Today, smartwatches have become indispensable tools for those looking to monitor their health and physical activity; many others purchase them specifically to better understand their workouts.
This article will discuss the difference between active calories and total calories, one of the key metrics the Apple Watch provides during exercise and a common source of confusion for users. To fully grasp this difference, we must first cover some basics.
How Do We Burn Calories Throughout the Day?
We burn calories constantly, even if we don’t go to the gym or engage in physical activity; In fact, our bodies consume energy to maintain vital functions such as breathing, digestion, and heartbeats, a process known as basal metabolism. Therefore, actions like sitting, walking, watching television, or even sleeping burn calories, albeit to a lesser extent.
Of course, activities that don’t require much effort, like those mentioned above, only burn a small number of calories. Conversely, regular physical exercise results in a significant energy expenditure.
The number of calories burned depends on several factors such as:
- Age: Younger individuals tend to have a faster metabolism.
- Weight: The more a person weighs, the more calories they burn doing the same activity.
- Lifestyle: Naturally, someone with an active lifestyle will burn more calories than someone sedentary.
- Body Composition: Individuals with more muscle mass tend to burn more calories at rest.
The Difference Between Active Calories and Total Calories
Active calories are those burned specifically during physical activity, such as running, swimming, or lifting weights. The Apple Watch calculates this metric using advanced sensors that measure movement, heart rate, and other parameters during exercise. In some models, this data is displayed as active kilocalories (kcal), but the meaning remains the same.
On the other hand, total calories include both the active calories burned during the activity and the calories your body would have naturally burned at rest. For instance, in this case, the Apple Watch shows a total of 312 calories burned, broken down as follows:
- 252 active calories from the workout.
- 60 calories burned through basic bodily functions.
This means that if instead of exercising, you had chosen to stay on the couch watching a movie, you would have burned only the 60 resting calories.
This distinction emphasizes the importance of incorporating physical activity into your day, as it significantly increases your calorie expenditure. It also helps visualize how daily decisions impact overall health.
The Apple Watch Advantage Over Other Devices
It’s worth noting that this specific feature of the Apple Watch sets it apart from many other smartwatches on the market, which typically only display total calories, this lack of detail makes it harder to understand how much effort was truly contributed through exercise, the Apple Watch’s detailed insights allow users to better plan their routines and achieve their health goals.
How to View the Calories You’ve Burned on Apple Watch
The Apple Watch features the “Activity” app, which works alongside your iPhone to analyze and track your physical activity.
Among its functionalities, the app offers:
- Monitoring of calories burned throughout the day.
- Tracking how frequently you stay active.
- Personalized suggestions to help meet your daily goals.
To check the calories burned:
- Open the “Activity” app.
- Scroll down until you find the “Move” goal.
- View the calories burned so far.
Additionally, you can use the “Fitness” app on your iPhone to access a more detailed breakdown of your physical activity, progress, and additional metrics such as steps taken, distance covered, and weekly trends.