Jacqueline Andriakos

<p>The goal of Apple Watch Connected is simple: to help you better communicate and interact with your gym or fave studio, and to get you motivated to move more every day. </p>

<h1> What does the Apple Watch Connected experience look like, exactly?  </h1>

<p>First, you'll need an <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a30298924/apple-watch-5-amazon-sale-lower-price/" id="8742ade8-8ce4-3a43-a160-979a4b1ae8ed">  Apple Watch </a> (duh). If you already have one, you can use your current piece to sync up your gym's app (either the regular app you always use, or a separate app designed specifically for the Connected programask your gym/studio for specific instructions) with the Watch. If you don't have one, some gyms will offer special discounts for Apple Watches.</p>

<p>Now, picture this: You can use your watch to easily search the workout class schedule and sign up without having to go online or on your phone. Then, you can go ahead and scan yourself in when you arrive at your club instead of having to whip out a card or phone. Afterward, you can grab your smoothie using Apple Pay at the juice bar. </p>

<p>When you, say, get set up on the treadmill, you may be able to seamlessly sync up the data your tread is logging to your watch. (This particular bonus will be available at spots that have GymKit-enabled machines, FYI.) If you hit a new personal best, your instructor could get a notification and give you a shout-out over the mic (woo!). And after you're all done sweating it out, that workout you just crushed gets logged by your gym or studio app and count towards specific perks, like $15 bucks off next month's membership, for example. </p>

<p>"This deep integration with the device offers members an unparalleled gym-going experience," Jay Blahnik, senior director of fitness technologies at Apple, said in a statement. </p>

<h1> Apple Watch Connected is launching with four major fitness brands. </h1>

<p>The following fitness brands all launched Apple Watch Connected today at specific locations, but they'll be rolling the program out in more spots as the year goes on:  <strong> <span id="c12e9c21-2385-3ad6-ac7a-81b2da504602" itemtype="link" itemscope="itemscope">  Orangetheory </span> </strong> , the  <strong> YMCA </strong> ,  <strong> Crunch </strong> , and  <strong> Basecamp Fitness </strong> . More fitness brands will also follow suit this year, but TBD on which ones.</p>

<p>Wondering about data privacy? You'll get a notification before the gym app collects data from your Health appand there should be a privacy policy you can read through in the actual gym app (or online) that details how your info will be used by the third-party app.</p>

<h1> About those fitness rewards and incentives...they depend on the gym or studio you're at. </h1>

<p>When it comes to the incentives and rewards different brands offer, the parameters are all different depending on the institution. For instance, at Crunch, you can earn a deduction in membership dues of over $300 over two years by staying active and hitting the workout goals in their Apple Watch Connected program. </p>

<p>At the YMCA, on the other hand, the more you move, the more money goes to their Move for Good community initiatives, like youth swim lessons. If you're an Orangetheory fan, get your butt therebecause members can win gift cards to Nike and other brands when you achieve new personal goals.</p>

<p>One other thing: You don't necessarily *have* to be in the gym space to get credit for your workouts. At Crunch, for example, any movement or activity time logged outdoors or elsewhere still counts toward your Connected goal in the Crunch Time Apple Rewards app.</p>

<p>Plenty more gyms and studios are coming on board in 2020. So if your go-to spot isn't on the list above, don't sweat it just yet. Personally, as someone who is super motivated by closing my rings day to day and looooves the convenience of little things like Apple Pay right on my wrist, I'm curious and excited to see how my gym experience improves and becomes more streamlined with this new program.</p>

If you're <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a27734916/apple-watch-period-tracker/" id="45791a79-74e6-3ffc-a363-5c792baef597">  like me </a> and are hooked on tracking your activity with your Apple Watch, prepare to be excited. The tech giant announced a new feature this morning called Apple Watch Connected, which is all about allowing people to more effectively engage with their gym via the Watch. Oh, and it involves earning rewards for all of that hard work inside and outside o...

