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Does this thing motivate me? Perfect Month says yes.

S

Smurphy Gherkin

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 13, 2015
266
109
Melbourne, Australia
For me the best thing about the Watch is the activity tracking.

I can tell you I have never liked exercise other than a bit of free weights, and I have avoided cardio like the plague. Until Apple Watch.

Now I am walking every day, with far more regular use of a stepper. A few months ago 5-10 mins on the stepper was all I could do. Now I am up to 20+ minute sessions, and I can start to feel the difference in fitness. Only 400 cal move goal - I am 43 and until last year very sedentary.

So Apple seem to have cracked the code. I kept up at least some brisk walking exercise even though I had viral pharyngitis for a week and a half, whereas before I would have just said stuff it.

So just got a Perfect Month, and it really is motivation to keep going.

Actually there are two types of perfect month awards, and I only got one. Maybe I am too dumb to know what the difference is. They both say for a Perfect Month move goal, which I did.

I got this one...
5Mu2D1w.jpg


But not this one...
41V5Ycjl.png


Considering this:
Cj3FcLT.png
 
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I felt proud to finally get all three circles filled today. Ugh, now I've been defeated. Congrats on that. I don't know if I have that much dedication yet, but it's definitely more motivating than my Fitbit software was. Steps can only tell you so much, and you don't get credit for being active if you use a stationary bike. I also don't think much info is given on pace when you use Fitbit, so if you're slowly meandering or briskly walking, you're still just counting steps.

If the heart rate monitor issues that I've been experiencing get cleared up, it'll be even better.
 
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BvizioN said:
Strange! On my app shows only one!

Well done btw.
Click to expand...

Aha - I think it is a bug on mine. I think they revised the award wording, and for some reason I still have the legacy one as a ghost after the working one - it is odd and un Apple like to have one award spilling over onto the last row:

Kx7Y0qa.png


And likewise the end of the month awards pile up to run off the screen:
KVYOPh1.png




Michael CM1 said:
I felt proud to finally get all three circles filled today. Ugh, now I've been defeated. Congrats on that. I don't know if I have that much dedication yet, but it's definitely more motivating than my Fitbit software was..
Click to expand...

It is not a competition - start with low goals and work your way up. Improving any metric is a win. Wait until the real fitness nuts show up - I have seen folks here posting 1500 active calories in a day :eek:- I think my peak was 750 and that was knackering.

Can I ask if you are logging walks and things as Workouts or just letting it record the whole day passively? I have found the Other workout great for doing things you might not get "Exercise" credit for. And I missed a few days of the Stand ring until I learnt it should actually be named the Stand And Walk Around For A Minute Each Hour ring. Just standing does nothing - it cannot tell.

nasa25 said:
Good stuff. I'll have that award in around 6 hours or so (it's 8am Sunday here lol)
Click to expand...

Timeline reasons mean us Aussies are at an unfair advantage. We totally deserve it of course.
 
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I am somewhat addicted to these awards as well. With only a leather band I was unable to wear my watch during exercise but since I got my sport band I too have been working toward getting the "achievements". Way to go Apple. You have really found a way to encourage me to get moving. Thanks!
 
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I'm still trying to crack how to get the 4th gold star? It says after 5 calorie based sessions with the workout app, earn this award for the most calories burned doing your selected workout. Originally I was doing open goals everyday but changed the calorie based to get the damn star? Still haven't earned it and I've hit 5 calorie based goals already ... HELP! Uber competitive against myself here ...:cool:
 
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Julien said:
I have been working really hard all month long and I have been able to get the coveted all black rings award. :cool:
Image
Click to expand...

Live a better black ops day. Damn. You are off the grid.

3under2 said:
I'm still trying to crack how to get the 4th gold star? It says after 5 calorie based sessions with the workout app, earn this award for the most calories burned doing your selected workout. Originally I was doing open goals everyday but changed the calorie based to get the damn star? Still haven't earned it and I've hit 5 calorie based goals already ... HELP! Uber competitive against myself here ...:cool:
Click to expand...

I got mine on 6th day of Outdoor Walking - never done one other than Open goal. So a one hour brisk walk got that Star.
 
Smurphy Gherkin said:
I got mine on 6th day of Outdoor Walking - never done one other than Open goal. So a one hour brisk walk got that Star.
Click to expand...

I wonder if it's because I almost always do Other as the workout choice. I do a workout video with weights so don't chose running, walking, etc unless I'm cycling or doing the elliptical?
 
digduggler said:
Well done! I came close but after 4 weeks of three rings decided I needed a two day break (my knee started screaming slow down) . Gives me another goal to achieve.
Click to expand...


