Anarie23
Level 1
(8 points)
Q: How does Apple Watch track exercise?
I do not understand how my Apple Watch tracks exercise. I can ride 20+ miles on my bike at over 13 mph and it says I have exercised for maybe 30 minutes. I only stop for traffic signals or traffic, so if I ride for at least 1.5 hours, how is it only 30 minutes of exercise at this pace??? This frustrates me to no end. My Fitbit was too sensitive, and this isn't sensitive enough. And yes, my watch is as tight as possible against my wrist--it leaves an indent.
Please advise Apple...thank you.
Apple Watch Sport 38mm, iOS 9.3.3
Jonathan UK
Level 7
(28,975 points)
Hi
In order to credit progress towards your daily Exercise goal, the Activity app aims to identify activity that equals or exceeds the intensity of a brisk walk. This requirement applies both during general daily wear and when recording workouts via the Workout app. It is possible that your exercise (whether recorded via the Workout app or just via the Activity app) did not meet this requirement for the full duration of your activity.
The definition of a brisk walk varies by person and depends on your personal information. To check that your personal information is accurate:
- On your iPhone, in the Watch app, go to: My Watch (tab) > Health > Edit - tap and adjust items, then tap on Done.
To most accurately track an outdoor cycling workout, be sure to record it via the Workout app as an Outdoor Cycle workout. When cycling outdoors, if you also take your iPhone along (with Location Services and Bluetooth enabled), your watch can use GPS data from the iPhone when estimating distance and speed:
Calibrating your watch improves the accuracy of various activity-related estimations, including Exercise goal progress. It may help to reset your existing calibration data (if any). Instructions for how to reset this data - along with instructions for calibrating your watch - are available via the support article linked below.
If you would prefer to receive Exercise credit for the full duration of a workout, regardless of its intensity level, track it via the Workout app and choose Other as the activity type. This will credit one minute of Exercise for each full minute of the workout. Active calories will be estimated at a rate equivalent to a brisk walk or based on data recorded by the heart rate sensor, whichever is higher.
More information:
Use the Activity app on your Apple Watch - Apple Support
Calibrating your Apple Watch for improved Workout and Activity accuracy - Apple Support
