The Apple Watch Activity Rings are pointless

[grammatica]

I have a feeling that Activity Rings were built for office workers or a similar lifestyle.

1. Stand Ring: Office workers spend a significant portion of their day sitting. The most useful feature of this ring is the stand reminder. While standing for a minute earns you credit, most people actually stand for longer periods once reminded. For example, they might take a break to use the restroom or drink water.
2. Exercise Ring: The Exercise Ring is for activities that exceed a brisk walk. It uses the sensors and biometric data to determine whether the activity qualifies as exercise. While Apple Watch can count certain movements as exercise, it’s advisable to initiate a workout to ensure that the movement is credited.
3. Move Ring: This ring counts the calories burned during any movement, such as arm movements, reaching for a glass, bending to tie a shoe, or walking. It’s the most useful because it provides a more accurate representation of the effort you put into an activity. The fewer calories burned, the less you’ve moved, and vice versa.

Apple Watch is very basic. In my opinion, nutrition education is vastly more effective at achieving healthfulness.

Whoop, for instance, provides strain for exercise to show how much effort one puts into the workout. Apple Watch has training load, but again, it's basic. (Also keep in mind that the ring completion goals can be adjusted to be lower or higher.)

This Apple webpage provides some information on the Activity Rings.

 

[BenGoren]

Eh, the rings aren’t meant as a guarantee of health. And the fact that the goals are all adjustable tells you immediately that they’re explicitly *NOT* meant to compare health across individuals.

They’re simply meant to move people in a better — or even merely “less bad” — direction. That’s all.

They’re not going to turn you into an Olympic athlete. They’re not even going to turn you into a weekend warrior. Indeed, for people that active, they’re redundant at best.

But they do do an awful lot to improve (even if only marginally) the health of the overwhelming majority of the people who use them. Even your friend … maybe she still won’t live to 75, but the rings are going to add at least a year or two to her life, and isn’t that alone worth it? Plus, there’s no shortage of people who started as couch potatoes who began closing their rings and then slowly, gradually developed an active, healthy lifestyle. For many, activity is addictive, and the watch is the “Want some candy, little child?” first hit that starts (and often propels) the habit.

Perfection the rings are assuredly not. But why make perfection the enemy, especially when they actually do something to make huge numbers of people’s lives a bit better?

Turn off the rings if you find them distracting, especially if you’re particularly active. But I would heartily encourage anybody and everybody who’s insufficiently active (a depressingly large fraction of the population!) to get an Apple Watch (or Fitbit or whatever), just for the rings, and simply be a slave to them as much as is tolerable. It’s the most brainless way to meet government guidelines for activity … a low bar, to be sure, but for those not even clearing that, it’s a really freakin’ big deal!

b&

 

[kevcube]

I have to ask, why was the Stand Ring even created? There is no way for the Activity app to know what is happening during this “stand session”, as seen above, so it shouldn’t even be seen as a health benefit.

what happens during the stand session is unimportant, as long as the person stood. the stand ring is just to prevent you from spending 6 continuous hours in a chair, which can be unhealthy for your spine.

the exercise ring is a count of minutes where you are active and your heart rate is above a certain threshold (afaik, it's kind of a black box). walking uphill is exerting and difficult but maybe because you do it regularly, your heart rate doesn't breach the limit for it to be considered exercise for the entire duration of your walk. you're definitely filling your "move" ring while doing those uphill walks though.

I agree that the rings are imperfect, sometimes I will be standing (and walking) but holding my wrist in some orientation that doesn't register as a stand (when cooking is one example) and there's issues with my stand ring. I have a friend on heart medications who can do exercise which is very exerting to him, (weightlifting, jogging) but because of his medications his heart rate is limited, meaning he has a hard time closing his exercise ring.

On a recent trip I would spend the entire day walking with someone at the same pace and intensity, they'd have 90 minutes of exercise and I'd have 19.

The way rings are calculated isn't perfect and it's highly dependent on one's body, but they are a well-meaning measure. if an obese person gets a watch and increases their activity level just a little to close their rings, it's a net-positive. but they shouldn't perceive their rings as the final measure of health. just a motivational and sometimes competitive tool.

