Using the Segments feature in the Apple Watch Workout app is a great way to track changes in exercise intensity over the course of a workout. It can also help you find out which activities in a mixed session push your body the most.
If your regular running route includes a hilly section, for example, using segments to indicate where it begins and/or ends lets you review how much time it takes to complete compared to the rest of your workout.
Or maybe you use your Apple Watch to track gym sessions that include various high-intensity strength training or mixed cardio exercises. Marking a new segment every time you move to another piece of equipment or perform a different exercise will give you a better idea of how effective each activity is at burning calories.
How to Mark a Segment During a Workout
- Launch the Workout app on your Apple Watch.
- Choose a workout type to track from the list, then go ahead and start your workout.
- To divide your workout into two segments, simply raise your wrist and double-tap on the screen. The time elapsed becomes Segment 1 of your workout, while the remaining time becomes Segment 2.
- To create a third segment in your workout, just double-tap on the screen again. Repeat this action as many times as you want.
How to View Segment Metrics on Your iPhone
- Launch the Activity app on your iPhone.
- Tap the Workouts tab.
- Select the workout in which you recorded segments.
- In the workout summary screen, locate the Segments section just above the heart rate graph, and tap the chevron alongside it to reveal your numbered segments with stats for duration and calories burned.
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Top Rated Comments
I've sent Apple a long tirade of feature requests around this. In the "good ol' days" even the electronic trackers were essentially dumb. With the Watch, IMO, there is zero technical reason it could not be location / speed / altitude / cadence / movement aware... and integrate that into the exercise app. For example, there are exercise tracking programs for both indoor and outdoor walking AND running... as four separate activities. Given that the watch has a built-in accelerometer, plus GPS and altitude info, it could easily detect the difference between walking, jogging and running (based on speed), plus note the difference in performance metrics on flat land, up-hill, down-hill, etc. In theory it should even be able to detect the rapid back-and-forth movements of doing cardio on machines, such as elliptical, treadmills, perhaps even rowing machines.
I've even suggested opening the exercise app to 3rd party add-ons. Imagine integrating "track my X" into the exercise app. Not only would it track body metrics, but actually show your efforts on a map. This could permit extending the watch's capabilities to support many different movement-based exercises.
For the triathlon scenario, the watch should already be able to detect the difference in movement types between running, swimming and cycling.
Sure, we're still early in the Watch development cycle, and I'm very happy with what is does now. With continued evolution the future could be great!
I agree that the Apple Watch could be so much more. If only Apple would focus less on emojis, Animojis, and other ojis, and simply focused on things that really matter instead. The Apple Watch has so much potential as an exercise device, hopefully they will devote more attention to it one day.