- As part of WatchOS 11, Apple Watch will now be able to pause activity ringtones
- This will allow users to rest as long as they need without interrupting their streaks
Apple has finally updated the Apple Watch with a feature that health conscious users have been asking for.
As part of the WatchOS 11 update announced at WWDC, Apple Watch users will finally be able to schedule rest days.
This feature will allow users to pause activity rings for a day, week, month or longer without losing their hard-earned streak.
Apple fans have praised the change, saying it will give them more flexibility to take a break without feeling guilty about not closing their activity rings.
On X, formerly Twitter, fans named the feature their favorite WWDC update, with one saying the change was “a small thing, but a really nice one for us obsessives.”
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Activity rings on Apple Watch are aimed at motivating people to move and exercise more by providing a game-like challenge.
Users set goals for how many calories they want to burn, how much they want to exercise, and how long they want to stand each day.
By hitting all your targets, you can “close” your circles and join a running streak of successful days.
Studies have shown that this kind of “gamification” can help promote healthy exercise, improve mental health and combat sedentary lifestyles.
But the same gameplay features that help keep people moving can also create unhealthy pressure to keep a series going.
Since even missing an afternoon walk due to illness, travel, or exhaustion can break a monthly streak, some users report feeling guilty or frustrated when they have to take a break.
But with the upcoming WatchOS 11 update, users will now finally be able to schedule rest days whenever they need them without losing their streaks.
Apple says in a statement: “Whether users are planning a rest day during training, have an injury or just need a day off, they now have the option to pause their rings for a day, week, month or longer. ‘
While consistent training is important for weight loss or strength development, rest days are just as important for your long-term health.
Rest days will not only help you avoid overtraining injuries, but they can also give your muscles time to repair and strengthen.
Consistently overtraining while your body needs rest can lead to fatigue and stress, which will reduce the overall effectiveness of your training.
This means that giving people the option to plan rest as part of their training could be a big help for those who want to stay healthy for longer.
And on social media, Apple fans are enthusiastically welcoming the long-awaited change.
One commenter wrote on X, formerly Twitter: ‘The best thing about WWDC is *finally* letting you pause activity ringtones if you need to take a break for whatever reason.’
The user added that “the most frustrating thing was having to reset a long streak when I had COVID.”
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Another user added: ‘I think my favorite Apple update can pause Apple Watch ringtones.’
They add that as someone who struggles with an eating disorder, ‘I feel like sometimes the watch can trigger me a bit and make me feel guilty for resting.’
While another commenter wrote: ‘Finally you can pause your rings on Apple Watch – like when you rest or are sick or something.’
To make things more flexible, users will also be able to customize their ring goals for each day.
This means that if you tend to work hard during the week but take it easy on Sundays, you can now change your movement and exercise goals to fit your schedule.
According to Apple, this is so that the rings “provide the right amount of motivation at the right moments.”
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This change comes along with a number of other new features that will be released as part of WatchOS 11.
While the Apple Watch already monitors a variety of metrics during exercise, Training Load takes it to the next level by interpreting that data to measure your level of effort and exertion.
The popular cardio workouts will use a new algorithm to automatically generate an estimated effort rating based on data such as the user’s height and weight, as well as GPS and heart rate.
By creating an average training load over the last 28 days, users should be able to see if they are increasing or decreasing their training and help avoid overtraining.
The update also includes a new Vitals app that can give you a quick look at all the data collected by your watch.
Users will be able to check their metrics such as heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature and sleep duration at a glance.
A beta version of WatchOS 11 is scheduled to be released in July before a full rollout this fall.