Walking wheelchair user - can someone with a watch test a question for me please!

Engage Apple Watch wheelchair mode

1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the My Watch tab, then tap Health.
3. Tap health profile
4. Tap edit
5. Tap Wheelchair
6. Select yes
7. Tap Done.

When you finish your wheelchair workout go back into your health profile and turn the wheelchair setting to off.

I don't have a wheelchair myself but this seems to the best workaround to your problem.

The Apple Watch accelerometer tracks acceleration and deceleration of the Apple Watch. If it is on your arm then it is the swinging of your arm, as in the changing of direction from forward arm movement to backwards arm movement, wash rinse, repeat.

Actually any arm movement. I frequently stand up and juggle for about a minute to get my standing credits each hour. It does not care if I'm actually walking. In fact I can lie in bed and wave my arm around and get standing credit. Or do it enough and I get movement credit and if I manage to get my heart rate up, exercise credit.

There was one post recently where the user was not allowed to wear a watch on their arm, so they tried keeping it in their pocket, but it would not track their steps, because when walking the pocket maintains a fairly steady speed and does not stop and start.

So this user moved the Apple Watch to their ankle and started getting walking credit during the day.

Again, it is causing the Apple Watch to accelerate and decelerate is how the Apple Watch measures movement. Heart rate helps with the exercise measurements.