Why (and How) to Put on Your Apple Watch on Your Ankle

The Apple Watch—and different smartwatches—are designed to be worn in your wrist. However why not put on it elsewhere? I’ve worn an Apple Watch on my ankle to maintain it out of the best way throughout kettlebell exercises, and that’s additionally a typical placement for individuals who stroll whereas they work, or who’ve a job or pastime that isn’t suitable with fixed watch-wearing. So how do you do that, why would possibly you do that, and is the information actually simply as correct? Right here’s what you’ll want to know. 

Easy methods to put on your Apple Watch in your ankle

Let’s get the “how” out of the best way first. When you’ve got small toes (and ankles), you possibly can simply slip your common wristband onto your ankle. I discover that with a sport loop (the velcro band) I can totally loosen it, and simply barely handle to slip it over my foot. 

What’s simpler, although, is detaching one finish of the wristband from the watch. Wrap it round your ankle, after which fasten the band. You continue to want a little bit of size on the band to have the ability to shut the velcro, however this works for me (and is quite a bit simpler than taking my shoe off). 

All that stated, there’s an excellent less complicated manner: Purchase your self an extra-long strap that may simply suit your ankle. (It’s also possible to put on it in your bicep, when you want.) 

Why folks put on their Apple Watch on their ankle

There are two sorts of folks on this world: those that hear about ankle straps and go “why?” (or “doesn’t that appear like an ankle monitor?” which, no, it doesn’t) and those that go “in fact,” as a result of they both do it themselves or instantly see the utility. These are a number of the most typical causes: 

• To depend steps whereas your arms aren’t transferring, for instance when you stroll on a treadmill whilst you work or get in most of your steps whereas pushing a stroller or cart.

• To maintain your be careful of the best way throughout actions like boxing (the place you would possibly put on wraps or gloves) or kettlebell exercises (the place the load usually rests towards your wrist).

• To adjust to guidelines about not carrying watches at work—for instance, surgeons or manufacturing facility employees who have to hold their wrists unadorned.

Positive, you can resolve a few of these issues with a special machine like a Whoop, however why pay the subscription charges when you can simply get an ankle strap for the smartwatch you have already got? For sports activities, I’d argue it’s greatest to make use of a chest strap to observe your coronary heart price, however I’m not the smartwatch police. You do what you want. 

How effectively does the Apple Watch depend steps when worn in your ankle? 

To reply this query, I did some assessments. I walked on a treadmill for 3 minutes per take a look at, at 3.0 miles per hour (a traditional strolling tempo). I had an Apple Watch Sequence 10 on both my left wrist or left ankle, and for comparability a Garmin Forerunner 265S on my proper, paired to a chest strap. 

I counted steps the quaint manner (“one, two, three…”) and realized that I sometimes take 105-110 steps per minute at this tempo. Right here’s what I acquired from my gadgets: 

• Strolling usually, arms swinging at my sides: 320 steps on Apple Watch, 322 on Garmin

• Strolling with my arms resting on the treadmill handlebar in entrance of me: 318 steps on Apple Watch, 0(!) on Garmin

• Apple Watch on the within of my ankle: 326 steps on Apple Watch, 326 on Garmin (notice: this place on my ankle was fairly uncomfortable.)

• Apple Watch on the surface of my ankle: 315 steps on Apple Watch, 308 on Garmin

The Apple Watch acquired practically the identical step depend for all the assessments, wrist and ankle, which shocked me. I used to be equally shocked that the Garmin counted none for the take a look at the place my arms have been resting on the handlebar. 

Whereas that is the end result I acquired with a pleasant new Sequence 10 Apple Watch, it’s doable that older fashions and different manufacturers of watch might not decide up steps as effectively whereas your arms aren’t transferring, or that it might rely upon precisely what you’re doing—typing versus simply resting, for instance. 

How correct is the Apple Look ahead to coronary heart price when worn in your ankle? 

Apple watch on ankle, proven in purple; chest strap coronary heart price in blue.
Credit score: Beth Skwarecki

For coronary heart price, the story was a bit totally different. It appears to be onerous for the sensor to get a very good contact with pores and skin when worn on a physique half as lumpy and cell as an ankle. I’ve seen this anecdotally—it was a difficulty throughout these kettlebell exercises I did earlier than I acquired a chest strap—so I assumed I’d take a look at it right here as effectively. 

And I did, certainly, discover that the ankle-mounted watch didn’t seize an correct coronary heart price. My assessments have been too brief to be very conclusive, however on my wrist, my coronary heart price from the watch diversified in a normal-looking sample, kind of preserving tempo with the chest strap. On the ankle, I tended to get a flat studying, seemingly with none constant relationship with the chest strap. I wouldn’t suggest counting on the center price knowledge from an ankle-worn Apple Watch, though to be sincere anybody who cares about accuracy ought to simply get a chest strap already. A $25 Coospo will do the job simply advantageous.