It’s 27 degrees where I live just north of New York City, but I’m taking a walk up a mountain with pop star Shawn Mendes in Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Unlike me, hands in pockets, mask giving me a little extra warmth, Mendes says hello to the people he walks by, in between reflections about his life in the spotlight.
«Especially over the last few weeks, I’ve been starting my day by going for a walk, clearing my mind and leaving my phone,» he says. «Sometimes I get a little woo and touch the plants.» Mendes says walking about 25 minutes a day serves not only as a meditation practice but a way to «let the noise fall out of my ears,» so he’s more present around the people he loves. When he recalls the pressures of being in the studio, a photo appears on my Apple Watch of Mendes holding a guitar. Mendes is keeping me company on my walk as part of Apple (AAPL)’s new Time to Walk audio program for the Apple Watch. The unscripted series, where celebrities like NBA player Draymond Green, actress Uzo Aduba and country star and Moderna vaccine hero Dolly Parton, features personal stories as they go for walks in their neighborhoods. New episodes of Time to Walk, which launched on Monday, will appear in the Workout app each Monday through the end of April.
