Apple is expanding the range of cardiovascular fitness that can be measured in the Apple Watch. From today, the health app will classify users as having “high,” “above average”, “below average” or “low” cardio exercise. Low doses will trigger the announcement.
The watch monitors fitness by a metric called VO2 max, which is the amount of oxygen your body uses during movement or exercise. The Apple Watch has already been monitoring users’ average and high VO2 highs during exercise. This update expands its scope and allows users to see their positions as they walk around, not just as they work.
Apple Says It monitors the lower limits of VO2 max by using watch sensors such as a heart rate monitor and accelerometer. Typically, VO2 max is calculated using special equipment in a laboratory when one is exercising on a treadmill or other equipment.
“Apple Watch now brings low cardio fitness levels directly from a clinic to a user’s wrist, so people are becoming more aware of how to improve their long – term health through daily activity,” said Apple CEO Jeff Williams. News release.
Wearing a watch is definitely less time consuming than going to a lab, but it may not be accurate. Studies Compared to a routine lab test of the Garmin and Polar smartwatches, it found that the watches were about 5 percent disabled. Apple did not say how well the watch compares to traditional, medical VO2 maximum measurement methods.
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