export heart rate recordings

Question

export heart rate recordings

In 2008 I studied the swim speed heart rate relationship and back then developed software to evaluate training effects. In those days we needed a HR-band, a receiver and sensors to record lap times. This is now all integrated in the new Apple Watch. So I just want to have access to lap times and HR to see whether I can resurrect the MatLab routines...

What I need is acces to the lap times and to the HR-recordings. (I hope they have a time stamp so I can synchronise both).

Question:

How can you get acces to the recorded swim lap times and the recorded heart rate?

I thought it was possible in health app (iOS9) but I can not find the export option in iOS10?

Some guidance well appreciated.... Thanks in advance.

Apple Watch Series 2, watchOS 3, watchOS 3.0

Posted on Sep 26, 2016 11:42 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Oct 4, 2017 12:40 AM in response to Huub Toussaint

update one year later:

using the apple watch (2edition) every day swimming about 3500 m

HR recordings seem ok and in watchOS4 lap times are now available for analysis

The apple lap times are flattering compared to the garmin watch times using button press for start and stop.

All in all the apple watch provides more or less all the data for the analysis of the relation between training dose (swim speed, swim duration/repeats) and training response (heart rate during the training). Very nice.

But ...

The export of the data does not work (empty zip-files) and the data are not in a truly accessible format. This is a bit of a shame since the data are there to use the Apple watch as a tool to optimise training.

Maybe next year the treasure trove available when the health data are truly accessible can be unlocked.

I hope (and expect) Apple will make this happen.

dr Huub Toussaint (swim science specialist; see huubdesign.com)

Reply

Answer 2

Proto732

Level 1

24 points

Jan 3, 2018 11:07 AM in response to Huub Toussaint

I have this problem also. Currently Health Data says it is consuming 1.65GB of space on my iPhone10

If I run the Health data export (which takes 5-15 min per attempt), eventually I am prompted asking where to save the data. Regardless of where I try to save it (Dropbox, Files, Box ...) the zip file is usually about 22 bytes large and is empty.

I've read tons of threads on Health taking up so much space being a bug, but I've never found a solid fix.

I have 3-4 years of data on the phone (and in iCloud) that I'd prefer not to lose.

I've been playing with the QS app to export data off my phone

and the Health Importer app to bring it back in (if I can ever clear out that erroneous 1.65GB)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/qs-access/id920297614?mt=8

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/health-importer/id930943780?mt=8

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Answer 3

Drew Reece

Level 6

10,684 points

Oct 4, 2017 12:11 PM in response to Huub Toussaint

Huub Toussaint wrote:

update one year later:

…

Maybe next year the treasure trove available when the health data are truly accessible can be unlocked.

I hope (and expect) Apple will make this happen.

Sorry but this looks like it is an issue for you & not anyone else.

Health data exports for me & it exports for Gijoemarine so I suggest you visit an Apple store & ask for help.

Did you try the free app I suggested a year ago? That will allow you to reformat the data too so you can view specific data only.

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Answer 4

Oct 5, 2017 1:08 AM in response to Drew Reece

hmmm, I guess your reply is not totally correct suggesting the empty zip file export problem is specific for me & not anyone else (because the export works for you and Gijoemarine ? 1, 2 anyone? 😕)

At least one other report of the empty export zip problem can be found:

Exporting Health app data to new iPhone

I will file a bug report with Apple and try to solve it.

A year ago I tried the free app (thanks for pointing that out). If I remember correctly I found out that the HR data were not very granular and therefor not really usable for the analysis described in my previous posts. I want to check wether that has changed now. However, to look at the data the empty export.zip problem must be solved.

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Answer 5

Jul 28, 2017 7:21 AM in response to Huub Toussaint

I just tried this with the latest app and iOS and it worked fine. The 'Export Health Data' at the bottom of your profile takes a few minutes to build a file that you can email or distribute using several methods, just as you would a picture or other file. Because the file will probably be fairly large (mine was about 20 MB), it would be a good idea to send it to your iCloud drive that you can access from your computer to retrieve.

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Answer 6

Drew Reece

Level 6

10,684 points

Oct 9, 2017 12:51 PM in response to Huub Toussaint

Good luck with getting a fix from Apple, I still recommend you visit a store to get a case started so you can get more follow up if nothing helps.

