Apple has finally updated the Apple Watch with a feature that health-conscious users have been begging 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 let users pause their activity rings for a day, week, month, or more 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 for not closing their Activity rings.
On X, formerly Twitter, fans have called the feature their favourite update of WWDC with one saying the change was ‘a small thing, but for us obsessives, very nice indeed.’
The Apple Watch is finally getting the option to pause Activity rings to give users a chance to rest without breaking their streak
Apple fans have welcomed the changes, calling them their favourite part of Apple’s announcements at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC)
The Apple Watch’s Activity rings are aimed at motivating people to move and exercise more by providing a game-like challenge.
Users set targets for how many calories they want to burn, how much exercise they want to do, and how long they want to stand for each day.
By hitting all your goals you can ‘close’ your rings and add to 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 game-like features that help keep people moving can also create an unhealthy pressure to keep up an ongoing streak.
Since even missing an afternoon’s walk due to sickness, travel, or exhaustion can break a months-long streak some users report feeling guilty or frustrated when they have to rest.
Activity rings are filled during the day as the wearer stands, walks, and exercises but some users report feeling guilty if they are unable to meet their targets
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.
In a statement, Apple says: ‘Whether users are planning a rest day during their training, have an injury, or just need a day off, they now have the ability to pause their rings for a day, week, month, or more.’
While consistent training is important for losing weight or developing strength, rest days are just as vital to your long-term health.
Rest days not only help you avoid injuries caused by overtraining, but they can also give time for muscles to repair and get stronger.
Taking a rest day can be important to your long-term health. Studies have shown that adequate rest throughout the week can improve long-term performance and prevent injury (stock image)
Consistently over-training while your body needs rest can lead to fatigue and stress which will make your workouts less efficient overall.
This means that giving people the option to plan rests as part of their training could be a big help for those wanting to stay healthy for longer.
And on social media, Apple fans are excitedly welcoming the long-awaited change.
One commenter wrote on X, formerly Twitter: ‘The best thing out of WWDC is *finally* letting you pause your activity rings if you need to take a break for whatever reason.’
The user added that ‘having to reset a long streak when I had COVID was the most frustrating thing.’
Apple Watch users say that having to reset their streaks due to illness is ‘frustrating’. Adding the option for rest days can help avoid that pressure
One user even said that as someone with an eating disorder, the need to keep a streak up could leave them feeling guilty about resting
This update will finally let health-conscious Apple users take rest days when they need them without losing their streaks
Another user added: ‘I think my favorite Apple update is being able to pause the Apple Watch rings.’
They add that as someone struggling with an eating disorder: ‘I feel like sometimes my watch can be a bit triggering and make me feel guilty about resting.’
While another commenter wrote: ‘You can finally pause your rings on Apple Watch – like if you’re taking a rest day or sick or something.’
To make things more flexible, users will also be able to customise their ring goals for each day.
That means if you tend to work hard in the week but take Sundays easy, you can now change your movement and exercise goals to match your schedule.
According to Apple, this is so that the rings ‘provide the right amount of motivation at the right moments.’
WatchOS 11 will also let users customise their ring targets by day, meaning they can schedule more exercise when they have time to do it and give themselves days to rest that fit with their schedule
This change comes alongside a number of other new features to be released as part of WatchOS 11.
While the Apple Watch already monitors a whole range of metrics while you exercise, Training Load takes this to the next level by interpreting this data to gauge your level of effort and strain.
Popular cardio workouts will use a new algorithm to automatically generate an estimated effort rating based on data like the user’s height and weight as well as GPS and heart rate.
By creating an average training load for the last 28 days, users should be able to see if they are ramping up or slowing down with their training and help to avoid overworking.
The update also includes a new Vitals app which can give you a quick look at all the data gathered by your watch.
Users will be able to check at a glance their metrics like heart rate, respiratory rate, wrist temperature, and sleep duration.
A beta version of the WatchOS 11 is due to be released in July ahead of a full rollout this autumn.