The Apple Watch is receiving quite a few meaningful updates — through watchOS 11 (public beta is out) — that will encourage users to take a practical approach to training.

Pause your Activity rings

One of the best features coming to the Apple Watch involves “pausing” your Activity Rings. Instead of doing more… and more… think about doing things at a pace that fits your fitness level. If you are unwell for a day, you don’t need to give up on your existing fitness streak; take a break from the Activity Rings challenge. You can also pause and relax when you are on holiday.

Users can also customise their Activity Ring goals by the day of the week, so the rings provide the right amount of motivation at the right moments.

Smart Stacks

With watchOS 11, Apple automatically displays the Smart Stack when it’s relevant. For example, if you are listening to music or a podcast, the Now Playing screen is now baked into the Smart Stack. So instead of a full Now Playing screen, you’ll see the Smart Stack with Now Playing on top. Or take the case of a timer or stopwatch: Your Watch can default to the Smart Stack instead of taking over your watch face.

New widgets including Shazam, Photos, Distance, and more are also available. Further, the Smart Stack can suggest widgets based on time, date, location, daily routines and more. For example, the new severe weather alerts widget can appear before a thunderstorm.

Stay connected

The Check In feature which has been there on the iPhone, is now available on Apple Watch, including during workouts. Whether you are heading out for an early morning run or visiting a gym late at night, you can access Check In directly within the Workout app so a friend or family member can keep an eye out.

The Translate app is coming to Apple Watch, so users can access translation for one of 20 supported languages directly on their wrist.