Apple has been sitting on the brink of the fitness market since it included its motion coprocessor in the iPhone 5S. After laying out improvements to the M8 motion processor and announcing the Apple Watch, the Cupertino company dove head first into the fitness world by showing off its set of new fitness apps for the Apple Watch and iOS.
Related: Apple Watch will help you get fit and pay for your morning latte
Fitness: The first of the new Apple apps is Fitness, an all-day tracker that measures different areas of health throughout the day using the built-in sensors in Apple Watch including the accelerometer, the iPhone’s GPS, and heartbeat monitor. These keep track of daily activity and track progress toward fitness goals throughout the day. The three rings in the app icon represent three parts of activity: time standing, steps taken, and exercise. The rings fill out throughout the day and close when a goal is achieved. The app will encourage users to be more active and make suggestions to help them meet their goals.
Related: Everything we know about iOS 8 so far
Workout: Along side Fitness is Workout, an app dedicated to tracking goals more specific to a more engaged approach to health. The Workout app is activated for a session of exercise, like running or biking. It tracks calories, duration, and distance, and keeps track of things like personal bests. The app displays progress in real time.
The focus on fitness seems to be a top priority for Apple, as the Apple Watch was developed with help and input from fitness professionals, athletes, and healthcare experts. The information collected by the Apple Watch can also be displayed on iOS devices with the same Fitness and Workout apps.
