Forget recording workouts - no one talks about these 3 features on the Apple Health app enough
The Apple Health app is an underrated part of your iPhone when you use it to its full potential
I haven't worn an Apple Watch since the 5th generation. Now, on the 11th, quite a few things have changed. Along with better smart features, workout insights, new sleep metrics, and an all-around improved experience, the Health app has come on leaps and bounds.
If you're an Apple user, this is the app that's installed on your phone when you buy it. With your permission, it'll automatically record your step count and daily activity levels. When you pair it with a fitness tracker (an Apple Watch 11 is naturally the most compatible), you'll get even more data.
I've just started using the latest device after taking a break from my Garmin watch. I took a deep dive into the Health app after using it for a few days, and there are some seriously underrated features for those keen to keep an eye on their overall health.
1. Cardiovascular fitness
Cardiovascular fitness is measured as VO2 max - the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise. While this might only sound important for those who love running, hiking, or cycling workouts, it measures how efficiently your heart, lungs, and muscles deliver and use oxygen - and it naturally declines with age.
To improve your longevity and stay healthier for longer, it's an important metric to pay attention to, as several large studies have found.
Much like your blood pressure or heart rate, it's a vital sign of your health.
When you're wearing an Apple Watch, you can see how your cardiovascular fitness is shaping up compared to the average, and learn whether you need to do more cardio exercise. Logging an outdoor walk, run, or bike ride will help you see that number rise, and it's a simple insight that can help dramatically improve your health.
Here's how to find it:
- Open the Health app on your iPhone.
- If you're on your iPhone, tap Search.
- Tap Heart, then tap Cardio Fitness.
- Tap D, W, M, 6M, or Y to view your average for the Day, Week, Month, 6 Months, or Year.
- Tap Show All Cardio Fitness Levels.
- Tap a cardio fitness level to compare your results to other levels based on your age and sex
- You can also tap the Show information button in the upper corner to view the average cardio fitness levels for all ages for Female, Male, or All.
In the same Heart tab, you can also see your resting heart rate over time. The lower it is, typically, the more fit you are and the better your heart health is. If you do decide to up the number of walking workouts you do, you'll see this number gradually drop, which is incredibly satisfying.
2. Average bedtime and sleep schedule
Until recently, Apple's sleep-tracking features have fallen behind compared to Fitbit and Oura Ring. I can see big changes are coming in this area, though, with the introduction of more sleep metrics in the Health app.
Average bedtime and sleep schedule are my two favourites, and they've actually helped me pay better attention to my sleep health over the last week.
You can also pin your Sleep data to the homepage of your Health app.
Studies show that going to bed and waking up at the same time every day is one of the key ways to sleep better. Apple's own Heart and Movement study found that participants with the most consistent sleep time on average slept 40 more minutes, 36% less time awake overnight, and more time exercising.
In the Health app, you can see your average bedtime for the weeks and months previous. I found this very helpful to learn what time I actually went to bed versus the time I wanted to, so I could aim for a more consistent bedtime based on my actual habits.
You can also create a sleep schedule for yourself. I did this to try to go to bed earlier. I set my bedtime for 10:30 pm and received a notification on my phone that it was time to start winding down an hour before. In the morning, my alarm was preset every day, so I always woke up at the same time.
3. Medication notifications
I'd always recommend never underestimating the smart features on Apple Watch and in the Health app. The Apple Watch is essentially your phone on your wrist - especially if you opt for the cellular model, where you can actually leave your phone at home.
It's important to note when you're weighing up buying an Apple Watch vs a Garmin watch, for example.
One of my favourite features in the Health app, which I've not seen on any other fitness tracker's app, is the medication stacker and notification feature.
I take creatine and a host of other supplements - even more so in the winter. Keeping track of them and remembering to take them all is an uphill battle I often lose, but I set up this feature a couple of days ago, and now, I'm alerted every morning. I haven't missed them since.
You can customise the notification as well, choosing the shape of your supplement and the background colour.
Do you have to have an Apple Watch to use the Health app?
To get cardiovascular fitness insights, you do need to have an Apple Watch linked up to your Health app, and it makes sense to have one if you're looking to make the most of the app.
The Series 11 is the latest Apple Watch, with another upgrade expected in September this year.
However, not all insights require the brand's own device. I've previously linked my Oura Ring 4 to get sleep data, as I sometimes find (especially in summer) that wearing a watch in bed is clunky and uncomfortable.
You also don't need the Apple Watch to make use of the medication stacker. This is just a feature on the app, but you can get the notifications on your Apple Watch if you have one. I've found it helpful to see them on my watch as I don't always have my phone to hand in the kitchen.
