I’ve had the opportunity to use the Apple Watch for a while now, and I must say that it does a pretty good job of tracking different types of exercises. However, when it comes to counting steps, it’s not as straightforward as you might think.
One thing to keep in mind is that the Apple Watch primarily focuses on tracking your active minutes rather than just steps. This means that it values the time you spend exercising more than the number of steps you take. This is actually a good thing because there are many activities that can count as steps but aren’t really steps, like riding a bike or using an elliptical machine.
When it comes to indoor cycling specifically, the Apple Watch does have a specific workout mode for it called “Indoor Cycle.” When you start a workout in this mode, the watch will track metrics such as your heart rate, distance, and calorie burn. However, it won’t count these cycling movements as steps since you’re not actually taking steps while cycling.
I personally find this approach to be more accurate and useful. When I’m cycling indoors, I’m not really concerned about the number of steps I’m taking. Instead, I want to know how long I’ve been exercising, how intense my workout was, and how many calories I’ve burned. The Apple Watch does a great job of providing this information.
Of course, if you want to track your steps while cycling, you can always use a third-party app that specializes in step counting. There are many apps available in the App Store that can sync with the Apple Watch and provide you with step count data. However, keep in mind that these step counts may not be as accurate as the ones provided by the watch itself.
The Apple Watch does not count indoor cycling as steps, but rather focuses on tracking your active minutes and providing you with more relevant exercise metrics. It’s a smart approach that takes into account the different types of activities we engage in and provides us with more useful information.