Trying to understand how the watch registers exercise. I used the Workout app. Selected "Outdoor Walk" then walked 4 miles which took me over an hour. The app said I only exercised 18 minutes. When I used our elliptical machine it registered all the time on the machine successfully. Is an outdoor walk considered not vigorous enough to be counted as exercise?
Apple Watch, iOS 8.3
1. Exercise credit
To credit progress towards your 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. Exercise credit is awarded for each minute during which this requirement is met.
It is possible that, during your workouts, you are only meeting that requirement for part of the time and/or your arm movements are not resulting in your activity being tracked accurately.
The definition of a brisk walk varies from person to person and depends on your personal information. To check that this is accurate - and to update it over time:
On your iPhone, in the Watch app, go to: My Watch (tab) > Health > Edit - tap and adjust items, then tap on Done.
When recording fitness activities, be sure to use the Workout app (or a third-party app) and to choose the activity type that most closely matches your workout, including choosing Other for workouts that are neither included within nor sufficiently similar to those in the main list. This enables your watch to use the most appropriate sensors and data sources when tracking results.
For example, with Apple Watch (first generation) and Series 1 models, the watch can access Location Services data from the paired iPhone if it is taken along during outdoor walking, running and cycling workouts. Series 2 models have built-in GPS.
During general daily wear and when using the Workout app to record workouts when GPS data is either not relevant or not available (eg Indoor Walk), the Activity app and (for relevant activities) Workout app track your arm motion (measured by the accelerometer) when estimating results including pace and progress towards the Exercise goal.
For the best results, allow the arm on which you are wearing your watch to swing naturally as you move around during daily wear and to move as expected during workouts.
Resetting your existing calibration data and recalibrating your watch can improve the accuracy of estimations made by Activity app and Workout app. More information and instructions for calibrating your watch are available via the link below. (Resetting your calibration data will not erase your Activity history).
If you would prefer to receive Exercise credit for the full duration of your workouts, regardless of their estimated intensity levels, track them via the Workout app using "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. (Note that neither distance nor a route map are recorded under this workout activity type).
More information:
2. Heart rate
Apple advises that, even under ideal conditions, Apple Watch may not be able to record a reliable heart rate reading every time for everybody.
For the best performance from the heart rate sensor during workouts, ensure that you wear your watch snugly (but not too tightly) on the top of your wrist. Apple suggests that you consider tightening the band before starting a workout and loosening it again afterwards.
The sensor is likely to give better results for workouts that involve rhythmic (eg running) rather than irregular (eg boxing) movements. Other issues that can impact sensor performance include skin perfusion and wrist tattoos:
Your heart rate. What it means, and where on Apple Watch you’ll find it. - Apple Support
For any workouts that involve flexing your wrists (such as when lifting weights, for example), it may help to move your watch a little higher up your arm, away from the flexing joint. It may also help to clean the back of your Apple Watch:
Cleaning your Apple Watch - Apple Support
If you continue to experience issues with recording your heart rate during workouts, then, for more consistent readings, you may wish to consider pairing an external heart rate monitor / Bluetooth chest strap to your Apple Watch:
Use Bluetooth accessories with your Apple Watch - Apple Support
3. Both
If you are concerned about a possible hardware defect with your Apple Watch, then I suggest that you contact Apple Support (mail-in service may be available, if required), make a Genius Bar reservation or visit an Apple Authorised Service Provider for assistance:
1. Exercise credit
To credit progress towards your 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. Exercise credit is awarded for each minute during which this requirement is met.
It is possible that, during your workouts, you are only meeting that requirement for part of the time and/or your arm movements are not resulting in your activity being tracked accurately.
The definition of a brisk walk varies from person to person and depends on your personal information. To check that this is accurate - and to update it over time:
On your iPhone, in the Watch app, go to: My Watch (tab) > Health > Edit - tap and adjust items, then tap on Done.
When recording fitness activities, be sure to use the Workout app (or a third-party app) and to choose the activity type that most closely matches your workout, including choosing Other for workouts that are neither included within nor sufficiently similar to those in the main list. This enables your watch to use the most appropriate sensors and data sources when tracking results.
For example, with Apple Watch (first generation) and Series 1 models, the watch can access Location Services data from the paired iPhone if it is taken along during outdoor walking, running and cycling workouts. Series 2 models have built-in GPS.
During general daily wear and when using the Workout app to record workouts when GPS data is either not relevant or not available (eg Indoor Walk), the Activity app and (for relevant activities) Workout app track your arm motion (measured by the accelerometer) when estimating results including pace and progress towards the Exercise goal.
For the best results, allow the arm on which you are wearing your watch to swing naturally as you move around during daily wear and to move as expected during workouts.
Resetting your existing calibration data and recalibrating your watch can improve the accuracy of estimations made by Activity app and Workout app. More information and instructions for calibrating your watch are available via the link below. (Resetting your calibration data will not erase your Activity history).
If you would prefer to receive Exercise credit for the full duration of your workouts, regardless of their estimated intensity levels, track them via the Workout app using "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. (Note that neither distance nor a route map are recorded under this workout activity type).
More information:
2. Heart rate
Apple advises that, even under ideal conditions, Apple Watch may not be able to record a reliable heart rate reading every time for everybody.
