I Use This Garmin + Claude Setup Every Day — Here's an Example

Day 109: I Use This Garmin + Claude Setup Every Day

Since connecting Garmin to Claude through MCP, I don't run a single one-off analysis and close the chat. It's more like a conversation I keep coming back to — ask a question, get an answer grounded in my actual data, ask a follow-up.

Connect Garmin to Claude

This uses the free, open-source garmin_mcp project. No coding experience needed — every step is copy-paste.

Step 1: Open a terminal

On Mac: Press Cmd + Space, type Terminal, and press Enter.

On Windows: Press the Windows key, type PowerShell, and press Enter.

Step 2: Install uv (a small required tool)

The Garmin MCP server runs through uv, a free tool that downloads and runs it for you — including Python itself, so you don't need to install Python separately. Paste the command for your system into the terminal and press Enter:

Mac:

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

Windows (PowerShell):

powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

Text will scroll by — that's normal. When it stops and shows a new cursor, it's done. You only ever need to do this once on this computer.

Step 3: Log in to Garmin, from the terminal

Still in the same terminal window, paste this and press Enter (the first run may take a minute, since it also downloads a small Python runtime automatically):

uvx --python 3.12 --from git+https://github.com/Taxuspt/garmin_mcp garmin-mcp-auth

It will ask for your Garmin email, password, and — if you have it enabled — your MFA code. Type each one and press Enter. This saves a secure login token on your computer, valid for about six months, so Claude will never have to ask you to log in again.

Step 4: Download the Garmin MCP extension

Go to the project's Releases page and download the latest garmin-mcp.dxt file, listed under "Assets".

Step 5: Install it in Claude Desktop

Open the Claude desktop app (download and install it first if you haven't already), then drag the garmin-mcp.dxt file you just downloaded straight onto the Claude Desktop window. You can also double-click the file, or go to Settings → Extensions → Install Extension and pick it manually.

Claude shows a short configuration screen for the extension, with optional fields like token path, email, and password. Because you already logged in during Step 3, leave every field empty and just confirm — Claude uses your saved login automatically.

Step 6: Restart Claude Desktop

Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop, then start a new conversation. Your Garmin data is now available to Claude directly, with no export and no copy-pasting.

If something goes wrong: if Claude says it can't find uvx, type which uvx (Mac) into the terminal, copy the path it prints, and paste that full path into the extension's "command" field instead of uvx. Your login token lasts about six months — if Claude suddenly stops seeing your data, just repeat Step 3.

Ask it anything

Once connected, you can ask things like:

• "How has my resting heart rate trended over the last month?"
• "Am I overtraining based on my last two weeks?"
• "Compare my sleep on training days versus rest days."
• "Build me a plan to reach [goal] based on where I actually am right now."

That last one is the one I get asked about most. Here's the exact prompt.

Turn two weeks of data into a real plan

Fill in your goal at the top, then let Claude read your actual Garmin numbers before it plans anything:

[explain your goal here, for example: run 10 miles in 6 months]

Before building a plan, pull my last 14 days of training and health data from Garmin:
- All activities: type, distance, duration, pace, average/max HR, elevation, perceived effort if logged
- Training load and Training Status (productive, maintaining, overreaching, etc.)
- VO2max trend
- Resting HR and HRV trend
- Sleep score average and consistency
- Body Battery and stress trends
- Any current injuries, pain, or recovery flags if mentioned in activity notes

Use this data to establish my current baseline fitness level, honestly — don't assume a generic starting point. Then build a training plan to reach the stated goal by the target date.

The plan should:
- Start from where my data actually shows I am now (weekly volume, pace, long-run distance, recovery capacity), not an idealized starting point
- Progress volume/intensity gradually, respecting a sensible weekly increase (~10% or less) and account for my current Training Status and recovery trends — back off progression if HRV/sleep/Body Battery show I'm already under strain
- Include a weekly structure (easy runs, one quality session, long run, rest/cross-train days) appropriate for the goal
- Flag any specific risk areas based on my data (e.g. low resting heart rate variability, poor sleep consistency, high training load already) and how the plan accounts for them
- Break the plan into phases (e.g. base building, build, peak, taper if relevant) with approximate weekly mileage/duration targets per phase
- Note 2-3 checkpoints where I should reassess (e.g. week 4, week 10) based on how my Garmin metrics are trending, not just the calendar

Output as a clean, well-formatted document (Word doc): summary of current baseline, the phased plan with a week-by-week or phase-by-phase table, key risks flagged, and reassessment checkpoints. Keep language direct and practical, no fluff.

The difference versus a generic training plan template: Claude starts from your real weekly volume, your real recovery capacity, and your real training status — not an idealised beginner or intermediate profile. If your HRV and sleep already show strain, it backs off the progression instead of blindly adding 10% every week regardless of how you're actually doing.

Why this beats a one-off export

Because the connection stays live, you don't have to repeat the export-and-upload dance every time you want an update. Ask again next week, and Claude reads your latest data automatically — no re-exporting, no stale numbers.