The New 'Apple Watch Connected' Feature Lets You Earn Rewards At Gyms, Workout Studios

<p>Enter: AirPods Pro, which are <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZPC9QD4?aaxitk=Xr.YVA032jDPpO-VJduo7g&amp;pd_rd_i=B07ZPC9QD4&amp;pf_rd_p=44fc3e0f-4b9e-4ed8-b33b-363a7257163d&amp;hsa_cr_id=1716671030601&amp;sb-ci-n=asinImage&amp;sb-ci-v=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F7132OhEdnLL.jpg&amp;sb-ci-a=B07ZPC9QD4" id="1a14764f-047d-3e8d-a3ce-43c27f597cf2">  now available for pre-order </a> . I got a first look at the new 'Pods this weekand they are much more customizable and allow you to find your perfect fit, something that I anticipate totally leveling up my workout game. Note: This isn't an in-depth review, as I only got to take them for a test run (literally!). But you can get an idea of what you're in for if you want to get yourself a pair.</p>

<h1> The AirPods Pro feature a few major upgrades from other versions.  </h1>

<p>The two features that really impressed me are the new modes that you can turn on when listening: Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode. You can switch between modes by holding down the stem (this is also how you change songs or pause your music with the new designno more tapping!), or on your Apple Watch or in the control center on the iPhone.</p>

First Look: Apple's New AirPods Pro Earbuds

<ul><li> <strong> Active Noise Cancellation:  </strong> The noise cancellation tech *really* works. When I turned it on, I couldn't hear the sounds of New York City traffic around me, people on gym machines to my left or right, or even someone next to me talking. So if you're craving an immersive experience or just want to quiet a distracting environment, you'll be pleasantly surprised when you give this mode a try. </li><li> <strong> Transparency Mode:  </strong> Don't want to drown out the hums of the world around you? You can easily switch to Transparency Mode, which let's you hear both, say, the cyclist ringing her bell to warn that she's on your left and your music at the same time, with quality sound. You'll also notice that when this mode is activated, your voice sounds more natural when you talk to someone near you (as opposed to that "head under water" tone your voice sounds like with headphones in). </li></ul>

<p>The new 'Pods also have  <strong> three different sizes of silicone tips </strong>  to fit more earssomething I definitely needed. This way, they shouldn't wiggle out when you have them in on the move, and they also create a stronger seal in your ear so that you get the clearest sound possible.</p>

<p>Another new feature I'm excited about?  <strong> Audio sharing </strong> . Say you want to get in on a movie, TV show, podcast, etc. that your friend is listening to on their iPhone or iPad. All you have to do is put your AirPods close to the gadget and open the case, and you can share their audio (and you still control your own volume separately on your own device). </p>

<h1> The new Ear Tip Fit Test on your iPhone helps you find a secure fit. </h1>

<p> All you have to do is go to Settings in your iPhone, then open up the Bluetooth screen and select your AirPods Pro. You'll see an "Ear Tip Fit Test" buttonclick that and then follow the instructions. </p>

<p>When you put in your earbuds, the app will use an algorithm to detect that whether or not the tip is the right size for you, or if the actual AirPod just needs to be adjusted in your ear. If they aren't fitting well in one or both ears, your phone will alert you to try a different tip size. </p>

<h1> They didn't fall out when I put them to the treadmill test. </h1>

<p>I'm telling you, my old AirPods (and any headphones, for that matter) would never stay in at any pace faster than a walk. (I used these little <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a28612667/earbuddyz-airpods-amazon/" id="68e28576-6368-3f96-a284-9de6e06b7f00">  EarBuddyz </a> to get my old ones to stay put, but I would have to remove the rubber pieces every time I needed to put them in the charging caseargh.)</p>

You know earbuds are secure when they stay in at peak ponytail swing.

<p>So I was skeptical at first about the Pros and had to take them for a high-speed spin. The good news? They didn't fall out once, even at different inclines, speeds, and during side shuffles. They also stayed in when I got sweaty (these are sweat and water resistant, BTW). </p>

<p>Heads up, though: They cost more than other AirPods, going for $249. But the holidays are coming up, just sayin'.</p>

I've been an Apple user for as long as I can remember. So when the original AirPods first came out, I bought a pair right away. I liked the idea of switching to a wireless Bluetooth option, especially during workouts (cords...burpees...no pockets on my leggings...it was a mess). But like with, well, every other headphone option I've ever tried, AirPods wouldn't stay in my ears during runs or anything high impact.