For the best performance from the heart rate sensor during workouts, ensure that you wear your watch snugly (but not too tightly) on the top of your wrist. Apple suggests that you consider tightening the band before starting a workout and loosening it again afterwards.
The sensor is likely to give better results for workouts that involve rhythmic (eg running) rather than irregular (eg boxing) movements. Other issues that can impact sensor performance include skin perfusion and wrist tattoos:
Your heart rate. What it means, and where on Apple Watch you’ll find it. - Apple Support
For any workouts that involve flexing your wrists (such as when lifting weights, for example), it may help to move your watch a little higher up your arm, away from the flexing joint. It may also help to clean the back of your Apple Watch:
Cleaning your Apple Watch - Apple Support
If you continue to experience issues with recording your heart rate during workouts, then, for more consistent readings, you may wish to consider pairing an external heart rate monitor / Bluetooth chest strap to your Apple Watch:
Use Bluetooth accessories with your Apple Watch - Apple Support
3. Both
If you are concerned about a possible hardware defect with your Apple Watch, then I suggest that you contact Apple Support (mail-in service may be available, if required), make a Genius Bar reservation or visit an Apple Authorised Service Provider for assistance:
I think Apple Watch uses heart rate as one the main variable to calculate calories. The problem is that heart rate measurement is extremely inconsistent. I walk, bike or play tennis for excercise and have noticed multiple times a very low measured HR even though my heat is racing at high rate. Sweat and probably hair on the wrist makes watch-sensories less effective. I have also noticed that immediately after wiping off sweat under the watch, the measurement corrects itself.
Me too. Today I did a 27 minute walk, avg bpm 98, and it registered 10 minutes of exercise. An hour later, and a couple blocks away, I did a 35 minute walk averaging 109 bpm (and it was up to 130 several times), and it registered 0 minutes of exercise. Driving me crazy.
I do lots of walking, hiking, biking, elliptical, etc. I also do 75 minute strength training classes where I almost die every time. Squats, lunges, weight work, intervals. I sweat. I pant. I feel like I'm going to die. I'll get 3 minutes of exercise. So every time I read that exercise is using some algorithm based on heart rate AND MOVEMENT, I get a little annoyed. My heart rate is spinning, but I'm not actually MOVING anywhere. Maybe I should just tell the Activity app I'm doing an indoor bicycle workout and see what happens.
A lot of people seem to be having trouble with the walks they do and the exercise ring recognizing it. I found if I use the "other" option, it seems to work better with my walks. I`m glad I can get out and walk, without worrying about my heart rate also.
I am having the same issue. The accuracy rate is less than 50% for the Exercise portion in the Activity app. I walked for 20 minutes within my target heart rate range (any faster and I would be jogging), but it only gave me 9 minutes of active exercise.
I have had the same problem. Very frustrating. It will not record my walks as exercise, even when walking briskly with an elevated heart rate.
I think Ralph is right. I walked 38 minutes tonight, but the Activity App only counted 33 minutes of it. When I first started, my HR was relatively low.
My experience with the Activity app is similar while not seemly consistent. I monitor walking with MotionX GPS which records time, distance average speed, etc. A morning walk is about 2.05-2.15 miles long and takes 40 minutes. Activity tends to record a slightly longer walk. The Activity app never registers more than 31 minutes of exercise and never less than 24 minutes of exercise using the moderate level. Since the pace is constant from day to day I fail to understand why the wide range in measured exercise. it would certainly be nice to know how the app calculates exercise.
The Watch registers exercise by tracking your heart rate and movement. If your heart rate remained low your walk may not have been vigorous enough to register as activity. Your Watch may only have registered as exercise that part of the walk when your heart rate was slightly elevated. Try a more vigorous walk next time and see what happens.
Tried walking a bit faster this morning and periodically wiped the sweat off my wrist under the watch. The Activity app logged many more minutes and continued to log minutes after the walk finished. Certainly walking faster helped because it would raise heart rate. However, I live in a hot summer climate which recently got significantly hotter and more humid. The Activity app seemed to be more accurate when I was not sweating as much. It may be circumstantial but the issue of sweat could be contributing to the problem.
I too think Ralph is right. I too did a 50 minute walk using the Workout app and Outdoor Walk. The last 15 minutes were quite vigorous with average HR in high cardio zone around 150 - 160 which is as high as I should be going. I only got "credit" for that part of the walk though. Does anyone know how the workout and exercise zones work together? Hope this makes sense. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what I'm trying to figure out.
Agree with you: same problem. Even when I set the fitness app to "open" and just log time, the time of exercise is incorrect.
I am hoping Apple will fix this problem if accurate data is to be obtained. I am participating in a clinical trial that wants to use data directly from the Apple Watch and they have notified me that I don't qualify because the Apple Watch is notoriously inaccurate.
Please see below: same reply to other users: you are not alone.
Agree with you: same problem. Even when I set the fitness app to "open" and just log time, the time of exercise is incorrect. I can walk 25-30 minutes and only get 18 minutes of credit.
I am hoping Apple will fix this problem if accurate data is to be obtained. I am participating in a clinical trial that wants to use data directly from the Apple Watch and they have notified me that I don't qualify because the Apple Watch is notoriously inaccurate.
Walked Over An Hour. Only registered 18 minutes of Exercise.
