New app by Apple lets users track health & fitness

Along with Apple’s release of iOS 8 on Monday, the company introduced an entirely new Health app that provides a clear overview of a user’s health and fitness data.



The new Health app gathers the information the user chooses from various health apps and fitness devices, and provides them with a clear and current overview in one place, Apple announced. iOS 8 offers developers the ability for health and fitness apps to communicate with each other through a new tool for developers called HealthKit. With the user’s permission, each app can use specific information from other apps to provide a more comprehensive way to manage your health and fitness.



For example, the Nike+ apps using NikeFuel will be able to pull in other key HealthKit metrics, such as sleep and nutrition, to build a custom user profile and improve athletic performance. Or data from a blood pressure app can be automatically shared with the doctor.



Users will also be able to create an emergency card with important health information — for example blood type or allergies — that’s accessible from the lock screen.