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Freedom251 › Blog › Apple Health

How to Find Your Apple Watch VO₂ Max and Read the Cardio Fitness Result

By Freedom251 Team · · 2 min read

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On your iPhone, open Health > Browse > Heart > Cardio Fitness to see your Apple Watch VO₂ max estimate and its trend. Apple Watch estimates this value during supported outdoor workouts; it is not a direct laboratory measurement or a diagnosis.

What Apple Watch Cardio Fitness measures

VO₂ max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can consume during exercise. Apple Watch estimates it from heart and motion sensor data during Outdoor Walk, Outdoor Run, or Hiking workouts recorded in the Workout app. Indoor workouts, including workouts on gym equipment, do not contribute to the estimate. Apple documents support on Apple Watch Series 3 or later and an estimate range of 14–65 mL/kg/min. Apple’s feature guidance explains the supported activities and range.

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The estimate takes your age, sex, weight, height, and medications that can affect heart rate into account. Apple provides age- and sex-based classifications for people aged 20 or older. A category is a comparison group, not an individualized clinical assessment.

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How to find your Cardio Fitness score

  1. Open the Health app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap Browse > Heart > Cardio Fitness. On iPad, open Health and use the sidebar to find Heart, then Cardio Fitness.
  3. Select D, W, M, 6M, or Y to view day, week, month, six-month, or year data.
  4. Tap Show All Cardio Fitness Levels to view the available levels. Choose a level to compare results with the age- and sex-based groupings; Apple also provides averages for Female, Male, or All.

For Apple’s navigation instructions, see Track your cardio fitness levels.

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What the score and category can tell you

Read the category alongside the trend rather than treating a single estimate as a verdict. Apple labels categories Low, Below Average, Above Average, and High; the comparison depends on age and sex. The number is an estimate within Apple’s documented range, not a direct oxygen-consumption test. Apple’s cited support guidance does not set a universal clinical cutoff for an individual.

Apple says some health conditions or medications that limit heart rate can cause VO₂ max to be overestimated. Keep your Health profile details current. During workouts, wear the watch snugly on top of your wrist and select the workout type that best matches your activity; Apple says fit helps its sensors work. See Apple’s guidance on tracking cardio fitness and wearing Apple Watch.

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Why no estimate may appear yet

An initial estimate may take time to show. Apple says you may need to wear the watch for at least 24 hours, then record several supported outdoor workouts and allow passive measurements. Push workouts are not supported. Use Outdoor Walk, Outdoor Run, or Hiking in the Workout app rather than an indoor workout. Apple Support describes these requirements.

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Cardio Fitness notifications

Apple Watch can notify you when your cardio fitness is low for your age and sex. The watchOS guide says that if the result remains low, another notification may arrive every four months. To manage the setting on iPhone, open the Watch app and go to My Watch > Apps > Heart, then turn Cardio Fitness Notifications on or off. Details are in Apple’s watchOS guide.

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  • SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
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  • KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
  • WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
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Apple HealthApple Watchcardio fitnessFitness TrackingVO2 max

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