AW Steps

[guyguy17]

I know this topic has come up before with other AW users. My wife has an AW running 9.x and uses a walker to walk. Sometimes she carries the phone and other times she doesn't. Obviously, she wears the AW on the wrist.

Similar to a stroller or shopping cart, the AW is not recording her steps because both hands are on the walker pushing it. It is not feasible for her to swing one arm while pushing it. Yes, I understand swinging one arm or carrying the phone are the best methods to record the steps. However there may be times when you can't swing the arm or you want to leave phone behind or give it to someone to hold.

With that said, is there some other way the AW can record the steps while pushing a walker?

 

[StumpyBloke]

If she can’t move her arm then she will have to start a walking workout.

 

[Night Spring]

If she can’t move her arm then she will have to start a walking workout.

I don't know if that will count steps. It will record distance travelled, but steps might not increment.

 

[StumpyBloke]

I don't know if that will count steps. It will record distance travelled, but steps might not increment.

Ahh yes good point, you might be right!

 

[mikedis]

Yeah I've noticed significantly lower step counts when I work. I'm pushing a cart at work for my entire shift pretty much, so it doesn't count any of that. Or, it does, but at a much lower number.

I've toyed with the idea of putting the watch on my ankle, but I've read that messes up some of the biometrics too. Oh well.

 

[guyguy17]

Yeah I've noticed significantly lower step counts when I work. I'm pushing a cart at work for my entire shift pretty much, so it doesn't count any of that. Or, it does, but at a much lower number.

I've toyed with the idea of putting the watch on my ankle, but I've read that messes up some of the biometrics too. Oh well

My wife thought the same thing about putting her watch on her ankle. I didn't think it was a good idea.

 

[dukebound85]

Yeah I've noticed significantly lower step counts when I work. I'm pushing a cart at work for my entire shift pretty much, so it doesn't count any of that. Or, it does, but at a much lower number.

I've toyed with the idea of putting the watch on my ankle, but I've read that messes up some of the biometrics too. Oh well.

doesn't the phone and watch each record steps and merge data when appropriate?

 

[guyguy17]

If she can’t move her arm then she will have to start a walking workout.

I will look into it but I am not sure how that will help or achieve what she is looking for.

 

[StumpyBloke]

I will look into it but I am not sure how that will help or achieve what she is looking for.

Unfortunately it might not

 

[guyguy17]

doesn't the phone and watch each record steps and merge data when appropriate?

I would think so. However, if the person is not carrying the phone and only relying on the Watch then you may have some discrepancies.

 

[iStorm]

Yes, I understand swinging one arm or carrying the phone are the best methods to record the steps.

You don't have to be holding the phone and swinging it with your arm. It should still work if it's in a pocket, backpack, purse, armband, etc...as long as you're wearing it somewhere on your body. It's not trying to detect/count arm swinging motions, but rather a repetitive pendulum motion associated with walking (i.e. the phone moving in your pocket with each step you take, or the way your back sways back and forth as you walk).

That said...out of all these, I think a pants pocket would be the best option when using a walker.

 

[Night Spring]

My wife thought the same thing about putting her watch on her ankle. I didn't think it was a good idea.

Why not? I tried walking around my house with the Watch on my ankle, and it does pick up steps.

 

[Bichon]

Why not? I tried walking around my house with the Watch on my ankle, and it does pick up steps.

I'd think the biggest disadvantage is that it would be difficult to read the watch during exercise to see the step count, heart rate, distance, etc.

 

[guyguy17]

In my opinion, the Watch is meant for the wrist. With that said, my wife did try and wore it on the ankle despite my opinion but she tried it regardless. Although it did count the steps while pushing the walker it is not the best work around. I am thinking of the "what ifs" while wearing on the ankle. Plus, as pointed out by Bichon, how are you to look at the screen?

 

[Jackbequickly]

The step counter is far from being accurate. I get over 2000 steps riding my Toro, mowing the lawn

 

[iStorm]

In my opinion, the Watch is meant for the wrist. With that said, my wife did try and wore it on the ankle despite my opinion but she tried it regardless. Although it did count the steps while pushing the walker it is not the best work around. I am thinking of the "what ifs" while wearing on the ankle. Plus, as pointed out by Bichon, how are you to look at the screen?

A "what if" to keep in mind is Fall Detection. Is this a newer model that has this feature (Series 4 or later, or SE)? If so, would she be able to hear/feel that a false fall detection has occurred and be able to cancel it before it calls emergency services? (My mom's watch sometimes get triggered when it bumps into a wall, and even once while she was holding a vibrating board as it was being cut with a saw.) On the flip side, if she did fall and needed help...who knows if fall detection will even work. It's probably unlikely to detect falls accurately when worn that way.

 

[HDFan]

the AW is not recording her steps because both hands are on the walker pushing it.

I use my Ultra while shopping at Costco with my hands on the shopping cart which I assume would be the same. Works fine. Walking all the aisles at Costco I can get a mile indoor walk in. Does her watch have GPS, is it turned on in the workout app and location services?

 

[Astrohunter]

I remember sitting all day at desk and getting notification congratulating me for a lot of steps.

That function is a joke.

 

[DontGetTheCheese]

I’m not positive but I think you can set a step length. I might be thinking Garmin though.

 

[ndouglas]

I understand the frustration, I used to share it, yes even to the extent of trying to put the watch on an ankle, shoes, shoelaces (when bicycling). I can only suggest that you and your wife try to focus on the rings metrics instead of steps — perhaps they aren’t perfect, but I think they’re more relevant than steps. And whether they are or they aren’t, they don’t have the issue of the steps being counted.
That being said, having pushed a stroller very often recently, and remembering how my sister expressed similar frustration years ago with shopping carts and strollers not counting her steps, I find the watch _does_ count steps even when I’m pushing a stroller… perhaps there are a portion that don’t get counted, I don’t know for sure, but I noticed it does still count steps that way.