VO2 max for walking

Never walked where my HR was at least 70% of max hr for 10 minutes straight. Didn't know it would do so but apparently it should. My 5X only did while running or with a power meter on a bike. The Epix gives me Trail Running VO2max but I've been training at a lower HR the last 2 weeks so no VO2max readings or Status because of the HR threshold needed.

It's not in the manual but I believe that if you only walk you'll still get a VO2max. The detail and the why are buried somewhere in these forums. This might help a bit:

What is VO2max

Garmin takes running and cycling as the preferred activities (largely because that's where most of the research has been done and provided data) for VO2max.

can confirm - haven't been out running/cycling yet and my watch is calculating and updating my VO2max. Just went up a point today.

I do power walking a lot and have gotten V02 readings from walking.

Yes it does. I never run and don't have a chest monitor for bike rides, but I still get a VO2 max. But there seems to be a hitch. My training status on the watch reports a VO2 max of 43, achieved I am quite certain on a cycle on Wednesday. But on Garmin Connect it reads 42 from a walk on Thursday. 

Garmin actually calculates a different VO2Max for cycling vs running (or walking).  For example, my cycling VO2Max is 53 but my running is only 46 (which makes sense because I've been cycling for 1.5 yrs and only running for 1 month).  In the app, if you select Training Status / VO2 Max, it will show them both (and each will get updated as it gets a new reading from its respective activity).

With regards to walking, I have had it calculate VO2Max on a walk, but usually not.  I think either my HR doesn't get high enough, the walk isn't long enough, or it's not a steady enough pace most of the time.

Thanks all, It indeed also tracks my VO2 max when walking!

Travisimo said:

Garmin actually calculates a different VO2Max for cycling vs running (or walking).

Yes, but if you get a VO2Max after a Walking activity it is the Running (or general VO2Max). For cycling it requires a power meter. VO2 is stored in the cycling activity without a power meter but it will be the same as your current Running (general VO2).

Does anyone know how to get the vo2 max off cycling? Here its shown one after I once imported another user's fit file for comparison, for years the is there and the Garmin support clowns can not help. Delete the fit file helped nothing.

I have in recent days several "Walks" recorded about 9 km, a VO2 max was not calculated, but the usual other garmin ***.

On the 2nd day I was slower - I needed longer for the same distance, but the current pace (from which the VO2 max is calculated when running) was supposedly higher everywhere, in the map is red, where it was all green on the faster day.

The settings were the best (All + Multi scrap).

The VO2 max calculation within the clock has always been totally for the cat, if you're not using a Stryd (which does not work in winter in shoes with gaiters - I run with Dynafit SkyPro or La Sportiva Crossover 2). As soon as you come under trees, the whole calculation of the Current Pace (configure a data field for this) is anyway for the cat, because this sinks and this is used for the calculation of the VO2 max, not the corrected pace in connect (which is also ***)

I thought at first, the Epix Gen2 is better there, it is, but it still has the same stupid bugs at the end, as the Fenix 6. You run (or drive) on a straight track (meadow, no trees, no power lines) with constant speed north and have a pace of X, you do the whole south, you have X-0.5. Can you try super with an e-scooter or similar and a fixed speed.

It's all useless garbage and it will stay that way. At least Garmin has changed a few months ago that we all have the sport age "21" :-) Thus, an important reason to buy Garmin watches with FirstBeat is gone...

The use of a Stryd has a lot of advantages here anyway, because the power calculation also includes the headwind and climbs. The whole data is much more realistic and you can set up the Garmin so that it takes the pace (and also the power, which is not recommended - why, I do not understand), from the Stryd. But be prepared for the fact that the Vo2 max decreases for the time being, because the values just have less Garmin clown character.

Garmin says you need a heart rate of 70% or higher for 10 minutes for it to be able to calculate VO2 max.

I never get that high when walking but still after every walk it gives me a Vo2 max score.  Why is that?