 

[laszlo182]

I usually close all of my rings in the first two hours of my day.

how are you able to close your stand ring in two hours? the minimum you can set it to is 6.
do you sleepwalk all night? 😅

 

[jclardy]

The problem is you are expecting a fitness coach from the apple watch, when it is just a measurement tool. In the same way, someone can go to the gym every day and see no benefit as they continue to lift the same 5 pound weights.

Should it be more proactive? Probably so, but it is a difficult problem when your audience is 100 million people - the rings can't just mean "walk 20 miles" because someone that can't walk half a mile will hurt themselves trying that on day one, or at the very least, just give up. And for someone that runs marathons, that goal is too easy.

Maybe the goal setting should be more involved - IE "You have had the same move goal for the past month with a 100% completion rate, it's time to move it up!" and actually force the increase, rather than suggesting it once a week. But even with that people will be unhappy once the system has pushed them up to a limit to where their schedule can't accommodate it, and their 1000 day streak ends...then it becomes a de-motivator. I think "streaks" was probably the wrong way to go from the start, but with 10 years of history and 100 million people using the device it becomes difficult to turn the ship in a different direction.

Trends would likely be more forgiving (You can miss a day or two, and still keep improving the days after), and more encouraging of increasing output, rather than being content to stay the same to ensure you hit the bare minimum.

 

[ATmahe]

I get all of the points everyone mentions here.
Everyone can use the rings (or the data) how they like and how it fits their needs.
If a value is useless for you => ignore it.
If you are aiming at a specific value => set it.
It's just a matter of how you set it up and how you use the data (in the end, you just get datasets presented)

I see them as a tool, not as motivation and for sure not as a metric for how healthy/wealthy/whatever I am or my live is.

They give me a good baseline to compare different days, so I know I moved more or less.
But that's it, I don't care about if I close them or not.
I've set them to values which I usually reach on a normal day, of course not too easy but also not hard.

 

[ZiBart]

You should be proud that you got a young obese person moving more than they were before and opened the door for a healthy lifestyle . And Not taking it as an ego hit because the concept seems unfair to your lifelong commitment to fitness and discipline. Rings dont fix “Janes” 22 year old immaturity, age will. The rings arent a “fairness” enforcer. It tries to motivate basic movement in the most broadly appealing manner and to all levels of fitness for those that need reminders. You are not one of those that need it. Your friend does. Its working for your friend, as even the “little” that she does to get them closed is better then not closing them. The hope is that “Jane” picks up a new life habits and awareness of movement and as the years go on, understands the benefits and improves on them. If you want to be specific in your competition and the quality of the activities, then compare exercise mins instead and log your activities as workouts. And if you are so competitive, just compare vo2 max data. But i have a feeling “Jane” would just tell you to take a hike.

 

[doogm]

I have to ask, why was the Stand Ring even created? There is no way for the Activity app to know what is happening during this “stand session”, as seen above, so it shouldn’t even be seen as a health benefit.

It is intended to remind people to get up and walk around at least once an hour (the name is stand, but it actually means stand and move around for at least a minute) due to studies that show that people are often too sedentary, and is a reaction to the reports that came out ten-ish years ago that are often summarized (I think incorrectly) that "sitting is the new smoking".

That said, I agree with you about the value of the stand ring, especially for me. I workout 75 minutes a day, and often get up and move, so I don't need it, plus sometimes I will be sitting in a chair and sometimes get a notification that I've successfully stood for the hour.

The Exercise Ring

I intentionally walk uphill because it requires more effort than flat terrain. Many times I notice my Apple Watch reporting that I have walked 4 or so miles, most of it uphill, but the Exercise Ring only reports 19 minutes of exercise for the entire walk. Now, someone please explain to me how a person can walk for 4 miles, most of it uphill, and only show 19 minutes of exercise for it. Four miles of walking usually takes me over an hour.

