Besides providing easy accessibility to a lot of functions such as checking notifications, replying to text messages, etc., Apple Watch is also useful for tracking your activity. There are three types of activity rings on Apple Watch that you can set according to your preferences.
So, what is a good move goal on Apple Watch? No specific move goal is suitable for all individuals. You need to find the sweet spot through trial and error. If you are just starting out, 400 Kilocalories can be a good move goal. But if you live a more active life, you can set it to 800 or 1000 Kilocalories.
In this guide, I will talk about how move goals work and how you can set the right move goal for you. Let’s begin.
What Does Move Goal Mean on Apple Watch?
The move goal function on Apple Watch measures the calories you burn through your activities. These activities include walking, running, climbing, etc. Whenever you move from your position, this is counted as a calorie burnout and the move goal ring progresses toward the goal.
Among the three rings on the Apple Watch fitness tracker, you also have EXERCISE and STAND rings. The exercise ring only measures the activities that are brisk and fast-paced. For example, if you do a 30-minute Mixed cardio session, this will be counted toward the exercise goal.
And the third ring is the stand ring, which measures how many times you have stood up within a 16-hour period.
What Does Move Goal Track on Apple Watch?
Move goal on your Apple Watch mainly tracks the calories you burn throughout the day.
Remember, we burn some calories through talking or breathing. But that aren’t active burnouts and they aren’t counted toward the move goal. Your activity will only be counted toward the move goal if you actively burn calories.
Apple Watch will track your heart rate, pulse, position, etc., to determine if you become active and count that as actively burnt calories.
What Is a Good Move Goal on Apple Watch?
Now comes the most important question. To be honest, there is no specific move goal that will be perfect for everyone. The move goal should be set depending on your physical conditions, activity pattern, purposes, etc. Let me break it down further.
If you aren’t that active throughout the day due to a desk job, setting your move goal too high can be unattainable. And it will quickly frustrate you. So, starting with a lower goal, such as 300 kilocalories(KCAL), will be more suitable for you.
But an individual who has an active life due to outdoor jobs can easily set the move goal higher. Even if they set the move goal to 700 or 800 kilocalories, it will be attainable for them.
When someone wants to lose weight, the move goal should be high depending on their BMR and other factors. Also, if someone is doing a lot of exercise daily, their move goal can be as high as 1,000 or 1,200 kilocalories.
So, there is no concrete answer to this question. You just need to figure out your move goal.
How to Determine Your Move Goal?
If it seems tricky to figure out your move goal, use the following formulas. These will help you determine your move goal.
First of all, calculate your BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate. If you are an adult male, use this formula.
- 88.362 + (13.397 × weight in kg) + (4.799 × height in cm) – (5.677 × age in years)
If you are a female, change the formula to the following.
- 447.593 + (9.247 × weight in kg) + (3.098 × height in cm) – (4.330 × age in years)
Alternatively, you can use Online BMR Calculator for quicker and easier calculation.
Once you know your BMR, it will be easier to figure out the move goal. Consider the following situations to get your move goal.
- If you don’t do any exercise, multiply your BMR by 1.2 and the result will be your move goal.
- For individuals who do light exercise or play sports several days per week, the BMR should be multiplied by 1.375.
- If you are moderately active, which means you do exercise and play sports about five days a week, you should multiply the BMR by 1.55.
- For highly active people who exercise or play sports daily, the BMR should be multiplied by 1.725.
- If you are a hyperactive person, multiply the BMR by 1.9 to get your move goal.
For Example
Let’s assume you are a 20-year-old boy, weigh 70 kg, are 180 cm tall, and have a moderately active lifestyle (exercise/sports 3-5 days a week). Your estimated daily caloric expenditure would be:
- Calculate BMR: BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 × 70) + (4.799 × 180) – (5.677 × 20) = 88.362 + 937.9 + 864.72 – 113.54 = 1777.45 kcal
- Multiply by activity factor: Daily calorie burn = 1777.45 kcal × 1.55 (moderately active) ≈ 2756 kcal. So a good Move goal for you will be 2756 KCAL.
How to Set a Move Goal on Apple Watch?
Now that you know what should be your move goal, you need to set it up on your Apple Watch. The move goal is set to 300 by default. Follow the steps below to change this.
Launch the “Activity” app on your Apple Watch.
Scroll Up a little & Tap on the “Change Goals”.
Tap on the Plus (+) icon or Rotate the digital crown of your Apple Watch until your desired move goal is selected.
Once you see the desired goal selected, tap “Next” three times.
Your move goal is now set and you are ready to lead an active life.
Final Words
Setting up a Move goal on Apple Watch is pretty easy. But finding the right move goal based on persona is the most difficult thing here. You need to consider metabolism rates, activity patterns, weight loss goals, and other factors to select a proper move goal.
If the goal is too low, it might not challenge you that much. But if the move goal is too high, you will probably fail to achieve the goal and become demotivated. So, setting up a goal that you can achieve is the best way to keep your active streak untouched.
