Wearable technology has become an indispensable companion for individuals striving to achieve their health and wellness goals. Some people love it, some think it’s nothing more than a faddy distraction.
However you feel about it, the Apple Watch, renowned for its sleek design and cutting-edge features, has emerged as a popular choice among fitness enthusiasts.
However, when it comes to tracking indoor activities, such as treadmill running or walking, the accuracy of this smart device often comes into question.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore and explain the Apple Watch’s performance on treadmills, covering its strengths, limitations, and potential solutions to enhance its precision.
The Accuracy Conundrum
Smartwatches like the Apple Watch have undoubtedly come a long way in terms of tracking outdoor activities with remarkable accuracy, thanks to their advanced accelerometers and GPS capabilities.
However, when it comes to treadmill workouts, the absence of GPS data presents a unique challenge. Without the aid of satellite navigation, the Apple Watch must rely solely on its accelerometer to measure and calculate metrics such as distance, speed, and calories burned.
Accelerometers, while essential for detecting motion and gathering data, are inherently susceptible to external factors like arm swing and directional changes. This can lead to discrepancies between the distance recorded by the Apple Watch and the actual distance covered on the treadmill.
It’s not uncommon for users to notice significant variations between these two measurements, a flaw that plagues most fitness trackers and smartwatches when operating without GPS data.
Calibrating for Indoor Running
While the Apple Watch’s out-of-the-box accuracy on treadmills may not be optimal, there is a solution that can significantly improve its performance: calibration.
Calibrating an Apple Watch involves a process of “training” the device to better align with your unique walking or running pace.
By providing your Apple Watch with a baseline reference, it can then use this data to make more accurate calculations for future workouts.
How to Set Up Calibration to Improve Accuracy
Calibrating your Apple Watch for treadmill use is a straightforward process that can yield remarkable results.
To begin, ensure that the “Motion Calibration & Distance” feature is enabled on your iPhone. This can be done by navigating to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services and toggling the corresponding option.
Once enabled, follow these steps to calibrate your Apple Watch for treadmill workouts:
- Wear your Apple Watch and launch the Workout app.
- Select the “Indoor Run” or “Indoor Walk” option, depending on your preferred activity.
- Before starting the workout, tap the three horizontal dots and set a goal if desired.
- Start your treadmill session and exercise for at least 20 minutes, allowing your Apple Watch ample time to gather the necessary data.
- Upon completion, your Apple Watch will have calibrated itself based on the information collected during your workout, enabling more accurate tracking for future treadmill sessions.
It’s important to note that during the calibration process, you should move your arms naturally, mimicking your typical running or walking form. This will help the Apple Watch’s accelerometer capture a more realistic representation of your movements.
Resetting Calibration Data
If, at any point, you become dissatisfied with the accuracy of your Apple Watch’s treadmill tracking, you have the option to reset the calibration data and start anew. This process effectively erases any previously stored data used for calibration, allowing you to recalibrate your device from scratch.
To reset your Apple Watch’s fitness calibration data, follow these simple steps:
- Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
- Navigate to the “My Watch” tab.
- Scroll down and select “Privacy.”
- Tap on “Reset Fitness Calibration Data.”
After completing these steps, your Apple Watch will no longer rely on any previously calibrated data, providing you with a clean slate to recalibrate according to your current fitness level and preferences.
Third-Party Treadmill Apps
While the built-in Workout app on the Apple Watch offers decent treadmill tracking capabilities, several third-party apps have been specifically designed to enhance this.
These apps often incorporate advanced algorithms and features tailored for indoor running and walking, potentially improving accuracy and providing additional insights.
Here are a few popular treadmill apps for the Apple Watch that are worth exploring:
- Nike Run Club: Renowned for its comprehensive suite of features, Nike Run Club is not only an excellent treadmill app but also one of the best running apps available for the Apple Watch. It allows users to track treadmill sessions accurately, offers audio-guided runs, coaching plans, and the ability to set running intervals, among other features.
- Runkeeper: As one of the most popular running apps, Runkeeper seamlessly integrates with the Apple Watch, providing a reliable experience for both outdoor and indoor workouts. Its ability to function without an iPhone, combined with features like interval tracking, makes it a compelling choice for treadmill enthusiasts.
- Aaptiv: Treadmill workouts can sometimes feel monotonous, but Aaptiv aims to inject excitement into the experience. With over 2,500 music-driven, trainer-led workout sessions, goal-setting capabilities, and Apple Watch compatibility, Aaptiv offers a refreshing approach to indoor fitness.
These apps, along with many others available on the App Store, can potentially enhance the accuracy and overall experience of treadmill workouts when paired with your Apple Watch.
Treadmill vs. Apple Watch: Which Should You Trust?
While the Apple Watch’s tracking capabilities have improved significantly over time, treadmills themselves often provide more accurate distance measurements.
This discrepancy arises from the fundamental differences in how each device calculates distance.
The Treadmill’s Advantage: Distance
Treadmills calculate distance by counting the number of rotations the belt makes, a process that is inherently more precise due to the fixed length of the belt. As the belt rotates, the treadmill can accurately measure the distance traveled based on the number of revolutions, providing a near-inch-perfect reading.
In contrast, the Apple Watch relies on its accelerometer and motion sensors to estimate distance, which can be influenced by various factors such as arm swing, stride length, and running form. Without the aid of GPS data, the Apple Watch’s distance calculations may not be as accurate as those provided by the treadmill itself.
This doesn’t diminish the value of using the Apple Watch for treadmill workouts; rather, it highlights the importance of leveraging its strengths in monitoring other metrics, such as heart rate, calories burned, and overall workout duration.
By combining the treadmill’s accurate distance data with the Apple Watch’s fitness tracking capabilities, users can gain a well-rounded understanding of their indoor workout performance.
The Apple Watch’s Advantage: Calorie Burn
While distance tracking is a crucial aspect of indoor workouts, many fitness enthusiasts also place significant emphasis on monitoring calorie burn. In this regard, the Apple Watch and treadmills may offer varying levels of accuracy, each with its own strengths and limitations.
The Apple Watch is equipped with an array of advanced sensors that monitor and record various physiological activities, such as heart rate, skin temperature, and movement patterns. By integrating this data with your personal information, including medical history, body measurements, and exercise routine, the Apple Watch can provide a more comprehensive and personalised estimate of calories burned.
In contrast, most treadmills employ a more generalised mathematical approach to calculate calorie expenditure, taking into account factors like age, height, weight, elevation, and distance travelled. However, they lack the sophisticated sensors and personalisation capabilities found in the Apple Watch.
The key to optimal results is to use the best of both pieces of technology and use them together.