Strava on iOS - no calories for workout/martial arts activities (Apple Watch ultra 2 + Garmin hrm)

[OrestF]

Hi all. I’m recording my activities mostly with Strava app on my Apple Watch Ultra 2 and collecting heart rate stats with Garmin hrm connected to it.

This setup perfectly works for running/cycling/walking/swimming, and not working at all for workouts or martial arts, such as boxing. It is not possible to wear watch during boxing training, so I’m forced to take it off, having only Garmin hrm on me. The struggle is that Apple Watch is not able to keep recording training activity when it’s off my wrist (big thanks to apple for that). So my only option to record activity is to start recording on my phone. And here is a catch - recording Strava activity using mobile phone results into missing calories, despite I have my Garmin hrm on me. 

My questions are:
1. Is it possible to add calories for Strava activities where heart rate data is collected? I saw that only running/walking/cycling/hiking are currently supported, but I do not need high precision in those values.

2. Is it possible in to add to Strava trainings such as boxing etc ?

p.s. I know that Garmin watch has no such issues, but i’m not planning to switch. Also, it is not an option for me to disable auto-lock on Apple watch, otherwise contactless payments  with watch will mot be available.

[Jane · Accepted solution]

Hello @OrestF 

Thanks for your post. 

Sorry, it is not possible to manually add calories where heart rate data is collected.

Strava shows Calories as they were provided to us by upload partners. If no value is sent, or you record with the Strava mobile app, we use our own calculations. At this time, Strava only performs a calorie calculation on a ride, run, walk, and hike activities. All other activity types will not display calories when you use the Strava Mobile App to record them, even if you are recording HR data.

Find out more about calories on Strava here

You can add an activity manually, however there is not an option to add calories on manual entries. We don't currently support Boxing as an activity type on Strava, but you could use "Workout" instead.

Instructions on adding manual activities are here

Unless you wear your Apple Watch during boxing workouts (and of course I understand why you can't), there isn't a way to get calories on those workouts.

Here's a potential workaround:  If you are using calories to compare the output of your activities, I'd recommend taking a look at your Relative Effort scores across your activities. Relative effort is available for any activity where you record heart rate, and provides a way to analyze your efforts and intensity trends over time.

Find out more about relative effort here

I hope I've answered your questions and please let me know if you need additional information.