How To Fix Apple Watch Not Counting Outdoor Walk As Exercise

Have you ever encountered an issue where your Apple Watch fails to count your outdoor walk or jog as exercise?

I recently faced this problem and was left wondering if there was a particular setting I needed to turn on to have it count.

After some digging, I found a few solutions that worked for me. So, if you are also struggling with this issue, here are some suggestions that may help fix your Apple Watch not counting your exercise activities.

Fix #1: Start a Workout

If you are planning to begin a workout, you may find it helpful to open the Fitness app on your Apple Watch to access the details of your activity.

Your Apple Watch considers walking to be a form of fitness exercise.

To ensure that your walk is counted as exercise, you need to make sure that your watch arm is moving, your heart rate is elevated and consistent, and you maintain a brisk pace of fewer than 20 minutes per mile.

Fix #2: Check your Workout Pace

If you want to customize the metrics displayed during your workout, you can do so in the Workout section of the Watch app. Specifically, if you select Outdoor Walk, you can opt to display the “Current Pace” metric on the screen.

This will allow you to monitor your pace during the walk and keep it under 20 minutes per mile. If your watch has an Always On Display feature, it’s a good idea to use it during the walk.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Apple Watch uses GPS to calculate pace and distance. Therefore, you need to cover some ground before the watch can accurately measure your speed.

To help you maintain a brisk pace, you may find it helpful to use a metronome. You can set it to a pace that feels comfortable for you and use the clicks to help you stay in the zone.

Every time you complete a walk of over 20 minutes at a consistent pace, the watch will use this data to help calibrate its measurements.

Fix #3: Raise Your Heart Rate

It’s important to raise your heart rate if you want the Apple Watch to count your walk as exercise.

Simply going for a regular walk may not be enough to trigger the exercise detection on your Apple Watch.

Depending on your age and other settings, you will need to walk energetically and maintain a constant heart rate above a certain threshold for at least 10 minutes for the watch to start counting the workout minutes.