Watch counts movement as exercise?

[dschulian]

I have got my watch yesterday, so this might be a very dumb question, but I have to ask:

Why does my watch counts my way to work as exercise?

Today in the morning, I just went from the subway station to the office (1.3km / 0.8 miles) when my watch tapped me and said something like "Well done, you've finished your exercise".

I went to my local Apple Store and a genius told me, that it has something to do with my heart rate & movement. But he wasn't quite sure.

Do someone of you know for sure how this works? I read the manual twice, but can't find something like "Everything counts as exercise".

And yes, I was in a rush.

 

[ipaine]

Anything above a brisk walk is classed as exercise. It makes the green ring a lot easier to fill, especially if you walk to work. If you want a challenge, raise your daily "Move" goal.

 

[virginblue4]

Watch counts movement as exercise?

Yes, I walk from the train station to work everyday, around an hour in total of walking so therefore fill my exercise ring

As previously stated, a brisk walk or above count as exercise.

 

[H3rman]

Any sort of movement like walking to and from the shops is still excercise. Just because your heart rate isn't up and you're not sweating it doesn't mean your body isn't working more and consuming more energy than it does when you are sat infront of the TV.

Hence, as mentioned above, anything that is a brisk walk and above counts as excercise.

 

[NAYo2002]

In my experience, this is one of the main differentiators between people who are relatively fit without going to the gym regularly, and those who claim they are out of shape even though they "work out."

If you're walking approx 2 miles daily for commute, it's probably better than those only going to the gym two or three times a week to do a light work out and not move around much otherwise. A lot of people seem to spend 45 mins of the hour they "work out" talking.

 

[stringbeanie]

Beta blockers = No green ring movement

The exercise ring doesn't budge if you are on beta blockers (these meds cause a low heart rate to decrease the workload on the heart if you have coronary artery disease, also used for blood pressure). I know this because my friend is on this medication and he never has any exercise registered even when going to the gym.

 

[BlueMoon63]

In my experience, this is one of the main differentiators between people who are relatively fit without going to the gym regularly, and those who claim they are out of shape even though they "work out."

If you're walking approx 2 miles daily for commute, it's probably better than those only going to the gym two or three times a week to do a light work out and not move around much otherwise. A lot of people seem to spend 45 mins of the hour they "work out" talking.

There is some truth to this but I built my own gym at home that has everything I need and I spent more than I care to say to make it worth it. I've had three knee surgeries and one back surgery that forced me to give up running. I lift weights 4-6 times per week with 2 days spent on core. In between each lift, I walk on the treadmill for my rest period to maximize the rest periods instead of talking. Lifting requires lots of rest time if you use lower reps and heavier weight. I could even wear a leather band watch if I wanted because the sweating is always kept at a minimum until I stop and then it pours. Also helps that I have multiple fans going.

The biggest advantage to lifting is the time after the workout ends versus walking. You can burn more calories after lifting than you got for a total 2 mile walk.

 

[Apples n' Stone]

If only my body counted movement as exercise, and by movement I mean typing. I would be pretty satisfied with the results.

 

[flur]

Any sort of movement like walking to and from the shops is still excercise. Just because your heart rate isn't up and you're not sweating it doesn't mean your body isn't working more and consuming more energy than it does when you are sat infront of the TV.

Hence, as mentioned above, anything that is a brisk walk and above counts as excercise.

AFAIK your heart rate does need to be somewhat elevated for the AW to see it as exercise, but not enough for you to be sweating (depending on the person, of course). At least that's what I've seen from it - if I'm out walking the dog and the watch is picking up my heart rate and it's elevated, it registers exercise. If it's slipped down my arm and can't get a proper reading or registers a lower reading (as it's missing some beats), it doesn't.

 

[Udder]

Here are my observations for getting "Exercise" Credit:

I walk typically over 10k steps a day. My office is part of a large campus with connected buildings so I can easily walk for 30 minutes indoors. But often, I get maybe 2 minutes or sometimes zero minutes of "Exercise" even though I was using the Activity App set to Indoor Walk for 30 minutes.

However, if I walk outside for 30 minutes at pretty much the same pace and heart rate (average 113) while using the "Outdoor Walk" setting for Activity, I get full credit for 30 minutes of "Exercise".

Also, if I walk on a treadmill indoors using the "Indoor Walk" setting, I usually get about 26 minutes of "Exercise" for my 30 minutes of actual walking.

My guess is that the Green Exercise Ring gives you more credit when you are doing an activity that has consistency. When I walk outdoors or on a treadmill, I for the most part never stop or slow down much. But when I'm walking around my office park indoors, I'm stopping to swipe my badge and open many doors along my route and my speed can vary a lot more.

I'd very much like to know how it really figures out what is Exercise and what is not. I can only report what I've experienced.