Feature Request Description
Summary:
I would like to suggest two closely related features that make it easier for Garmin users to never miss recording a workout:
- Automatic activity detection prompt when a sustained elevated heart rate is detected.
- Post-event activity reconstruction using already recorded heart rate and motion data.
1️⃣ Automatic Activity Detection Prompt
When the watch detects a continuously elevated heart rate (for example, above the user’s normal resting range for more than 5 minutes), it should:
- Vibrate and display a prompt such as:
“It looks like you’re exercising. Start recording this activity?”
- Allow the user to select Yes or No.
- If “Yes,” start recording immediately.
- Optionally, let the user choose between favorite activity types (defined in settings) or edit the activity type later in Garmin Connect.
This would prevent missed recordings when users forget to manually start an activity.
If battery consumption is a concern, this feature could simply be optional, allowing users to enable or disable it based on personal preference.
2️⃣ Post-Event Activity Reconstruction
If the user realizes after finishing a workout that no activity was recorded, the watch or Garmin Connect should allow creating an activity retrospectively for a selected time range.
The system could then automatically pull existing data — such as heart rate, motion, and estimated calories — from the all-day tracking logs for that period.
This would generate a “reconstructed” activity entry containing approximate metrics, rather than leaving a complete gap in the user’s history.
️ Accuracy Considerations
These two features involve different accuracy aspects:
- For the real-time detection prompt, accuracy depends only on recognizing a genuine and sustained increase in heart rate. Minor misdetections can be easily corrected by the user simply selecting “No.”
- For the post-event reconstruction, Garmin could clearly mark the resulting entry as
“Based on historical sensor data — accuracy may vary.”
As an end user, I am fully aware that such reconstructed activities may not perfectly match a live-recorded session. However, having approximate heart rate, duration, and calorie information is still vastly better than losing the activity completely.
The data already exists in the watch memory; this feature would simply make it accessible and meaningful.
Why This Matters
- Users often forget to start an activity, especially for spontaneous workouts.
- The watch already tracks 24/7 heart rate and movement, so both features could be implemented using existing data sources.
- Many users have requested similar functionality in the Garmin forums for years.
- Marking reconstructed or auto-detected sessions as such would address Garmin’s data-integrity concerns without restricting user control.
In short: I would like my Garmin device to help me never miss a workout again — either by prompting me in real time, or by letting me reconstruct it afterward using existing data.
Using VivoActive 6. thank you for consideribg this update
