iOS 11 Beta Files Reference New Apple Watch Workouts for Dancing, Bowling, Skating, and Many More

[MacRumors]

This year's Apple leaks have seen an uptick in activity thanks to data gathered from HomePod firmware, as well as internal files in pre-release beta software for iOS 11. Today, the newest piece of information comes from the latter source and concerns new exercises for the Apple Watch.

Snow-based workouts have already been uncovered in the HomePod's firmware, and now iHelp BR has found a few code strings and icons within the iOS 11 developer beta that reference a plethora of new workouts for Apple's Workout app. These include: basketball, bowling, climbing, cricket, cross-country skiing, curling, dance, equestrian sports, fencing, fishing, golf, gymnastics, jump rope, pilates, skating, surfing, and more.

Images via iHelp BR​

It's unclear whether or not the new workouts will be exclusive to the upcoming "Apple Watch Series 3," or available to all Apple Watch owners through the public release of watchOS 4. Some workouts might require equipment specific to the next-generation of Apple Watch -- similar to swimming and Apple Watch Series 2 last year -- but it's unclear which workouts those might be, if any.

On current iterations of watchOS and the Apple Watch, users can track exercises related to a Walk (Indoor and Outdoor), Run (Indoor and Outdoor), Cycle (Indoor and Outdoor), Swim (Pool and Open Water), Elliptical, Rower, Stair Stepper, and "Other." After finishing an "Other" workout, the Apple Watch allows users to choose a more specific label from a variety of options, like "Strength Training," but these don't have any direct impact on the metrics used to track a workout.

If the newly uncovered workouts become a reality in this year's Apple Watch software, it would mark a noticeable addition for exercise-focused Apple Watch wearers beyond the twelve options currently available. Although it wasn't detailed in the code findings, it's likely that the potentially new workouts will measure user data like active calories, total calories, heart rate, and more specific metrics pertaining to the exercise in question.

Apple is predicted to announce the Apple Watch Series 3 at its iPhone 8 reveal event in September, which we should be getting a date confirmation for at some point this week. Current rumors suggest the event could be held in the second week of the month, on September 12, but the first week is also a possibility, with an event as early as September 6.

One confirmed new workout that users can expect in watchOS 4 is High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, which Apple announced during WWDC this past June. Users will also be able to link together multiple workouts so they can see their overall calorie data and time measurements in one place.

Article Link: iOS 11 Beta Files Reference New Apple Watch Workouts for Dancing, Bowling, Skating, and Many More

 

[aapl owner]

Is it just me or do these screen shots look absolutely terrible? They are 1980' style graphics in 2017. Apple is pathetic in their insistence on using minimal color and details on their icons. Please hire a person that cares about the GUI experience.

 

[2b1ask1]

So Apple will make going outside obsolete with this augmented reality nonsense.

Does anyone think this is a good idea?

What a wonderful world we are entering <- this is sarcasm.

 

[apolloa]

Really cool, great to see more exercises added, hope they make it eastto select them.

 

[Zirel]

Is it just me or do these screen shots look absolutely terrible? They are 1980' style graphics in 2017. Apple is pathetic in their insistence on using minimal color and details on their icons. Please hire a person that cares about the GUI experience.

No.

When starting a workout, the least thing I want is to glare at unnecessarily detailed drawings that will be hard to see under bright sunlight.

Clearly identifiable stick figures, thank you, just like it’s used in the Olympic Games. It’s not even a question.

 

[cardfan]

Hope it can all be switched off. Health spam at this point.

 

[Robin4]

Setting aside any geeky feelings, I am thrilled. Simple is good, at least when it comes to exercise.

I am ready Apple. Let's go.

 

[jhfenton]

No.

When starting a workout, the least thing I want is to glare at unnecessarily detailed drawings that will be hard to see under bright sunlight.

Clearly identifiable stick figures, thank you, just like it’s used in the Olympic Games. It’s not even a question.

Agreed. On the Watch these end up as tiny green icons smaller than my pinky nail. Stick figures are perfect.

 

[TonyC28]

I say this as a former bowler...bowling is not exercise at all.

 

[zantafio]

and no sex activity?

 

[convergent]

I say this as a former bowler...bowling is not exercise at all.

I completely disagree with you, but by your logic golf would not be on the list either. Some people go to a bowling ally to drink, others to bowl. The former is not an exercise but the latter certainly is.

 

[nfl46]

Is it just me or do these screen shots look absolutely terrible? They are 1980' style graphics in 2017. Apple is pathetic in their insistence on using minimal color and details on their icons. Please hire a person that cares about the GUI experience.

Oh my. If you think that about Apple, I could only imagine what you think about Google/Android.