The green ring minutes are awarded for moving at a brisk pace, not just moving. See number 2 at https://support.apple.com/en-us/105002

Every full minute of movement that equals or exceeds the intensity of a brisk walk counts toward your daily Exercise and Move goals. With Apple Watch Series 3 or later, your cardio fitness levels are used to determine what is brisk for you. For wheelchair users, this is measured in brisk pushes. Any activity below this level counts only toward your daily Move goal.

To make sure that you earn Exercise credit during walks, allow the arm with your Apple Watch to swing naturally. For example, while walking your pet, let the arm with your watch swing freely while the other holds the leash.

If you need both hands while walking, for example to push a stroller, you can still earn Exercise credit with the Workout app. Open the app on your Apple Watch and tap Outdoor Walk. The Activity app relies on arm motion and an accelerometer to track movement, but the Workout app can use the accelerometer, the heart rate sensor, and GPS.

I'd suggest starting a workout if you want the most accurate credit for the green ring, especially if you are walking mostly uphill - the watch doesn't take into account terrain or GPS location unless you are running a workout. For me I need to walk about 19 minutes/mile to get credit for my walking pace - anything slower and I do not.

 

[TechRunner]

Living in America, the land of rampant obesity and monstrous portion sizes, I'm all for ANY device or app that encourages/nags people to move through the day. I've worked in hospitals and have seen the effects of a lack of any kind of movement.

 

[weather34]

firstly the rings are just relative indicators if you really want your rings to shift relatively to your 4 mile uphill walk/running use the workout . also don’t assume the rings are accurate or the data . doesn’t matter wether you use garmin, fitbit, apple all will reflect differently be it by a small margin or a large margin.(a man who wears two watches never knows the correct time) at the end of the day their just algorithm's from the various sensors. apple watches do a good job at motivating it certainly motivates me at times to get off my ass and go for a walk but i don’t obsess with the data and i don’t frown upon the brand sometimes you just accept and hope for improvements in the near or far future . the apple watch has evolved slowly over the years not in appearance just under the hood. dont compare it to military training because no is calling you out no one is beside you being competitive or attempting to humiliate you its just you and your watch

 

[Sophytaylor6@]

For me, they are really helpful. They help to do more exercise and set better goals. I can actually track my daily calorie count and results with this ring.

 

[thefourthpope]

I submit a clarification: The rings are useless for interpersonal comparisons, but do offer value for comparing one’s own activity over another extended period.

As one example, I’ve found that a goal of 700 on the move ring correlates to my having done something active that day — a yoga session, good walk, extended bike ride, etc. Sometimes I hit 700 on a lax day, but more often than not it means I’ve been active. That provides objective utility for me.

 

[TokyoKiller]

Did I mention that I actually went to medical school? And served in the military as a combat medic? I do have some idea of what I’m talking about when it comes to physical fitness. Is it such a bad thing to try and bring this topic to light in the hopes that I might benefit others?

No one asked about your background nor does anyone care. If you feel like you have to wear it like a badge to prove your point then maybe the problem lies with you.

Gosh I am exhausted from these threads and rants with no substance and bias up the ying yang. If you don't like the product just don't buy it and stop using it.

 

[Jackbequickly]

I do not pay much attention to the rings.

 

[Howard2k]

I submit to you that the Apple Watch Activity Rings are pointless. Let me explain.

I purchased an Apple Watch series 10, cellular version, for the purposes of determining if I could leave my iPhone at home and just wear my Apple Watch when I’m out and about. So far it is working out perfectly, except that I find the Activity Rings horribly misleading.

The Stand Ring

I typically walk 10 to 15 miles per day with a 20 mile hike once per week - I’m ex-military and enjoy walking/hiking. I’m 62 years old, 145 lbs. and can lift 150 lbs. with moderate effort. I usually close all of my rings in the first two hours of my day. I have a friend, I’ll call her “Jane”, who brags that she also “closes her rings daily”. Jane is overweight and sits in front of the television most days. I visit her often and she typically stands for 60 seconds each hour in order to close her Stand Ring. Sometimes Jane uses this time to walk to the fridge to grab a Dr. Pepper and then to the cabinet to grab a candy bar or potato chips and then plops back down in front of the television. I have invited Jane to walk around the block with me but she needs several breaks, complains of “sweating too much” and that it “takes too much effort”. Besides, she says, “I close all of my rings so I’m being healthy.” She is 22 years old.

