Apple is marking a significant milestone this month, celebrating 10 years since the introduction of the iconic Activity rings alongside the original Apple Watch. To commemorate this decade of motivating users towards better health, Apple has announced a special “Global Close Your Rings Day” event scheduled for April 24th.
This initiative encourages Apple Watch owners worldwide to engage with their fitness goals by closing all three Activity rings – Move, Exercise, and Stand – on that specific day, offering exclusive rewards for participation in this unique Apple Watch challenge.
Getting involved is straightforward for anyone with an Apple Watch running watchOS 5 or later, with no special updates required. The core task is simple: successfully close your Move, Exercise, and Stand rings on April 24th. Achieving this goal will unlock a limited-edition digital award badge within the Fitness app, a nice piece of virtual flair for dedicated users. Alongside the badge, participants will also receive 10 exclusive animated stickers, perfect for sharing your achievement or adding some fun to your conversations in the Messages app using the hashtag #CloseYourRings.
Beyond the digital recognition, Apple is also offering a tangible reward for this fitness challenge. Starting April 24th, customers can visit Apple Store locations globally to pick up a special, limited-edition physical pin. This collector’s item is inspired by the design of the digital award earned for completing the challenge, but availability is limited – you’ll need to grab one while supplies last. It’s a neat way Apple is bridging the digital achievement with a physical keepsake for the Apple Watch 10th anniversary celebration.
This event highlights the impact the Apple Watch and its Activity rings have had since launching on April 24, 2015. Apple COO Jeff Williams emphasized how the device has changed users’ engagement with fitness and health over the past decade. The company encourages participants on Global Close Your Rings Day to not just complete the task, but perhaps “do something they love, push themselves further, or try something new” as part of their effort, making the achievement personally meaningful beyond just hitting the metrics.
To further make a point of the benefits tied to consistent activity, Apple shared recent findings from its extensive Apple Heart and Movement Study. The research, involving hundreds of thousands of participants, revealed significant correlations: those who frequently close their Activity rings reported substantially better sleep quality, were much less likely to have elevated resting heart rates, and experienced lower stress levels compared to those who rarely closed their rings.
This data provides compelling evidence that the daily nudges from the Apple Watch translate into real-world health improvements, adding extra motivation to participate in the April 24th challenge.