I don't believe the heart rate data is more granular when exported from the health app. As far as I know the App I linked to uses the same data source. I think you need to use a dedicated heart rate monitor to get long term accurate data instead of the Apple watch.

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Answer 7

Drew Reece

Level 6

10,684 points

Sep 26, 2016 12:35 PM in response to Huub Toussaint

For reference on iOS 9, in the Health app tap Health data > All, that has an export icon at the top that saves xml files inside a zip archive. Perhaps it is similar in iOS 10?

P.S. I read that heart rate data on the Apple watch was inaccurate whilst swimming so let us know if you have good data from it.

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Answer 8

Sep 26, 2016 12:15 PM in response to Drew Reece

I have a history (and a future) with exercise science applied to swimming. From that I know recording HR while swimming is difficult. The ECG (Heart rate signal) is often influenced by the EMG activity of the swim muscles when a heart rate band is used and electrodes are positioned on the chest. So when using these it takes time to have the right position of the electrodes, and (if the signal is not stored directly on the band) the transmitted ECG signal is often not captured ok in the pool where the aquatic surrounding is not especially helpful getting a good signal transmission.

In view of that I was not disappointed to see HR data on the watch interface while training in the pool.

So far I did 3 swim exercises with the apple watch 2. The first impression looking at my watch during interval training is that the HR values seem to be in the ball park seeing recovery of the HR during the pause between reps

Now I want to study the recording themselves to see how good the recordings are, but...

In iOS 10 the export button in the health app is well hidden (for me?) So far I could not find it...

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Answer 9

Drew Reece

Level 6

10,684 points

Sep 26, 2016 12:26 PM in response to Huub Toussaint

It's a 'box with upward arrow' for me…

http://0.tqn.com/d/ipad/1/S/L/8/-/-/share_button.png

I believe Apple made a fanfare about users having the ability to export their data when health app launched so it should still be possible. I'm not on iOS 10 so see if anyone has a better answer, otherwise see if this applies…

http://www.idownloadblog.com/2015/06/10/how-to-export-import-health-data/

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Answer 10

Sep 26, 2016 12:40 PM in response to Drew Reece

In the iOS10 version of the Health app you have to tap the 'round person image' right upper corner

it gives and overview of your name age gender etc.

scroll down....

below is a text export health data

I did, but the app reported an error

did it again and then the app just quit (crashed?)

Question: Where is the data from the health app exported to (supposed to be exported to (;-))?

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Answer 11

Drew Reece

Level 6

10,684 points

Sep 26, 2016 1:02 PM in response to Huub Toussaint

Sorry I don't know where it should go on iOS 10. I use the 'share icon' (box + arrow) and that prompts where to send the data (email, messages, third party apps).

This suggests it is the same…

http://www.howtoisolve.com/export-health-app-data-from-iphone-ipad-ios-10/

I would reboot & then confirm that sharing works in other apps, try sharing a link from Safari to see if iOS 10 is just being weird. Was the error vague or showing anything specific?

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Answer 12

Sep 27, 2016 12:26 AM in response to Drew Reece

when pressing the export health data :

a pop-up appears stating the app is preparing data export

after two-three minutes the app just quits I will try again after a reboot of the iPhone

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Answer 13

Sep 27, 2016 1:32 AM in response to Drew Reece

Tried to export the health data following the instructions above (for the iOS10 version of the Health App).

This after a reboot of iOS10.

Again the app just quits after 4-5 minutes.

(during the export procedure I kept the iPhone awake by touching the screen every minute or so and not engaging in other app activities)

Question: how to get the data out of the health app? or should I report a bug? or try finding the health app on my iPad ? (if there is an exchange via iCloud of these data?) or?

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Answer 14

Drew Reece

Level 6

10,684 points

Sep 27, 2016 10:25 AM in response to Huub Toussaint

Report a bug… apple.com/feedback

Also enable diagnostics in Settings > Privacy in the hopes that a crash log gets sent to Apple & someone acts on it.

I don't know of any way to export to iCloud, Apple have an obsession with privacy so I doubt they make that easy for anyone to do.

The idownload page I linked has a suggestion to use…

QS Access by Quantified Self Labs

https://appsto.re/gb/ocQ22.i

I don't know if it works but it seems worth trying?

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Answer 15