5 Ways To “Close Your Rings”

What Does It Mean To “Close Your Rings?”

The Apple Watch tracks a person’s activity in three different ways: active calories burned, time exercised, and time standing up. The Move ring focuses on calories burned; each person will have a calorie goal specific to their body and activity levels. Once someone reaches their calories burned goal, their Move ring closes. The Exercise ring is closed once someone exercises for 30 minutes that day (or their adjusted goal). Moving for 30 minutes a day is has been shown to be a great baseline goal for adults. The Stand ring is closed when someone has stood for at least one minute during 12 different hours of the day. The University of Michigan reports that living a less sedentary lifestyle can increase energy, boost mood, and clear the mind, among other benefits. The Apple Watch makes it easy to remember to stand; it reminds you to stand at the 50 minute mark of every hour you haven’t stood.

Not everyone has the time or resources to hit the gym for thirty minutes everyday. Here is a list of five easy ways to close all of your rings:

Prioritize Walking

The Apple Watch measures any movement that’s equivalent to a brisk walk, so walking might be one of the simplest ways to close your rings. If you don’t have time for an uninterrupted 30-minute walk, then break it up. For example, you could go for a 10-minute walk in the morning, a 10-minute walk in the afternoon, and a 10-minute walk in the evening. Go for a brisk walk during your lunch break. Park further away in the parking lot and walk the rest of the way to your destination. Instead of sitting around in a coffee shop with a friend, grab coffee to-go and go for a walk and talk. Walk your dog while listening to a motivational podcast. Walking is a simple yet effective way to clear your mind and close those rings.

Take the Stairs 

Another way to be more active is choosing to take the stairs instead of taking the elevator/escalator. If you find yourself on an escalator, climb it instead of staying put. The Apple Watch tracks how many flights you’ve climbed in a day, which is an exciting thing to be able to see.

Build Movement Into Your Everyday Routine 

By building movement into your daily routine, you are setting yourself up for a sustainably active lifestyle. Some of these suggestions are practical, others might be considered silly, but all of them are meant to help you integrate activity into your everyday life. Dance the next time you hear your favorite song. Work at a standing desk (if you can) or sit on an exercise ball while doing deskwork. Do a few squats while you’re brushing your teeth. Workout–whether it’s plank pose, glute bridges, or tricep dips–while watching TV.

Find Ways to Enjoy Working Out

Exercise isn’t a one-size-fits-all. How one person enjoys exercising might not work for you. So it’s important that you find ways you enjoy working out, because that will help you not burn out and instead close your rings, day after day. Maybe you enjoy doing HIIT workouts at home, or maybe lifting weights at the gym makes you feel the strongest. Maybe it’s feeling peace at a yoga studio or swimming laps in the pool or hiking through a forest. Explore what exercises make you lose track of time and feel good.

Tidying Up Can Be a Workout, Too 

Here’s a reminder: tidying up can be a workout, too. As long as you’re moving swiftly and powerfully while you’re cleaning up, you have the chance to work up a sweat. You could also go outside and work in your garden or wash your car by hand instead of taking it to the car wash. By doing this, you’re crossing two tasks off the to-do list at the same time: household tasks and exercising.

Here’s to moving more and closing our rings in 2022!