The AppleWatch is an incredible device. It provides the nudge that most of us need to get off the sofa and exercise. Doesn’t matter if it’s walking, jogging, strength training, or what have you.

It monitors your health (nothing like the feeling you’ve closed your rings). You can use it as a tool to check things are OK with your body working properly. Check your blood pressure, check for afib, reminders to get up once an hour and move around, etc.

It doesn’t replace going to your physician but might give you a heads up when you should. That’s already been proven.

Monitor your nutrition. As it works in collaboration with third-party apps, it makes that a breeze. Plus fall protection, keeping a list of your meds, and other valuable health information: whether keeping a list or providing important information for paramedics.

Now there’s Fitness+. As is the industry’s MO, they’re “borrowing “an idea, this time from Peloton. Classes encompassing everything from strength training to aerobics. All with “personal” trainers and chosen playliists.

In the early days, everyone was ecstatic. Except the not included handicapped. The main issue was the issue of calories burned running, jogging, or walking. But nothing about caloric burn if you have to use a wheelchair. After enough noise was made, Apple realized their oversight and included three different ways to propel your chair and how many calories you’ve burned. Kudos to Apple for remedying this oversight.

That’s why I’m dumbstruck that with Apple’s new Fitness+ service there are no exercise classes for the disabled. I would think they would have learned from their first faux pas that their health products and services need to be all inclusive. I contacted Support and apparently there are no current plans to address this oversight. So I registered my displeasure.

Granted, there may be legal reasons but I seriously doubt it. I have found devices to allow me to perform resistance training from my chair (the device was created for use on the International Space Station). I’ve replaced my medicine ball with a throw pillow. Does the job getting my blood pumping. Out in the world I’ve attended sitting Yoga classes. And hey! I bring my own chair.

So Apple please add some disability exercise sessions to Fitness+. We have to stay in shape as much as possible, as well. If not more so.

©2021 Frank Petrie