Yes, your Apple Watch can tell when you need to get out more
Double tap for Snoopy!!
I recently learned something about my Apple Watch, which is that it is able to monitor how much daylight I’m exposed to. It means that rather than being told I should get out more, now I’ve got access to the data to most definitely prove I should head out into the sun.
Here’s how it works
Hidden deep within the vast recesses of your iPhone sits a little known setting called Motion Calibration & Distance. To measure your time in the sunshine you need to make sure this setting is set to on.
- Settings>Privacy & Security>Location Services>Turn Location Services on>Scroll down, down, down the list to System Services>Make sure Motion Calibration & Distance is on. It is usually on by default.
Done that? Good.
Here’s why it matters:
Sunlight keeps you well. Getting into the light isn’t just a good way to ward off Vampires, it’s also a good way to boost mood, ingest Vitamin D, and get active. You sleep better, have more energy, stress levels fall – it even boosts cognitive function. It’s amazing stuff.
It’s almost as if humans didn’t evolve to spend their lives attached to computers while AI told them what to do, and billionaires indulged themselves in space travel trips with B-list celebrities. It’s almost as if humans are supposed to dance, leap, and laugh in the sun.
Which is probably why the billionaires want us all back to the office, tied to our desks, and miserable.
Why work for them? Stand up at your desk, raise your arms, cry freedom, and head out the door.
You have nothing to lose but your medical care, tax liability, and home. There must be a better way. Take a walk and find one. It’s time to replace the rich.
Research shows that spending around 20 minutes outdoors has benefits physical and mental health, delivers vitamin D and boosts your mood. It also benefits your creative flow, as Apple co-founder Steve Jobs famously knew, which is why he loved walking outside, talking and walking until he physically and figuratively stumbled on the Next Big Thing.
Waiting for the Sun
Eagle-eyed readers may have spotted that despite the hyperbole I’ve not actually told you where to monitor your Time in Daylight data. That’s about to change – to check how much time you’ve been spending in daylight, open up your iPhone and..
- Open Health
- Tap Browse
- Tap Other Data
- And then tap Time In Daylight.
And ask yourself if you should get out more.
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