Apple Released New And Improved AirPods—And They Don't Fall Out Of Your Ears On The Treadmill

<p>As the health director of Womens Health, you can probably guess that Im all for tech that empowers you to be your own wellness advocate and lets you gather useful health metrics in a safe and responsible way (I mean, just look at what they did with the <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a26855880/apple-watch-4-heart-study/" id="c82ecbbd-38a8-307b-a853-6073ce9c57b4">  irregular heart rate detection and ECG tech </a> -pretty cool). The Apple watch has so far armed me with more info about my health and overall well-being than I'm used to, and right on my wrist.</p>

<p>Thats why I was psyched to learn at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) this week that the company has even *more* health and fitness updates in store for the watch and the iPhone. Here are the three biggies you should know about, plus how I anticipate each new feature playing a role in my healthy lifestyle when they become available.</p>

<h1>  Ill be able to track my period (and any PMS-related symptoms) right on the watch.  </h1>

<p>The new Cycle Tracking app for the watch will give you the ability to log key info related to your menstrual cycle, including <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19681225/normal-vs-not-normal-heavy-periods/" id="2f118133-7adf-3eb6-ac51-ca7e3e0c7228">  flow level </a> , <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19993249/weird-period-symptoms/" id="a3010039-9ea0-3a8b-a74e-5aee8fb0930c">  symptoms like mood changes and cramps </a> , and your <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19299110/what-is-ovulation/" id="714e35d8-8dd8-3f84-ae12-3a121e940e7e">  basal body temp </a> if you're looking to get pregnant. You can opt in to get notifications on the watch screen to alert you when your next predicted period is approaching, as well as when youre in your fertile window. (Cycle Tracking will also be available on your iPhone.)</p>

3 Game-Changing Apple Watch Health Features

<p>While this might be TMI, my period usually doesnt come with too many surprises. But tracking is a way for me to spot any thats-not-normal menstrual moments: For people who have very regular cycles, when something happens or is off, tracking helps you gather more insight about those changes youre experiencing, Sumbul Desai, MD, Apples vice president of health and clinical associate professor of medicine at Stanford School of Medicine, tells Womens Health. If you are diligent about logging these details, your watch and phone can keep tabs on any variation in things like cycle length, period length, or period heaviness. Then, you have all of this info to show your gyno if your period seems off and you need an expert opinion.</p>

<p>But its not just tracking the timing and length of your cycle thats valuable: A lot of the time you can also do symptom control, because you have a better idea of the patterns that are associated with your period, Dr. Desai adds. </p>

<p>Let's say you experience <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a27492791/period-headache/" id="d80e6909-7f32-366a-a423-cdafbb014e5d">  migraines a few days before your period </a> : Being able to track your period symptoms (including migraines) using your watch provides you with info your doctor will definitely want to know in order to properly diagnose you with menstrual migraines. You may even be able to take preventive measures and, say, take migraine medication if your doctor prescribes it in the days leading up to your period, now that you understand your symptom patterns better.</p>

<p>I also dig the idea of having super-discreet notifications show up directly on my watch face, as well as not having to manually type any information out, since you can record all of your info simply by tapping buttons. Whats more: I just dont always have my phone directly on me, so the native watch cycle tracker adds convenience.</p>

<p>This is certainly <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/g26787041/best-period-tracking-apps/" id="7c0792a4-586b-3cc6-af32-6c49edb3a481">  not the first-and-only period-tracking application </a> out there. Ive played around with Glow, and I'm familiar with Period Tracker and Clue. If you have another third-party app you love, you can check to see if it's Apple watch-friendly.</p>

<h1>  Another new feature will help remind me *not* to neglect my hearing.  </h1>

<p>I have never ever worn the earplugs that most gyms and boutique fitness studios offer at the front desk. Yet, Im pretty confident that spending an hour every day in loooooud group fitness classes (and living in an obnoxious, noise-polluted city like New York) isnt doing anything good for my ears. Cue the Noise app, which is designed to help you understand the sound levels in your external environment that could be contributing to hearing damage. </p>

<p>The goal here is to focus on prevention, Dr. Desai explains. Hearing loss is really gradual. So if you pick it up sooner, you have time to actually do something proactive about it. She also points out that hearing is your connection to the world. Hearing loss has been connected to increased social isolation, and theres also association between it and cognitive decline, she says, and we want to help people prevent hearing loss and the consequences of it before they actually happen.</p>

<p>How does the Noise app work? As the sound in your surrounding space changes, a decibel meter in the app will move in real-time, according to Apple. Then, the watch will send a notification (if you turn them on) whenever the noise level reaches 90 decibels. (Fun fact: Expose yourself to sound at 90 decibels or higher for four hours per week, and it begins to harm your hearing, the World Health Organization says.) The watch is also the perfect messenger, considering I often leave my phone tucked away in my bag when Im at a restaurant or out with friends. </p>

<p>Youll also be able to look up in the decibel level of the media coming through your headphones, Apple says, whether theyre Bluetooth or ones you plug into the headphone jack. This way, you can turn down your tunes. Remember, though, that while the watch can give a heads up about your external sound exposure, it cant put those earplugs in for you-so you will still have to be diligent about traveling with earplugs or finding a quieter space when necessary.</p>

