Q: Stand activity doesn't work with standing desks (oh the irony)

I also have a standing desk and get this message a few times a day while standing.  Seems strange.   I've been standing today for 10 hours.  But my watch only is giving me credit for 6.

Do you read and follow the message it says stand up and move around a little for a minute. moving for a minute when I get the message works everytime.

(I can't believe I'm replying to this.)

Winston, the point of the Apple Watch's prompt is to try to make the wearer of the watch healthier by encouraging them to be more active.

Standing (even relatively immobile) is better than sitting.  (Feel free to read the medical studies.)  And, moving around (even on a treadmill) is better than standing.

The users in this post are merely pointing out that the sensors on the Apple Watch can't detect whether your standing or moving if your wrists aren't moving (i.e. on a desk).

Therefore, even those people who are walking miles on a treadmill at a standing desk are getting the same "encouraging" prompt to be more active as those who are sitting like blobs.  Therein lies the irony.

I like the feature, but I think it is misnamed. It really is a 'move around' reminder, not stand up per se.

George

Winston, the point of the Apple Watch's prompt is to try to make the wearer of the watch healthier by encouraging them to be more active.

The point of the stand feature is to (exactly as it says on the tin) to make you stand and move around for at least one minute, every hour for 12 hours each day. Why on earth would you think Apple would put up that message if the intention is something different.

Standing (even relatively immobile) is better than sitting.  (Feel free to read the medical studies.)  And, moving around (even on a treadmill) is better than standing.

That may be true, but Apple are giving you credit for moving around not just for standing, that's how it is (and quite rightly so). I'm sure that sitting at a desk all day is better than lying in bed, how about Apple give you credit for getting out of bed.

The users in this post are merely pointing out that the sensors on the Apple Watch can't detect whether your standing or moving if your wrists aren't moving (i.e. on a desk).

No. Most (but perhaps not all) are wanting to deceive themselves, they want to be given credit for standing. Whilst a standing desk might be a little healthier it's not healthy enough, they need to move.

I very much doubt even sitting at a desk, that your hands aren't moving at all and yes the watch can tell the difference between light movement at a desk and movement due to you moving around. Incidentally I'd be very keen to see anyone move around whilst not moving their wrist because they are on a desk.

Therefore, even those people who are walking miles on a treadmill at a standing desk are getting the same "encouraging" prompt to be more active as those who are sitting like blobs.  Therein lies the irony.

No, I believe the irony is that you are happy to say anything without testing it. Spend an hour on a treadmill, you'll find you are given standing credit.

I see your point, but they already have a move feature and I think most people would realise that just standing up isn't what is required here.

The point of the stand feature is to (exactly as it says on the tin) to make you stand and move around for at least one minute, every hour for 12 hours each day.  Why on earth would you think Apple would put up that message if the intention is something different.

There ya go, Winston!  I think you finally get the point of this thread:  The prompt tells people to "Stand..." when they're already standing.  Now you understand!   

No. Most (but perhaps not all) are wanting to deceive themselves, they want to be given credit for standing. Whilst a standing desk might be a little healthier it's not healthy enough, they need to move.

No, here is what Apple says in their Apple Watch materials: "Even if you're active part of the day, sitting for long periods has its own health risks."  So, follow your own logic.  Apple is very specific.  They want you to stand (and move around).  And, people are saying they're already standing. 

(So, maybe you should stop accusing other of deceiving themselves?  Sounds like the only one deceiving themselves is you, honestly.  But, I wouldn't be so rude and presumptuous to accuse you of that.  I mean, I don't even know you.  You seem like a nice person.) 

No, I believe the irony is that you are happy to say anything without testing it. Spend an hour on a treadmill, you'll find you are given standing credit.

You must have missed my earlier post that stated I work at a standing desk with a treadmill.  So, the only one who's saying anything without testing it is you.

Incidentally I'd be very keen to see anyone move around whilst not moving their wrist because they are on a desk.

Do you want me to send you a video from my treadmill desk today?  I'll even turn the feature back on so you can see my Apple Watch tell me to "Stand up and move a little for one minute."  LOL. 

The Watch has to think your arm is pointing towards the ground to think you're standing up. I sit at a sitting desk, so I turn my Watch around (stem towards shoulder, not hand as I usually do). When the Watch says I need to stand, I point my hand up and wiggle it around to convince it I actually stood up and walked around.

Ironically, this works MUCH BETTER than standing up and walking around.

julie78787 wrote:

 

Ironically, this works MUCH BETTER than standing up and walking around.

Kind of defeats the purpose, though.

Yeah, but it actually works.

I used to get up and do things like carry dishes from my home office to the kitchen and other ways of moving around. Unless I carry a coffee mug down by my leg, instead of up by my torso, it doesn't think I stood and moved. Because my Watch arm isn't pointing straight down, it doesn't think washing dishes or preparing food counts as "stand up and move around a little" either.

On the plus side, I'm learning to carry things in my right hand so that my left hand (I'm a leftie ...) can spend the time I'm carrying things around pointing straight down.

julie78787 wrote:

 

Yeah, but it actually works.

How is that "working"? It's not recording that you're standing. It's apparently recording that you're moving your arm around. What's the point?

But then, my watch doesn't seem to have the problem yours does. Have you taken it to be serviced yet? Or are you still "experimenting"?

Meg -

The hardware is just fine. If the hardware wasn't just fine, I wouldn't be able to trick it into thinking I was standing by turning it around and pointing my hand up in the air.

Give it a try. I do it all the time now when the Watch thinks carrying things around doesn't count as "stand up and move around a little". Works like a charm every time.

For the life of me, I can't imagine why I would want to trick the watch into thinking I'm standing when I'm not. I'd get my watch fixed. But, fortunately, I don't have any problems with my watch registering standing even when I'm carrying things.

I used to get up and do things like carry dishes from my home office to the kitchen and other ways of moving around. Unless I carry a coffee mug down by my leg, instead of up by my torso, it doesn't think I stood and moved.

I don't think it works like that it works on movement that it detects with its' accelerometers. If you don't clock up anything when you are carrying a mug of coffee around, it's because you are keeping it rather still, not because your arm is horizontal.

Winston -

Nice name, by the way

Based on weeks of experimentation, it works EXACTLY that way. I've done entire sinks full of dishes, stood up and folded laundry, all manner of things where my forearm is horizontal and moving and I'm standing and walking and the only thing that makes a difference is ... is my forearm pointing in a downward direction? If my forearm is pointing down (or I trick it into thinking my forearm is pointing down ...), I get credit. If my forearm is horizontal, I don't get credit.