I have to ask, why was the Stand Ring even created? There is no way for the Activity app to know what is happening during this “stand session”, as seen above, so it shouldn’t even be seen as a health benefit.

We both close all of our Apple Watch rings daily, but which of us do you think has a good chance of seeing their 75th birthday. Think about it; exactly how many obese 75 year old people have you ever seen?

The Exercise Ring

I intentionally walk uphill because it requires more effort than flat terrain. Many times I notice my Apple Watch reporting that I have walked 4 or so miles, most of it uphill, but the Exercise Ring only reports 19 minutes of exercise for the entire walk. Now, someone please explain to me how a person can walk for 4 miles, most of it uphill, and only show 19 minutes of exercise for it. Four miles of walking usually takes me over an hour.

Is it really a challenge?

I see lots of people responding to various Apple Watch Activity Challenges with “easy peasy”, or “make it harder next time”. A challenge is defined as something that test’s one’s abilities. Is it really a challenge if it is so easy to complete? I remember one of the badges in the Apple Watch Activity app stating “earn this badge after completing a 5-minute workout.” A 5-minute workout?! One cannot even complete a proper warmup in 5 minutes, let alone an entire workout.

The best workout log

I was told years ago by a weightlifting trainer: “you can write down whatever you want in your logbook. But your body will log your true workout activity.” And he was right.

Conclusion

I’m fully aware that I can disable all health tracking on the Apple Watch. I did that last month and the watch seemed to burn through the battery life much faster. So, I reenabled the fitness tracking so I could go back to charging the watch every evening. Don’t get me wrong, the Apple Watch series 10 is a wonderful device for what it does. But, what about the people who think Apple know what they’re doing and rely on the Activity Rings for physical fitness?


Dear Apple: I really feel that this “close your rings” BS needs to stop.. it’s clearly pointless from a physical health perspective. Go spend four weeks with military basic training and you’ll learn the true definition of “physical fitness”.

1) You can customize the ring targets to match your own requirements and goals.
2) Walking workouts are not auto-detected. Although you might have a significant difference between your casual walking speed and your exercise walking speed, many don't. You should always kick off a walking workout manually when you're walking.

They're not perfect. I'd argue that it's a much better system than the "10,000 steps" that many people use, but certainly you'll need to tailor it.

 

[smirking]

Walking workouts are not auto-detected.

It may not know the difference between a workout and a stroll but it will ask if it detects an extended walk. It’ll also ask if you’ve finished if you forget to end it.

I wish it would ask for other kinds of workouts too. So often I’ll be doing weights and forget to end the workout.

I also wish they made it easier to edit workouts. You can only delete ones that you messed up on and replace them with new entries that lose some of your workout data in the process.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Some observations.

I am 5'11 and very large (width wise). My wife is 5'1 - much smaller. I can walk at a good pace and my heart rate stays way below 120 bpm while her heart rate is often much higher for the same walk (trying to keep up with me). So her Apple Watch always counts exercise minutes on our walks while mine does not.

I believe 120bpm was the threshold for what the watch considers "exercise" minutes?

Most relatives / friends who share Apple Watch stats with me have their calories for their rings set super low (200-450 calories). I have mine set to almost 700. I have to go on a jog or a good walk to close my rings and I get up frequently enough that my stand hours always complete. But my wife spends many hours in a lab sitting and has a difficult time completing her stand ring.

 

[ignatius345]

I just wish they were simpler. I used to watch my "move" ring and try to close it. But then I got an Apple Watch, and now the display is this weird concentric circles thing I just find annoying.

 

[ForkHandles]

I submit to you that the Apple Watch Activity Rings are pointless. Let me explain.