<h1>  Ill be able to monitor my fitness goal progress in much more detail.  </h1>

<p>Obsessed with closing your activity rings every day? Same. But as Ive been getting accustomed to activity tracking on the Apple watch, Ive noticed that I tend to approach each day of activity rings as a brand-new challenge, without really comparing what Im doing to what I did yesterdayor the day before thator the day before that. But currently, there isnt really a clear way to see whether Im making progress on any specific physical activity markers over the long term. (Trying to get that pace per mile up over here!) </p>

<p>That is, until the Trends feature. This upcoming capability will live as a tab in the Activity app on the iPhone. The goal with this new feature is to allow you to compare how youve been doing and how much progress youre making using nine different health and fitness metrics-stand minutes, exercise, cardio level, VO2 Max, and more-over the last 90 days or the last 365 days, Apple says.</p>

<p>I'm generally super active and at least decent at closing my rings (or coming close!) day to day. But I've been through hectic periods or injuries that have set me back and thrown me off my game, and I don't always get right back into my routine. With Activity Trends, I'll be able to get that information and receive that little nudge reminding me that my level hasn't returned to what it was before life got in the way.</p>

<p>Heres where the watch comes into play: If, say, my movement level is on the decline over the last few months, my watch will notify me about my downward trend and then offer coaching with specific recommended tweaks to your routine to help me get back on track for that particular metric (think: Walk 10 minutes more per day to get your movement trending upward). </p>

<p>If youve been using your Apple watch for over a year now, youre all set and will be able to see your Trend data once the software update is available in the fall. For any new watch wearers like me, keep wearing it, because you need to clock 365 days worth of data before youll be able to get your Trend info. </p>

<h1> There are plenty of other updates to look forward to in addition to these ones. </h1>

<p>For one thing, Apple is making it so that you can access the App Store on your wrist. The Voice memos app is also being added to the watch, which is perfect for when I have a lightbulb moment during a run or workout and I need to record it before it slips my mind. (Anyone else have their best brainstorming and problem-solving sessions mid-workout?)</p>

<p>If you like to listen to audio books while you run or work out, you will also now be able to listen directly from the new Audiobooks app on the watch. And lastly, the updated watch will have a calculator feature with a restaurant tipping and bill-splitting function (yes please!)-not to mention a ton of new colorful wristbands and faces to freshen up your look.</p>

<p>The Apple watchOS 6 software with all of these features will be available in the fall. </p>

Until a few weeks ago, I had never touched an Apple watch. I was already a Mac, iPhone, and AirPods user, but I was loyal to another wearable that kept it a little simpler. (I pretty much only used it to track my steps and log workouts.) I thought, do I really need another gadget sending me texts and notifications? Well, now that Ive had the chance to actually test-run the fancy-schmancy Apple watch, its safe to say Im so into it-and craving even more features.

The New Apple Watch Will Feature A Period Tracking App Called ‘Cycle Tracking’

<p>She was so sweet about it, offering a polite laugh before moving down the carpet, while I apologized in her wake, listening to what I swear were people laughing. Id guess theres a 0.000001 percent chance this celeb remembers our snotty interaction. Im mature enough to acknowledge that it wasnt a big deal (thank you, hand sanitizer), nor did it affect my job. Yet, years later, the encounter pops into my head when I least expect it: mid-workout, lying in bed at night, on a long flight, you name it. </p>

<p>Cringe attacks are normalbut you can break out of the cycle.</p>

<p>My tale paints a classic cringe attack: a humiliating recollection that tends to appear randomly while youre just trying to go about your day. But why do these flashbacks surface without warning and make you feel downright ill days, even years, later? </p>

<p>The answer: Because of the way the brain processed them at the time, we give them more attention than they deserve, says Jennifer Wild, DClinPsy, an associate professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford in England. We focus on the worst parts and on palpable emotions (self-consciousness, in this case), rather than writing the misstep off as a blip.</p>

<p>The reason the thoughts throw you unwanted surprise parties is a little less clear. It could be that something in your environment triggers the memory for you, or that another event or feeling brings it back up, says Virginia Sturm, PhD, an associate professor of neurology and psychiatry at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center.</p>

<p>Recalling these fumbles kills your confidence, at least temporarily, so I asked the pros how to press pause. Fab news: The techniques ahead are simpler than you think.</p>

Rewriting the lyrics to the &quot;cringe attack&quot; song playing in your head can help you move on.

