Last fall, I was gifted a Fitbit Sense. This was right around the time I was planting the seeds about getting healthy and despite having never owned a smart watch, I was excited to test its potential. Sadly, the Fitbit was a massive disappointment. The lack of accuracy made using the watch useless, and glitches that have existed for years (such as saying I’ve walked up several hundred flights of stairs when in fact it was two) just made me stop wearing the watch.

I went online to see what watch was listed with better accuracy but could also function in some other ways to assist me in my daily life. The Apple Watch seemed to fit the mold the best, and so I began thinking about getting one.

It’s been six months, but I finally bought an Apple Watch SE. I won’t bother to review it, there is plenty of that online, but I will say, thus far, this watch has exceeded all of my expectations.

Not only is the fitness accuracy on point, the ease of use and comfortability is top notch. I utilize things like Spotify, notifications, timers, etc., and thus far I’m very happy with my purchase. But I think the biggest surprise I discovered was my three free months of Fitness+ that came with the watch.

See, I didn’t need the watch to get fit. I can definitely get healthy without it. I don’t see myself posting photos of my rings or any of that mess, but I did wonder if the watch and the rings system would encourage me to do more. And that’s where Fitness+ came into play.

Fitness+ is Apple’s online fitness program. They range in variety from yoga and meditation to HIIT and cycling. There are multiple instructors, multiple styles, and new videos being added all the time. When combined with my Apple TV, I can watch my watch statistics on the TV while working out and the classes are no-nonsense and just enjoyable.

I love the quick ten-minute yoga classes, but surprisingly, I’ve been utilizing the heck out of the meditation classes. I don’t typically like guided meditations, but I’ve enjoyed what Fitness+ has to offer and I’ve been exceeding my goal to meditate for six minutes almost daily since I got the watch. Heck, last night I meditated once in the afternoon for ten minutes and then did a ten-minute sleep meditation that actually put me to sleep!

The Apple Watch and Fitness+ are tools. They won’t make you healthy on their own, but if you utilize them, I think it can help you develop more healthy habits. I’ll admit, for years I judged smartwatches as pointless and ridiculous, but I was wrong. Time will tell, but I think my Apple Watch is going to help me along this journey.