Close Your Rings on April 24 for Health Benefits
Close Your Rings is an invitation from Apple for Watch users globally to engage in physical activity on April 24. This one-day initiative encourages participants to meet all three of their daily fitness objectives. Titled Global Close Your Rings Day, the campaign offers exclusive virtual badges, animated stickers for Messages, and physical pins available at Apple Stores.
Apple’s Unique Fitness Initiative
This special fitness initiative from Apple integrates health science with digital motivation to sustain user interest. Closing the Move, Exercise, and Stand rings has been fundamental to the Apple Watch’s health experience since its inception a decade ago. This time, the campaign is backed by new research highlighting significant health benefits.
Research Insights from the Heart and Movement Study
As per Apple’s new insights gathered from the Heart and Movement Study, conducted in partnership with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the American Heart Association, there are notable correlations for users who regularly complete their rings:
- 48% less likely to report poor sleep quality,
- 73% less likely to have elevated resting heart rates,
- 57% less likely to experience high stress levels, according to Perceived Stress Scale responses.
Feedback from Apple’s Leadership
Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, remarked that the Apple Watch has fundamentally altered how individuals perceive, track, and participate in their health and fitness journey. Since the introduction of Activity rings a decade ago, the Apple Watch has expanded to provide a comprehensive array of features aimed at empowering users thoroughly. Users regularly communicate how the Apple Watch has positively impacted their daily lives, from increasing physical activity to enhancing their overall health trajectory.
Rewards for Participation
On April 24, participants who manage to close all three Activity rings will receive a commemorative award and a set of 10 animated fitness-themed stickers, featuring designs from running figures to yoga poses and sit-up illustrations. An enamel pin reflecting the digital badge will also be available at Apple Store locations worldwide until supplies deplete.
Apple Watch as a Health Tool
Apple is utilising this event to emphasise the growing role of the Apple Watch as a health tool. The Activity app, the metrics for workouts, sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, and much more are developed using verified data and machine learning models, trained on thousands of individuals from varied backgrounds.
Commitment to Privacy
Despite the playful aspect of gamification, the technology behind it is robust. Apple upholds a strong commitment to user privacy, ensuring that all health and activity data is encrypted and secure, even from Apple itself, when users employ two-factor authentication and maintain recent software updates.
Apple encourages users to be active in a manner that suits their preferences, whether it involves running, doing yoga, or simply standing more frequently throughout the day. Users should feel free to share their progress on social media by using the hashtag #CloseYourRings.