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Motivation is a big part of getting and staying in shape, and if you own an Apple watch, so is closing your rings. While most of us know how important it is to move regularly throughout the day, especially if we have a sedentary lifestyle, doing so is often easier said than done.
Apple knows this and has created a unique system designed to promote a healthier lifestyle among Apple Watch users. The Apple Watch has three activity rings: red for move, green for exercise, and blue for stand. Your job is to close all of these rings daily, and its Move goal encourages you to burn calories by moving around throughout the day.
The Apple Watch’s rings give you a visual picture of your progress, allowing you to monitor your progress toward achieving your daily goal. When you strap on your Apple Watch for the first time, it will automatically calculate your Move goal based on the demographic information you enter, such as your age, height, weight, and gender.
While convenient, these goals may not suit your lifestyle and fitness level. If you’re recovering from an injury or illness, you may not be able to meet your goals, which can be demoralizing. On the other hand, if you have a high level of physical fitness, you may find Apple’s default settings too easy. Changing your Move goal to meet your needs allows you to take control of your fitness journey, ensuring your targets are both challenging and achievable.
How to change your Apple Watch’s Move goal
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It’s a good idea to consider your current fitness level and daily routine when setting a new Move goal. You want it to be challenging enough to motivate you, but realistic enough to be achievable. As your fitness level improves, you can gradually increase your goal to keep pace with your progress.
Follow these steps to change your Move goal:
- Open the activity app on your Apple Watch.
- Scroll down until you see the Change Goals option.
- Tap Change Goals.
- Tap the plus or minus to adjust the calorie count to your desired level.
- Tap “set” to confirm your new Move goal setting.
After you’ve adjusted your Move goal, your Apple watch may prompt you to set new exercise and stand goals. If you’d like to do so, follow the prompts to change them and confirm all changes to finalize your new daily activity goals. Once you’ve done this, the Activity app will update to reflect these changes.
You can check this by looking at the daily activity summary, where your new Move goal will now be displayed. Your Apple Watch will start tracking your activity against these new goals immediately.
