Use the six-minute walking test score (6MWT) on Apple Watch to monitor your fitness

How to find six-minute walk score on Apple watch health

Your Apple Watch helps collect important biometrics such as resting heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), and cardio fitness scores via VO2 max (maximal oxygen uptake) that provide deeper insights into your overall fitness and health.

But the automatically calculated 6MWT score (six-minute walking test) is a significant health indicator that Apple Watch users often overlook.

Related reading

What is the six-minute walking test?

The six-minute walking test is a standardized, self-paced assessment tool commonly used to assess functional ability.

It is also a valuable tool in the management of heart failure patients.

According to studies, reduced functional ability and exercise tolerance in patients with heart failure (HF) are associated with poor quality of life and a worse prognosis.

The 6-minute walking test (6MWT) is a widely available and well-tolerated test for assessing the functional capacity of patients with HF. 

Although the cardiopulmonary exercise test (a maximal exercise test) remains the gold standard for evaluating exercise capacity in patients with HF, the 6MWT (submaximal exercise test) may provide reliable information about the patient’s daily activity. 

Simply put, the Six-minute walking test score measures the distance covered in six minutes by a user.

Apart from the six-minute walking test score, Apple incorporates a new Cardio fitness score, which helps you quickly determine your overall cardio fitness.

Apple Watch and 6MWT Score

For Apple Watch owners using watchOS 7 and above, Apple incorporated mobility metrics into its health and wellness offerings.

The 6MWT is one of those available metrics. Apple automatically calculates your 6MWT score averages over a period of time, usually each week (7 days of data.) 

Apple calculates your score using the motion and workout data from your Apple Watch with a maximum estimated distance is 500 meters (about 1/3 a mile.)

How to check your 6MWT score on Apple Health

  • To get your 6MWT estimate, wear your watch at least 8 hours a day for at least three days each week.
  • To see your walking test result, you must also have worn your watch for 8 hours/day at least ten times over the previous four weeks.
  • Calibrate your Apple Watch to get the most accurate data.

With your Apple Watch on, perform your usual daily physical activities and workouts for at least seven days. We also suggest using the Workout app on your watch when going for a walk or when exercising.

Once you have your baseline data, launch the Health app on your iPhone and follow the steps below to check out your 6MWT score.

  • Tap on the Browse tab at the bottom of the screenWhere is Six minute walking test score on Apple Watch
  • Select Respiratory or Mobility from the listed health categoriesHow to find Six minute walk score on Apple iPhone
  • Your six-minute walk score is visible at the top of the screen under the Past 7 Days.
  • Tap on it to see your weekly, monthly, and yearly averages and details by day.

    Apple Six minute walk score by day, month and year
    Tap on D, W, M, and Y at the top to check daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly Six-minute walk scores.

The health app shows the 6MWT score corresponding to the past seven days by default.

It shows how many meters you can walk on flat ground over six minutes.

The more fit you are, the higher number.

According to Apple, this prediction is considered a measure of your exercise capacity. Longer distances are associated with healthier cardiac, respiratory, circulatory, and neuromuscular functions. 

Not seeing your 6MWT data? Health app on iPhone six minute walk test meters

Check out this troubleshooting article Apple six-minute walking test data missing and shows no data? Check out these tips

How is the 6MWT generally calculated?

There are standard equations that help with calculating the 6MWT score. Here is one that uses your body mass index and age.

For men, 

An equation to calculate the 6MWT score using body mass index (BMI) is as follows

6 MWD = 1140 m – (5.61 × BMI) – (6.94 × age)

and for women,

6 MWD = 1017 m – (6.24 × BMI) – (5.83 × age)

You can use this to validate the Apple Watch scores and should find that you are within 95
% of the reported scores.

Since 6MWT is a functional test, the score depends on the patient’s condition and dramatically varies.

Tip for senior Apple Watch users

This is a great metric also for our aging family members.

If you recently bought an Apple Watch for a senior family member, you should show them how to track the six-minute walk score and have them regularly review it with their physicians.