I purchased an Apple Watch series 10, cellular version, for the purposes of determining if I could leave my iPhone at home and just wear my Apple Watch when I’m out and about. So far it is working out perfectly, except that I find the Activity Rings horribly misleading.

The Stand Ring

I typically walk 10 to 15 miles per day with a 20 mile hike once per week - I’m ex-military and enjoy walking/hiking. I’m 62 years old, 145 lbs. and can lift 150 lbs. with moderate effort. I usually close all of my rings in the first two hours of my day. I have a friend, I’ll call her “Jane”, who brags that she also “closes her rings daily”. Jane is overweight and sits in front of the television most days. I visit her often and she typically stands for 60 seconds each hour in order to close her Stand Ring. Sometimes Jane uses this time to walk to the fridge to grab a Dr. Pepper and then to the cabinet to grab a candy bar or potato chips and then plops back down in front of the television. I have invited Jane to walk around the block with me but she needs several breaks, complains of “sweating too much” and that it “takes too much effort”. Besides, she says, “I close all of my rings so I’m being healthy.” She is 22 years old.

I have to ask, why was the Stand Ring even created? There is no way for the Activity app to know what is happening during this “stand session”, as seen above, so it shouldn’t even be seen as a health benefit.

We both close all of our Apple Watch rings daily, but which of us do you think has a good chance of seeing their 75th birthday. Think about it; exactly how many obese 75 year old people have you ever seen?

The Exercise Ring

I intentionally walk uphill because it requires more effort than flat terrain. Many times I notice my Apple Watch reporting that I have walked 4 or so miles, most of it uphill, but the Exercise Ring only reports 19 minutes of exercise for the entire walk. Now, someone please explain to me how a person can walk for 4 miles, most of it uphill, and only show 19 minutes of exercise for it. Four miles of walking usually takes me over an hour.

Is it really a challenge?

I see lots of people responding to various Apple Watch Activity Challenges with “easy peasy”, or “make it harder next time”. A challenge is defined as something that test’s one’s abilities. Is it really a challenge if it is so easy to complete? I remember one of the badges in the Apple Watch Activity app stating “earn this badge after completing a 5-minute workout.” A 5-minute workout?! One cannot even complete a proper warmup in 5 minutes, let alone an entire workout.

The best workout log

I was told years ago by a weightlifting trainer: “you can write down whatever you want in your logbook. But your body will log your true workout activity.” And he was right.

Conclusion

I’m fully aware that I can disable all health tracking on the Apple Watch. I did that last month and the watch seemed to burn through the battery life much faster. So, I reenabled the fitness tracking so I could go back to charging the watch every evening. Don’t get me wrong, the Apple Watch series 10 is a wonderful device for what it does. But, what about the people who think Apple know what they’re doing and rely on the Activity Rings for physical fitness?


Dear Apple: I really feel that this “close your rings” BS needs to stop.. it’s clearly pointless from a physical health perspective. Go spend four weeks with military basic training and you’ll learn the true definition of “physical fitness”.

The Stand Ring

The lymphatic system cleans out all of the gunk (lactic acid et al) from the body. It doesn’t have a pump like the blood system does, it only moves the lymphatic fluid around when your muscles are agitated. This needs to happen all of the time, hence stand up and move every hour as a minimum.

Cheating rings is easy, but we know cheats don’t prosper!!

 

[Parowdy]

To the contrary, Jane would complete a workout in 5 minutes flat (lining).
jk
On a serious note, how does the Apple Watch need more battery when it doesn’t track anything??

 

[Timpetus]

Who knows, one day the Apple Watch might save that persons life.

Mine helped save my life! I was in a motorcycle accident and it alerted my wife and emergency services while I was still unconscious. I might not have died without it, but it undoubtedly helped get EMS to me faster than without it.

 

[seek3r]

I submit to you that the Apple Watch Activity Rings are pointless. Let me explain.

I purchased an Apple Watch series 10, cellular version, for the purposes of determining if I could leave my iPhone at home and just wear my Apple Watch when I’m out and about. So far it is working out perfectly, except that I find the Activity Rings horribly misleading.

