¶ The Wonders of Working Out Wirelessly

For the past several years I have diligently gone to the gym every Tuesday and Thursday evening. It's rare for me to miss. I've become one of the "regulars". The staff know me and I frequently see the same familiar faces working out nearby.

The entire time I've been going to the gym my wrist has been adorned by an Apple Watch. First the original (Series 0), then the Series 2, and nowadays the Series 4. It has been my faithful companion, tracking my calories burned and exercise minutes.

I like to listen to podcasts while I work out, and in the early days I used my iPhone and the wired EarPods that came with them. There's just really no good place to put a phone while you work out, especially when it is tethered to your ears via a 3.5 foot cable. And pockets on gym shorts are a recipe for having your phone slide right out and onto the floor. And as phones have become larger, armbands have become more and more cumbersome.

The advent of the original AirPods nearly three years ago changed everything. Getting rid of the wire brought more freedom and far less worry while working out. I was able to just set my phone down with my towel and do my workout.

And then about a year ago with the Apple Watch Series 4 and watchOS 5’s ability to have full-fledged podcast apps, working out wirelessly finally hit its stride. These days I transfer some podcasts to my Apple Watch using Overcast, then I leave my iPhone in my locker. I pair my AirPods to my Watch, and I don’t have to think about anything else. It’s just my Watch, my AirPods, and me.

What’s really great is that because my gym has Wi-Fi, any text messages I receive relay from my phone to my watch, and I can have Siri read them to me and I can dictate a reply — all while on an elliptical.

The Apple Watch and AirPods are a real dynamic duo when it comes to working out, and every year they keep getting better.