Are you finding that your energetic dance workouts aren’t being properly recorded as exercise by your fitness tracker? You’re not alone. Many users, especially those using devices like Apple Watches, have noticed discrepancies in how dance workouts are measured compared to other types of exercise. This seems to stem from changes in heart rate threshold settings for dance activities.
Users have reported that after recent software updates, the heart rate needed to register dance as exercise appears to have increased significantly. For instance, one user observed that their heart rate now needs to consistently exceed 110 bpm for a dance workout to be credited as exercise. Previously, for activities like core or yoga, the threshold seemed to be lower, around 90-100 bpm. This change can be incredibly frustrating, particularly when you’re putting in a solid effort and burning calories during a 30-minute dance session, only to receive exercise credit for a fraction of that time, perhaps just 20 minutes.
This issue raises questions about the accuracy of fitness trackers in capturing the intensity of dance workouts. While heart rate is a key metric, the dynamic and varied movements in dance, which can include bursts of high intensity followed by periods of lower intensity, might not be accurately reflected by a fixed heart rate threshold. It’s possible that algorithms designed for more linear exercises, like running or cycling, aren’t perfectly calibrated for the unique demands of dance.
One suggested workaround, though not ideal, is to use the “Other” workout setting on devices when engaging in dance fitness. While this might capture the duration and some calorie burn, it may not specifically account for the nuances of a dance workout. Ideally, the “Dance” workout option should accurately reflect the exercise benefits of dancing without requiring an excessively high heart rate threshold to register activity.
For dance fitness enthusiasts, the hope is that future software updates will address these concerns and recalibrate the dance workout settings on fitness trackers. Accurate tracking is crucial for motivation and for providing a true picture of one’s fitness progress. In the meantime, understanding the potential for heart rate threshold issues can help users interpret their workout data and potentially explore alternative tracking methods or workout categories to ensure their dance efforts are properly recognized.
