3 of the Best New Workout Features in watchOS 5

WatchOS 5 solidifies the Apple Watch as primarily a health and fitness device. There are many improvements, but some of the best are right inside the workout app. In the video above, we’re going to look at three of the best workout features in watchOS 5.

3 Auto-Tracking for Workouts

Now I bet this has happened to you. You go out for a walk or a jog and forgot to start the workout on your Apple Watch. If you have a habit of doing this, you’re in luck. In watchOS 5 Apple has added automatic workout detection.

If the watch senses constant activity for a few minutes, it will hit you with a notification asking if you are working out. And it will even suggest the type of workout, too. And it does a pretty good job.

2 New Workouts for Yoga and Hiking

It’s a bit surprising workout tracking for yoga and hiking haven’t been on the watch until now, but both have been added in watchOS 5. So, if you’re hitting the outdoors for a hike or heading to a studio for a yoga class, you’ll find both available as options in the Workout app.

1 Better Tools for Runners

If you are a serious enough runner to care, Apple has added some great new features for you. You can add a target pace for your runs, and the watch will alert you every mile to let you know if you are ahead of your pace, on pace, or if you need to get it in gear.

Your rolling mile is now an available option. Rather than your average time per mile, your rolling mile is your time for the mile immediately behind you. WatchOS 5 also gives you the option to add cadence which tracks your steps per minute.

You can customize what you see on the watch during a run in the Watch app on the iPhone by going to the Workout section and tapping Workout View and then Outdoor Run. Here you can reorder and add the options you want. Keep in mind; however, you can only have five options available at a time.