I've had three knee surgeries in the same number of years. Have you tried glucosamine? It's really helped me alot. When my knee acts up, I cycle for y 30 minutes and that gets the circulation flowing as well as the exercise for the day :D. Good Luck, knee problems suck!
 
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Great job! One of the compelling reasons I bought the watch as well was for motivation. I've only had it less than a week so haven't gotten my rings filled yet or any achievements noted (wondering if there is something wrong with my achievements as even my first one hasn't registered yet :( ) but I truly believe the watch helps. Even when I get in the mood where I don't want to work out, the reminders from the watch and knowing that I can turn on the workout app and see in real time what my exercise is doing to intake calories makes me get off my are and go workout.
 
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digduggler said:
Well done! I came close but after 4 weeks of three rings decided I needed a two day break (my knee started screaming slow down) . Gives me another goal to achieve.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have found that if I average over 8000 steps a day I tend to get pain in my lower legs and feet. So I back off the walking a bit and switch to other stuff.

Having the pedometer in the iPhone 6 motivated me to get me out walking, but Apple Watch got me into more cardio using a stepper indoors. I have found that the "feeling better" reward is vastly better from doing small amounts of exercise that get my heart rate above 140, than it is from walking 10,000+ steps a day - which just makes me feel sore and tired.

3under2 said:
I've had three knee surgeries in the same number of years. Have you tried glucosamine? It's really helped me alot. When my knee acts up, I cycle for y 30 minutes and that gets the circulation flowing as well as the exercise for the day :D. Good Luck, knee problems suck!
Click to expand...

Yep, switching things around is the secret.

Also being creative. I record a Other workout when I vacuum. Don't laugh, I vacuum like a madman, and it is a nice light half hour workout.

WannaApple? said:
Great job! One of the compelling reasons I bought the watch as well was for motivation. I've only had it less than a week so haven't gotten my rings filled yet or any achievements noted (wondering if there is something wrong with my achievements as even my first one hasn't registered yet :( ) but I truly believe the watch helps. Even when I get in the mood where I don't want to work out, the reminders from the watch and knowing that I can turn on the workout app and see in real time what my exercise is doing to intake calories makes me get off my are and go workout.
Click to expand...

At first I thought they were a bit harsh in not having any allowance for rest days or weekends, but I tell you, having no days off really helps the motivation to keep going even if you are a bit sick. My Move streak is at 38 days and now I don't dare muck it up.

A brisk walk for half an hour is a very easy way to get your rings for the day.
 
Smurphy Gherkin said:
For me the best thing about the Watch is the activity tracking.

I can tell you I have never liked exercise other than a bit of free weights, and I have avoided cardio like the plague. Until Apple Watch.

Now I am walking every day, with far more regular use of a stepper. A few months ago 5-10 mins on the stepper was all I could do. Now I am up to 20+ minute sessions, and I can start to feel the difference in fitness. Only 400 cal move goal - I am 43 and until last year very sedentary.

So Apple seem to have cracked the code. I kept up at least some brisk walking exercise even though I had viral pharyngitis for a week and a half, whereas before I would have just said stuff it.

So just got a Perfect Month, and it really is motivation to keep going.

Actually there are two types of perfect month awards, and I only got one. Maybe I am too dumb to know what the difference is. They both say for a Perfect Month move goal, which I did.

I got this one...
5Mu2D1w.jpg


But not this one...
41V5Ycjl.png


Considering this:
Cj3FcLT.png
Click to expand...
Congrats
 
  • Like
Reactions: Smurphy Gherkin
Smurphy Gherkin said:
Aha - I think it is a bug on mine. I think they revised the award wording, and for some reason I still have the legacy one as a ghost after the working one - it is odd and un Apple like to have one award spilling over onto the last row:

Kx7Y0qa.png


And likewise the end of the month awards pile up to run off the screen:
KVYOPh1.png






It is not a competition - start with low goals and work your way up. Improving any metric is a win. Wait until the real fitness nuts show up - I have seen folks here posting 1500 active calories in a day :eek:- I think my peak was 750 and that was knackering.

Can I ask if you are logging walks and things as Workouts or just letting it record the whole day passively? I have found the Other workout great for doing things you might not get "Exercise" credit for. And I missed a few days of the Stand ring until I learnt it should actually be named the Stand And Walk Around For A Minute Each Hour ring. Just standing does nothing - it cannot tell.



Timeline reasons mean us Aussies are at an unfair advantage. We totally deserve it of course.
Click to expand...


I'm logging workouts when I do something like my stationary bike and when I do a "planned" walk. I've only done the one walk, and unfortunately only about half of it counted toward exercise. I guess I slowed down too much at some point. Grr. My ankle still hurts from time to time! But all of my bike workouts have counted 100 percent.