The Stand Ring

I typically walk 10 to 15 miles per day with a 20 mile hike once per week - I’m ex-military and enjoy walking/hiking. I’m 62 years old, 145 lbs. and can lift 150 lbs. with moderate effort. I usually close all of my rings in the first two hours of my day. I have a friend, I’ll call her “Jane”, who brags that she also “closes her rings daily”. Jane is overweight and sits in front of the television most days. I visit her often and she typically stands for 60 seconds each hour in order to close her Stand Ring. Sometimes Jane uses this time to walk to the fridge to grab a Dr. Pepper and then to the cabinet to grab a candy bar or potato chips and then plops back down in front of the television. I have invited Jane to walk around the block with me but she needs several breaks, complains of “sweating too much” and that it “takes too much effort”. Besides, she says, “I close all of my rings so I’m being healthy.” She is 22 years old.

I have to ask, why was the Stand Ring even created? There is no way for the Activity app to know what is happening during this “stand session”, as seen above, so it shouldn’t even be seen as a health benefit.

We both close all of our Apple Watch rings daily, but which of us do you think has a good chance of seeing their 75th birthday. Think about it; exactly how many obese 75 year old people have you ever seen?

The Exercise Ring

I intentionally walk uphill because it requires more effort than flat terrain. Many times I notice my Apple Watch reporting that I have walked 4 or so miles, most of it uphill, but the Exercise Ring only reports 19 minutes of exercise for the entire walk. Now, someone please explain to me how a person can walk for 4 miles, most of it uphill, and only show 19 minutes of exercise for it. Four miles of walking usually takes me over an hour.

Is it really a challenge?

I see lots of people responding to various Apple Watch Activity Challenges with “easy peasy”, or “make it harder next time”. A challenge is defined as something that test’s one’s abilities. Is it really a challenge if it is so easy to complete? I remember one of the badges in the Apple Watch Activity app stating “earn this badge after completing a 5-minute workout.” A 5-minute workout?! One cannot even complete a proper warmup in 5 minutes, let alone an entire workout.

The best workout log

I was told years ago by a weightlifting trainer: “you can write down whatever you want in your logbook. But your body will log your true workout activity.” And he was right.

Conclusion

I’m fully aware that I can disable all health tracking on the Apple Watch. I did that last month and the watch seemed to burn through the battery life much faster. So, I reenabled the fitness tracking so I could go back to charging the watch every evening. Don’t get me wrong, the Apple Watch series 10 is a wonderful device for what it does. But, what about the people who think Apple know what they’re doing and rely on the Activity Rings for physical fitness?


Dear Apple: I really feel that this “close your rings” BS needs to stop.. it’s clearly pointless from a physical health perspective. Go spend four weeks with military basic training and you’ll learn the true definition of “physical fitness”.

The point is it gamifies working out, my wife calls it “becoming a human tamagachi” and it helps motivate plenty of people. Just because it doesnt work for your friend doesnt mean it’s pointless

Also, as someone who has gone through a chunk of military PT, the idea that the only true real workout is that structure is absurd gatekeeping of *exercise*. I think you need to go outside and talk to real people, you’ve been on the internet too long

 

[TechRunner]

my wife calls it “becoming a human tamagachi”

Perfect! That's a great description of the purpose and use of the rings. I might have to borrow that for my less-inspired friends and family.

 

[IJustWannaTalk]

It’s purely to get you standing up every hour. Here’s how Apple defines it:

Close your Stand ring by getting up and moving around for at least 1 minute during 12 different hours in the day​

This makes sense, as I swear I've seen studies that show it doesn't matter how much you're moving in the hours you are, but that you are avoiding sitting for extended times.

You simply can't outwork your inactivity, the stand ring is a way of encouraging people to shorten time sitting in a row, which could trigger more walking or exercising.

It's a useful metric.

 

[IJustWannaTalk]

how are you able to close your stand ring in two hours? the minimum you can set it to is 6.
do you sleepwalk all night? 😅

An excellent question.