 

[HardRain]

Waiting for the best and most pleasurable activity to be added!

 

[kklaus]

Ummmmm, fishing?

 

[HardRain]

So Apple will make going outside obsolete with this augmented reality nonsense.

Does anyone think this is a good idea?

What a wonderful world we are entering <- this is sarcasm.

Seems you don't have a clue what this is about.. It actually encourages outdoor activity!

 

[heimo]

I say this as a former bowler...bowling is not exercise at all.

Agreed. It's a game of chance. ;-)

I've been waiting for to get Apple Watch until it has matured a bit - and I think this time around it may finally be ready for me. Improved battery life would definitely be deciding factor. Also more independent use without phone. Oh, and skating exercise definitely.

 

[melgross]

It’s good, but also bad that excercise has become the biggest function for these watches.

Good, because there are are a fairly large number of people who will buy, and use the watch mostly for that, and the better the watch does that, the better it will sell.

But, it’s bad in the long run. That’s because there’s a fairly large number of people doing this. But not a very large number of people. That means that the total number of people interested in a smartwatch that is so sports oriented is limited. How many is that? It could be in the tens of millions, long term.

Apple needs, somehow, to get this to be more useful for general purpose buyers. That’s how the watch started out, with sports being only one of the main functions, though it’s become the main function now. If Apple hopes to get hundreds of millions to buy this, and continue using it, they have to find some other gotcha. Hopefully, adding LTE and other functions will bring that idea closer.
[doublepost=1503923926][/doublepost]

Agreed. It's a game of chance. ;-)

I've been waiting for to get Apple Watch until it has matured a bit - and I think this time around it may finally be ready for me. Improved battery life would definitely be deciding factor. Also more independent use without phone. Oh, and skating exercise definitely.

It’s a game of chance only if you’re bad at it.

 

[xDKP]

Hope it can all be switched off. Health spam at this point.

What are you talking about? It’s the possibly to select the sport you like and go - not like Apple is forcing you to go sailing or anything.

 

[colmaclean]

Quite a rod...

 

[convergent]

Ummmmm, fishing?

I'm guessing you have never really done it.

I am not surprised though... fishing and bowling are two sports that I enjoy and was literally shocked to see Apple include them (if this is true) for a variety of reasons. Not shocked to see MR posts saying they aren't sports.

Maybe there is hope that Apple hasn't completely abandoned anyone who doesn't fit a certain stereotype of their customers.

 

[tjhilder]

and no sex activity?

I’m just imagining the activity notifications now...

.

 

[jacjustjac]

Looking through all the images one can assume that the upcoming Winter Olympic Games might be of some inspiration, especially with the inclusion of ice curling. So as a former Team USA figure skater turned professional and coach, I’m a little disappointed that the icon for ‘skating’ shows a skateboarder, not a figure skater or even an in-line roller skater. I’m happy my wife gets her ‘barre’ and ‘dance’ icons, but I hope they have different metrics for measuring movement, because right now she just uses the ‘other’ workout setting and blows past my activity every day since it seems to simply scale time with calories burned!

 

[Nozuka]

Still not really usefull for gym rats

 

[kklaus]

I'm guessing you have never really done it.

I am not surprised though... fishing and bowling are two sports that I enjoy and was literally shocked to see Apple include them (if this is true) for a variety of reasons. Not shocked to see MR posts saying they aren't sports.

Maybe there is hope that Apple hasn't completely abandoned anyone who doesn't fit a certain stereotype of their customers.

Have actually done quite a bit of fishing - is a great activity (especially when you have to canoe and backpack to get to good fishing spots...) just never really saw it as a fitness thing, though.

 

[convergent]

Have actually done quite a bit of fishing - is a great activity (especially when you have to canoe and backpack to get to good fishing spots...) just never really saw it as a fitness thing, though.

The point of tracking this stuff is to encourage people to get out and be active. By having different activities that appeal to a large demographic, it is ultimately going to cause more people to be active.

I go to the gym multiple times a week, and I can tell you there are people in the gym (young and old) that are doing way less exercise than a typical fisherman. Many are exercising there fingers more on their phone than any other part of their body. I love the folks on the exercise bike cranking out about 20 cycles per minute with the load setting on zero, while they are typing at about 100 words a minute on their phone.

To me, having the different choices should be about tracking the movements and calories burned better. For example, if it is able to tell you are swinging your arm when fishing to cast; then that is a pace thing that should impact calories... likewise if you are going to be walking around but in a smaller area than a long walk. I mostly fish from my boat, but I am standing, casting, dealing with the waves to balance, and running the trolling motor. Add in the hot climate and I am often pretty exhausted when I come home.