s journey in the fitness and health space. We delve into how wearable technology, specifically the Apple Watch, has empowered people to lead healthier lives since its launch in 2015.
A decade ago, MH got an exclusive look at Apple’s fitness lab and the science behind the Apple Watch’s activity tracking capabilities. Blahnik explained the significance of the three colored rings on the watch, nudging users to achieve daily fitness goals and fostering a sense of community around fitness.
Despite the watch’s evolution, Blahnik’s enthusiasm for closing his rings remains unchanged. Reflecting on the impact of the Apple Watch, he highlights how it has motivated users to lead more active lives and track their progress over the years.
The Apple Watch’s core fitness features include tracking movement, activity, standing, heart rate and cardio fitness, and Training Load.
With over 30 million American users and a global reach, the Apple Watch has resonated with a diverse audience seeking different motivations for fitness. Blahnik emphasizes the watch’s ability to inspire healthier habits and improve overall well-being.
Dr. Desai echoes this sentiment, highlighting the life-saving impact of the watch through features like ECG alerts and fall detection. She emphasizes the profound effect of these health technologies on users’ lives.
Continuing its legacy of innovation, the Apple Watch has introduced a range of new fitness and health features over the years, catering to users’ evolving needs. These advancements have transformed the watch into a comprehensive health companion, providing valuable insights and support for users’ well-being.
As the importance of fitness for longevity gains recognition, the Apple Watch continues to lead the way in promoting healthier lifestyles. Features like VO2 max monitoring demonstrate the watch’s commitment to empowering users to prioritize their health and well-being.
He says that the initial spark was people’s curiosity about their fitness levels and tracking their progress. This led to the realization that fitness features could also serve as preventive health tools. Dr. Desai explains that VO2 max is a crucial indicator of overall health and mortality risk. As digital health-tracking technology advanced, more people began paying attention to their fitness and sought tools to better understand their bodies. This movement towards self-quantification was further fueled by influential figures like Dr. Peter Attia and Dr. Andrew Huberman, who provided valuable health information to empower individuals.
Dr. Desai believes that Apple can play a significant role in educating people about their health proactively. She emphasizes the importance of prevention in healthcare and aims to help individuals identify potential health issues before they escalate. She stresses that fitness and health are interconnected and working closely with Jay Blahnik has allowed them to leverage this synergy for the benefit of their users.
Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, Jeff Williams, shares that the initial focus of the Apple Watch was on promoting physical activity. However, feedback from users highlighted the life-saving potential of the heart rate monitor. This realization led to the integration of more sensors and features aimed at detecting health issues early. Williams acknowledges the ethical responsibility to utilize their technology for improving health outcomes and expresses a commitment to further advancements in this area.
Despite warnings about the complexities of venturing into medical device territory, Apple chose to prioritize the health aspect of the Apple Watch. This decision, while challenging, aligns with the company’s vision of making a positive impact on people’s lives. The dedication to leveraging technology for healthcare innovation resonates with the forward-thinking ethos of Apple’s founder, Steve Jobs. “We skate to where the puck of wellness is going to be, not where it has been. And we’ve always tried to do that at Apple.” Galpin operates sleep and performance clinics for elite athletes, CEOs, and individuals looking to improve their physical condition. He values the use of wearables in providing people with a high level of precision and accountability in managing their activity levels and understanding their sleep patterns and overall health. While he is excited about new technology that can offer researchers more detailed data on various metrics, he urges caution.
He warns against completely relying on technology for monitoring one’s physiology, emphasizing the importance of understanding if the targets being aimed for are accurate. He highlights the lack of clear guidelines for determining healthy levels of certain biomarkers and expresses skepticism towards readiness scores and algorithmic measures that may not have diverse or extensive databases for comparison. Galpin emphasizes the need for individuals to maintain their own responsibility and not solely rely on devices for guidance, as these tools are not yet fully capable of being taskmasters.
He also cautions against becoming too fixated on goal-setting features, as they can sometimes lead to feelings of failure rather than success. He mentions the phenomenon of orthosomnia, where individuals become overly obsessed with achieving optimal sleep based on data from sleep trackers. Galpin suggests taking breaks from wearables or disabling notifications to prevent this toxic relationship.
Furthermore, Apple has been deliberate in introducing new health features, as validated research typically takes several years to conduct. The company has conducted its own research on heart health and movement to inform the development of new features. Apple is continuously enhancing the customization options of the Apple Watch to better assist users in achieving their desired goals. By allowing users to set different daily calorie-burn goals and take guilt-free breaks from streaks, the Apple Watch aims to cater to individual preferences and lifestyles.
Overall, Galpin and Apple emphasize the importance of balance and mindfulness when using technology to monitor health and fitness. It is crucial for individuals to maintain a sense of self-responsibility and not solely rely on devices for guidance. The evolution of wearables like the Apple Watch reflects a shift towards more personalized and inclusive features that prioritize individual preferences and well-being. When it comes to tracking your cardio sessions like running, cycling, and swimming, automatic effort ratings can be helpful. These ratings range from 1 (Easy) to 10 (All Out), but users are encouraged to manually adjust the score based on how they actually feel during the workout. This feature aims to bridge the gap between the data collected by the device and the wearer’s true experience because factors like mood, humidity, or stress level can greatly influence how difficult a training session feels.
Blahnik, a spokesperson for the Training Load feature, emphasizes that the guidance provided is not a simple “train or don’t train” directive but rather a more nuanced approach. He explains that even beginners find the “rate your workout” feature valuable because it prompts them to reflect on their effort level and consider areas for improvement. Many users appreciate the consistency it brings to their training routine, ensuring they are maintaining or improving their fitness levels over time.
Looking ahead, both Blahnik and Dr. Desai remain tight-lipped about future developments for the Apple Watch, hinting that the best is yet to come. Williams shares their optimism, stating that they are continuously working on new sensor technologies and features to enhance the user experience. Despite the challenges of non-invasive health monitoring, the team is committed to exploring innovative ways to provide valuable health insights to users.
While the focus has been on fitness features and health benefits, Williams highlights the unexpected benefits of the Apple Watch in detecting health issues like apnea or irregular heart rates. By integrating these health monitoring capabilities into a device that also serves daily functions like messaging and exercise tracking, users are pleasantly surprised by the valuable health information it provides. This unique approach to health monitoring sets the Apple Watch apart as a valuable tool for promoting overall well-being.
In a conversation with an Apple employee, the discussion shifted to the popularity of different watch faces and features. Surprisingly, the most favored face was one that allowed users to sync a photo album, creating a personalized experience with each wrist movement or display tap. This small act of kindness, combined with the watch’s functionality and efficiency, contributes to its widespread popularity and its role as a supportive companion in promoting an active, healthy, and happy lifestyle.
Overall, the Apple Watch continues to evolve and innovate, offering users a comprehensive solution for fitness tracking, health monitoring, and personalized experiences. As technology advances and user needs change, the Apple Watch remains at the forefront of wearable technology, empowering users to lead healthier and more fulfilling lives. Rewrite the sentence.
