Start a workout directly from your watch face
Open the Workout app on your Apple Watch by pressing the Digital Crown (the round button on the side) and tapping the Workout icon, which looks like a person running. The app shows you a list of workout types: Running, Walking, Cycling, Swimming, Elliptical, Rowing Machine, Stair Stepper, and others depending on your watch model and watchOS version.
Tap the workout type that matches what you are about to do. Your watch will ask you to confirm, then show a three-second countdown before it starts recording. During the workout, your watch tracks your heart rate, calories burned, distance (for outdoor activities), and time. When you finish, press the red stop button on the screen, then swipe left and tap "End" to save the workout.
If you start the wrong workout type by mistake, you can stop it before the three-second countdown ends and choose a different one. Once the countdown finishes and recording begins, you will need to end that workout and start a new one if you want to switch types.
Key Takeaways
- Press the Digital Crown and tap the Workout app to see all available workout types your watch can track.
- Select your workout type, confirm, and let the three-second countdown finish before your watch begins recording.
- Your watch records heart rate, calories, distance (for outdoor activities), and time automatically during the workout.
- Press the red stop button when you finish, swipe left, and tap "End" to save the workout to your Health app.
- You can add a custom workout name or notes after you end the session, and the data syncs to your iPhone automatically.
Choose the right workout type for what you are doing
Apple Watch offers built-in workout types for common activities. Running and Walking use GPS (if your watch has it) to track distance and pace. Cycling also uses GPS and records elevation gain. Swimming turns off the screen to save battery and uses motion sensors instead of GPS, since GPS does not work underwater.
For gym activities, choose Elliptical, Rowing Machine, or Stair Stepper if they match your equipment. These do not use GPS because you stay in one place. If your activity is not on the list — say, rock climbing or martial arts — tap Other at the bottom of the workout list. The watch will still track your heart rate and calories, but will not measure distance or pace.
The workout type you choose affects what data your watch collects and how it calculates calories. Picking the closest match to your actual activity gives you the most accurate heart rate and calorie data.
Add a workout after the fact if you forgot to log it
If you finished exercising and did not start a workout on your watch, you can add it manually through the Health app on your iPhone. Open Health, tap the Browse tab at the bottom, then tap Workouts. Tap the plus sign in the top right corner.
Select the workout type, then enter the start time, end time, and any other details like distance or calories. You can also add notes. Tap Add, and the workout appears in your Health app and syncs back to your Apple Watch. This manual entry will not have the detailed heart rate data that a recorded workout captures, since your watch was not tracking during the activity.
Manual workouts are useful for activities your watch cannot track well — swimming in a pool where you lose signal, or a class where you could not wear your watch. For regular activities you do often, logging them as you go gives you better data over time.
Understand what data your watch records during a workout
Every workout records your active calories (energy burned during the activity) and total calories (active calories plus what you would have burned at rest). Your watch also tracks your average heart rate and peak heart rate during the session. For outdoor activities like running or cycling, it records distance, pace or speed, and elevation gain if your watch has an altimeter.
The watch stores this data locally and syncs it to the Health app on your iPhone when the two devices are near each other and connected. You can view detailed breakdowns — like your heart rate zones during the workout, or a map of your route — in the Health app on your iPhone, but not on the watch itself.
The accuracy of distance and pace depends on GPS signal strength. Outdoor workouts in open areas are more accurate than those in dense urban areas or under tree cover. Indoor workouts do not use GPS, so distance and pace are estimated based on your arm motion and heart rate.
Customize your workout settings and view options
Before you start a workout, you can customize what information appears on your watch screen during the activity. Open the Workout app, select your workout type, and look for a settings icon (usually a gear or three dots). Tap it to choose which metrics you want to see — for example, distance, pace, heart rate, or calories.
You can also set goals for your workouts. In the Workout app settings on your watch, you can choose to end a workout automatically when you hit a calorie goal, distance goal, or time goal. If you do not set a goal, the workout continues until you manually stop it.
On your iPhone, open the Watch app, go to Workout, and you can turn on notifications for achievements like personal records or milestone distances. You can also choose whether to include workouts in your daily activity rings — most workouts count toward your Move ring automatically, but you can change this setting per workout type.
Sync your workouts across devices and check your history
Your completed workouts sync automatically to the Health app on your iPhone as long as your watch and phone are connected via Bluetooth and signed into the same Apple ID. The sync usually happens within a few minutes of ending the workout, but can take longer if your phone is far away or offline.
To view your workout history on your iPhone, open the Health app, tap Browse, then tap Workouts. You see a list of all your logged workouts with dates, types, duration, and calories. Tap any workout to see detailed metrics like heart rate zones, pace changes over time, or a map of your route.
On your Apple Watch, open the Workout app and scroll down to see recent workouts. Tap any past workout to see a summary. If you have multiple Apple devices — an iPad or Mac — your workouts appear in their Health apps too, since they all pull from the same iCloud account.
Troubleshoot common issues with workout logging
If your watch stops recording mid-workout, check that you have enough battery. Workouts with GPS use more battery than indoor workouts. If battery is low, your watch may pause or end the workout automatically. Charge your watch before long outdoor activities.
If your workout did not sync to your iPhone, make sure Bluetooth is on and your watch and phone are in range. Open the Watch app on your iPhone, go to Privacy, and check that Health is toggled on. If it is off, turn it on and your recent workouts should sync within a few minutes.
If distance or pace seems wrong, GPS signal may have been weak during your workout. This is common in urban areas, tunnels, or under heavy tree cover. Indoor workouts estimate distance based on motion, so they are less accurate than GPS-tracked outdoor workouts. For the most accurate data, do outdoor workouts in open areas when possible.
If the Workout app is not responding, force-close it by pressing the Digital Crown twice, swiping up on the Workout app, and swiping up again. Then reopen it. If that does not work, restart your watch by holding the side button until the power-off slider appears, then slide to power off. Wait a few seconds and hold the side button again to turn it back on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pause a workout and resume it later?
Yes. During a workout, press the pause button (two vertical lines). Your watch stops recording but keeps the workout open. When you are ready to continue, press the play button to resume. The total time and distance will reflect the pause, but your heart rate data will only include the time you were actually moving.
What happens if I start a workout but do not move?
Your watch will still record the workout and track your heart rate and calories. If you are doing a stationary activity like weightlifting or yoga, choose a workout type like "Other" or a specific strength-training option if your watch offers one. For outdoor workouts that rely on GPS, standing still means distance and pace will not update.
Can I edit a workout after I save it?
On your iPhone, open the Health app, tap Workouts, and select the workout you want to change. Tap Edit in the top right, then you can adjust the type, start time, end time, distance, or calories. On your Apple Watch, you cannot edit workouts directly — you must use your iPhone.
Do I need a cellular Apple Watch to log workouts?
No. All Apple Watch models can log workouts. A cellular watch lets you leave your phone at home and still get notifications, but it is not required for the Workout app to function. Your watch records the same data whether it is cellular or GPS-only.
Why does my Apple Watch show different calorie counts than my iPhone?
The watch and phone may display different totals temporarily while data syncs. Once sync completes, they should match. If they do not match after several minutes, the difference may be rounding — the watch rounds to whole numbers while the iPhone shows decimals. This is normal and not a sign of an error.