I know to do it at my own pace. It's just been rough never getting over this ankle thing until recently. It wasn't bad enough a few years ago and I actually did a mile fun run (and walk!). But it's gotten better after I got a good show insert, so walks are much easier.

I just wish we had an idea of what counted as exercise when it's borderline like a walk.
 
3under2 said:
I've had three knee surgeries in the same number of years. Have you tried glucosamine? It's really helped me alot. When my knee acts up, I cycle for y 30 minutes and that gets the circulation flowing as well as the exercise for the day :D. Good Luck, knee problems suck!
Click to expand...

Not yet. I think I was overdoing high impact stuff (jump rope, sprints, box jumps etc) and am trying to balance it. I was doing well til my kid got sick which of course got me sick....I'm going to try to go perfect in June. If it flares up I'll definitely give it a look. Thanks!
 
Michael CM1 said:
I'm logging workouts when I do something like my stationary bike and when I do a "planned" walk. I've only done the one walk, and unfortunately only about half of it counted toward exercise. I guess I slowed down too much at some point. Grr. My ankle still hurts from time to time! But all of my bike workouts have counted 100 percent.

I know to do it at my own pace. It's just been rough never getting over this ankle thing until recently. It wasn't bad enough a few years ago and I actually did a mile fun run (and walk!). But it's gotten better after I got a good show insert, so walks are much easier.

I just wish we had an idea of what counted as exercise when it's borderline like a walk.
Click to expand...

I find with walking, pretty much ANYTHING less than a even brisk walk will not count. If I am with the wife and kids forget it. It wants arms swinging too, if you hold hands you can kiss the green ring goodbye. Not suited for romantic walks.

I like using the double click of the crown to toggle between the workout app and the activity app, to check how the green ring is going. (it does often lag, and then update in a batch)

Good luck with your ankle, I had a rough few months with ankle soreness when I was trying to lift my step count last year. Felt very old!
 
3under2 said:
I'm still trying to crack how to get the 4th gold star? It says after 5 calorie based sessions with the workout app, earn this award for the most calories burned doing your selected workout. Originally I was doing open goals everyday but changed the calorie based to get the damn star? Still haven't earned it and I've hit 5 calorie based goals already ... HELP! Uber competitive against myself here ...:cool:
Click to expand...

same here! i've chosen the calore one many times trying to get that one and i just.can't.get.it!??!!??

i noticed today that the new whole month achievement show 6/2015.... so it looks like every month will be a new one with the correct month's number! i like that, instead of getting the same award over and over!

even though i already worked out daily.... i just love getting these achievement! especially when it's a new one! WOOT!

one thing that has changed for me: i now get up from my desk! after the first couple of days i stopped waiting for the notice at 10 til that i needed to stand! i got paranoid that something would come up that i couldn't get up and i'd lose my credit for that hour! i just wish that i would continue to notify me after the 12 hour goal... cuz sometimes at home in the evening i get lazy and haven't gotten credit... but i guess the watch doesn't care once i get 12? and i get testy if i can't get it for some reason (i was on jury duty last week and it killed me that i couldn't get up! UGh!)
 
caligurl said:
same here! i've chosen the calore one many times trying to get that one and i just.can't.get.it!??!!??

i noticed today that the new whole month achievement show 6/2015.... so it looks like every month will be a new one with the correct month's number! i like that, instead of getting the same award over and over!

even though i already worked out daily.... i just love getting these achievement! especially when it's a new one! WOOT!

one thing that has changed for me: i now get up from my desk! after the first couple of days i stopped waiting for the notice at 10 til that i needed to stand! i got paranoid that something would come up that i couldn't get up and i'd lose my credit for that hour! i just wish that i would continue to notify me after the 12 hour goal... cuz sometimes at home in the evening i get lazy and haven't gotten credit... but i guess the watch doesn't care once i get 12? and i get testy if i can't get it for some reason (i was on jury duty last week and it killed me that i couldn't get up! UGh!)
Click to expand...

I think we are twins! I actually got up in the middle of a meeting last week to not miss my stand goal ... I got looked at like I had two heads :rolleyes:.

I noticed your screen name ... I like in Sweden but am originally from Cali. I use to use CaligirlinSweden ... If you get that damn 4th calorie star figured out please share. Its driving me bonkers ... :p.
 
3under2 said:
I think we are twins! I actually got up in the middle of a meeting last week to not miss my stand goal ... I got looked at like I had two heads :rolleyes:.

I noticed your screen name ... I like in Sweden but am originally from Cali. I use to use CaligirlinSweden ... If you get that damn 4th calorie star figured out please share. Its driving me bonkers ... :p.
Click to expand...

i will.... and if you get yours.... let us know!
 
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