According to Cardiology Advisor,

“In a systematic review of the use of the 6 MWT in heart failure trials, a 6 MWD <300 m does predict poorer outcome in stable heart failure patients.

Severe impairment in 6 MWT scores is also seen in (Pulmonary arterial hypertension patients) PAH. There is an inverse relationship between WHO/NYHA clinical status and 6 MWD in PAH.

Six MWT <300 m is an adverse prognostic indicator in PAH. Conversely, 6 MWD >400 m is a favorable prognostic indicator.”

Apple expands on Mobility Metrics by including Walking Readiness Score with iOS 15+

Apple has expanded the mobility metrics with iOS 15+. Users can now check out their walking readiness score.

According to Apple, more than 37 million people each year require medical attention due to a fall, which can often be a tipping point for more severe conditions and a loss of independence.

In addition to the 6MWT test, Apple has developed a more accessible way to track your overall functional movement strength by evaluating “Walking Readiness Scores.”

walking steadiness scores in Mobility metrics
New feature added to Apple Health in iOS 15
Walking Steadiness uses custom algorithms to assess balance, stability, and coordination through built-in motion sensors on iPhone.
This first-of-its-kind metric was established using real-world data from the Apple Heart and Movement Study, with more than 100,000 participants across all ages — the most extensive data set ever used to study fall risk.
 
In addition to alerting users of possible fall risk, Walking Steadiness helps users meet their stability goals.
Users can choose to receive a notification when their score is Low or Very Low and be directed to curated visual exercises based on clinically validated methods to increase strength and balance.
 

What is an excellent 6MWT Score?

The minimum 6MWT score found from a study of more than 600 adults was about 418.

As you exercise more and feel better, this score will automatically increase.

Having said that, you should consult your doctor if you notice your 6MWT score to be within 300 – 400 or less.Is my Apple 6MWT score normal?

If you are in the normal range and want to improve your 6MWT score systematically,  stay tuned for a curated Apple Fitness+ class on improving walking. 

Previous articleGet to know the 21 Apple Fitness+ trainers who get your fitness goals back on track in 2021
Next articleThe Burn Bar takes your workout to the next level in Apple Fitness+
Sudz Niel Kar
I am a technologist with years of experience with Apple and wearOS products, have a BS in Computer Science and an MBA specializing in emerging tech, and owned the popular site AppleToolBox. In my day job, I advise Fortune 500 companies with their digital transformation strategies and also consult with numerous digital health startups in an advisory capacity. I'm VERY interested in exploring the digital health and fitness-tech evolution and keeping a close eye on patents, FDA approvals, strategic partnerships, and developments happening in the wearables and digital health sector. When I'm not writing or presenting, I run with my Apple Watch Ultra or Samsung Galaxy Watch and closely monitor my HRV and other recovery metrics.

4 COMMENTS

  1. I am an avid walker and use the outdoor walk on the Workout app regularly. My main disappointment in this is that the app doesn’t show the number of steps in the app itself. To check the step count one has to exit the workout app, go to the relevant watch face, and scroll down!

    • Yes, Lala. We agree that Apple is missing out on not showing your step count in the Workout app. You can see your step count in the Activity app-it’s just a little more hidden.

        Open the Activity app on your watch
        Scroll down past your rings and your move/exercise/stand hours
        Just under the graph that shows activity by the time, you see your day’s step count
  2. I have a apple series 7 and can’t seem to be able to get anything on 6mwt. I see where it should show up but no numbers appear on chart. Is there a timer or something I need to press to get it to record for 6mwt?

    • Hi John,

      The 6mwt is something Apple calculates passively, in the background. So you don’t need to press anything or set it up–in fact, at this time you can’t!

      What helps is using the Workout app on your walks and choosing Outdoor Walk. Going on multiple short walks of about 500 meters (1/3 of a mile) using the watch’s Workout app may also help generate walking test results.

      And calibrating your watch may also help generate this data.

      Make sure you wear your watch for at least 8 hours/day and at least 3/days per week.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.