Pulse

A macOS and iOS app that reminds you to take exercise breaks during work sessions. On macOS it lives in the menu bar; on iOS it works as a standalone app.

Screenshots

iOS

macOS

Features

• Work interval timers — Set how long you want to work before taking a break (default: 45 minutes). Multiple routines can run in parallel with independent intervals.
• Exercise routines — Create custom routines with exercises, sets, rest periods, and ordering. Supports both time-based and rep-based exercises.
• Voice guidance — Audio announcements and countdowns guide you through each exercise hands-free.
• Auto-start exercises — When a timer completes, exercises begin automatically after a short countdown. You can postpone if needed.
• Exercise images — Attach reference images to exercises. Images display as a carousel during sessions.
• Smart screen detection (macOS) — Timers pause when your screen sleeps and resume when you're back.
• Notifications — System notifications with quick actions to start, snooze, or skip exercises.
• Dashboard — Daily and weekly stats, exercise history, and streak tracking.
• HealthKit integration (iOS) — Optionally log completed exercises to Apple Health.
• Import/Export — Share routines between devices as .pulse or .json files via AirDrop or Files.

Requirements

• macOS 15.0+ / iOS 18.0+
• Xcode 15+

Building

Open Pulse.xcodeproj in Xcode and run. No external dependencies.

# macOS
xcodebuild -scheme Pulse -destination 'platform=macOS' build

# iOS
xcodebuild -scheme "Pulse iOS" -destination 'platform=iOS Simulator,name=iPhone 16' build

Routine Import/Export

Pulse supports importing and exporting routines as JSON files with embedded images.

File paths:

• macOS: ~/.config/pulse/routines.json
• iOS: Shared via AirDrop using .pulse files, or through the Files app

How to import on iOS:

1. Send a .pulse file via AirDrop to your device
2. Open it — Pulse will import the routines automatically

How to import on macOS:

1. Open Settings → Export (creates ~/.config/pulse/routines.json)
2. Edit the file in any text editor
3. Changes are auto-imported via file watching

JSON Format

{
  "routines": [
    {
      "name": "My Routine",
      "isDefault": false,
      "intervalMinutes": 45,
      "isActive": true,
      "exercises": [
        {
          "name": "Exercise Name",
          "durationSeconds": 30,
          "description": "How to perform the exercise",
          "iconName": "figure.walk",
          "sortOrder": 0,
          "sets": 3,
          "restSeconds": 15,
          "restAfterSeconds": 30,
          "images": ["<base64-encoded-png>"],
          "reps": 12,
          "secondsPerRep": 5
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Field	Required	Description
name	Yes	Exercise or routine name
durationSeconds	Yes*	Duration in seconds (*auto-calculated if reps is set)
sets	Yes	Number of sets (minimum 1)
restSeconds	Yes	Rest between sets in seconds
restAfterSeconds	Yes	Rest after exercise in seconds
iconName	Yes	SF Symbol name
sortOrder	Yes	Display order (0-based)
images	No	Array of Base64-encoded PNG/JPEG data
reps	No	Number of repetitions (omit or 0 for time-based)
secondsPerRep	No	Seconds per rep (default 5)

License

MIT