<h1>  Relive the entire memorynot just the worst part you keep focusing in on.  </h1>

<p>Just like you take artistic liberties when you belt out your favorite tunes, so, too, do you do with ugly past events, zeroing in on certain details. And when we dwell, its typically on the worst thing, and its biased, Wild says. You need to help your brain process the occurrence the way it truly went down by recalling the little realities you disregarded at the time. For instance, think about the fact that some people around you didnt notice. </p>

<p>Our gut reaction is to suppress the memories, but that has a rebound effect: Experiments have shown that if you try not to think of polar bears, you will think of polar bears, says Sturm. Instead, play back the whole scene so you dont always stop at the most terrifying point, Wild says. Said something awkward at a party? Tell yourself, Yep, that was an odd moment, but I also had great conversations and went home feeling that I had a good time. </p>

<p>Put a fresh spin on your track. Reframing questionable experiences in a positive lightthat they made you seem more human and approachablecan make these moments less cringeworthy, says Sturm. With this useful strategy, known as cognitive reappraisal, you recast an emotional situation and tell yourself it actually wasnt such a bad thing to have experienced, says Matthew Feinberg, PhD, an assistant professor at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.</p>

<p>Let me try it: Yeah, my snot-bomb sucked at the time, but Im sure my visibly upset reaction suggested to the celeb-who-must-not-be-named that I felt regretful about making her uncomfortable, and thats a solid message to send. </p>

<h1>  Remind yourself you're in a different place now.   </h1>

<p>This mental trick is all about breaking the link between what happened back then and where youre currently at by calling out the contrasts, Wild explains. Lets say you keep shivering about a mediocre work presentation you gave last week. Your then-and-now might go something like this: That was then, and my boss didnt give me bad feedback even though it felt really awkward. Now, I dont have a presentation coming up,  and if I did, I would prepare differently. On the whole, my boss thinks highly of me.</p>

<p><strong> Aw, youre making me blush! </strong>  All those times your cheeks went warm after a screw-up? Its a testament to the fact that youre a good person, studies show. People who express feelings of mortification are viewed by others as generous, kind, and moral, says Matthew Feinberg, PhD, who researches embarrassment and social perception. By showing this feeling, you are letting others know that you have no intention of being someone who disrupts the social order, he says. So go aheadbask in your abashment.</p>

<h1>  WH Eds Share Their Cringe-Worthy Moments They Can't Stop Replaying On Repeat  </h1>

<ul><li> In college I ran into my track coach, and I thought he was going to say,  How are you? Instead, he said, Whats the good word? I blurted, Good!and wanted to die.Kristin Canning, associate editor </li></ul>

<ul><li> I think back to a total tantrum I threw at age 8 when my parents wouldnt let me have a sleepover. I still feel cringe-y about it, and Im now in my 30s!Amanda Woerner, executive digital editor </li></ul>

<ul><li> When I was 11, I got to sub into my first basketball game. Someone passed me the ball, and I made a layupinto the other teams hoop. I still wince about it 22 years later. Jordan Galloway, fitness director </li></ul>

<ul><li> How I first farted in front of my now-BF of five years: He hugged me, and, well, I squeezed out a lot of gas. I still think about it because he brings it up often. Elizabeth Bacharach, assistant editor  </li></ul>

<p>This article originally appeared in the September 2019 issue of Women's Health.</p>

'I Keep Having Cringe Attacks About One Moment'

When I worked as an entertainment journalist, I had to cover a red carpet despite having a cold. Crammed into a line of reporters, I waited as one well-known reality-TV personality came my way for an interview. Her nail art caught my eye, so I bent down to admire it. Whaddaya know? Mucus dripped out of my noseand onto her hand. My. Boogers. On. Her. Effing. Hand.

‘I Can’t Stop Thinking About The Time I Accidentally Dripped Snot On A Celeb’

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Pulse Ghana is the most followed news and entertainment platform, informing and engaging young Ghanaians round the clock, providing updates by the hour.

Jacqueline Andriakos

Articles written by the author

The New 'Apple Watch Connected' Feature Lets You Earn Rewards At Gyms, Workout Studios

Apple Released New And Improved AirPods—And They Don't Fall Out Of Your Ears On The Treadmill

The New Apple Watch Will Feature A Period Tracking App Called ‘Cycle Tracking’

‘I Can’t Stop Thinking About The Time I Accidentally Dripped Snot On A Celeb’