You can edit or delete exercise records directly on your Apple Watch or through the Fitness app on your iPhone

Apple Watch records workouts automatically when you start the Workout app, but the data it captures isn't locked in. You can change the exercise type, duration, calories burned, or distance after the fact — either on the watch itself or synced to your iPhone. You can also delete workouts entirely if they were recorded by mistake.

The method you choose depends on what you're changing and which device is in front of you. Editing on the watch is faster for small fixes; editing on your iPhone gives you more detail and control. Both routes sync to your Apple Health data, so changes made on one device appear everywhere your health information is stored.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the Fitness app on your iPhone, find the workout you want to change, and tap "Edit" to modify the exercise type, duration, calories, or distance.
  • On the Apple Watch itself, swipe left on a completed workout in the Workout app and tap the trash icon to delete it, or use your iPhone to edit details.
  • Changes you make sync across all your devices — iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch — through your Apple Health account.
  • Deleted workouts are removed from your activity rings and health history, so double-check before you confirm the deletion.
  • If you use third-party fitness apps like Strava or Nike Run Club, those workouts may not be editable through Apple's Fitness app.

Edit a workout in the Fitness app on your iPhone

This is the most straightforward way to change workout details. Open the Fitness app on your iPhone, scroll down to "Workouts," and find the exercise you want to edit. Tap on it to open the full record, then tap "Edit" in the upper right corner.

Once you're in edit mode, you can change the exercise type (for example, from "Indoor Walk" to "Outdoor Walk"), the start and end time, the calories burned, and the distance. If you recorded a workout manually or the watch captured the wrong activity type, this is where you fix it. Tap "Save" when you're done, and the change syncs back to your watch within a few minutes.

Delete a workout from your watch

If you want to remove a workout entirely from your Apple Watch, the fastest way is on the device itself. Open the Workout app, scroll to the completed workout you want to delete, and swipe left on it. A red trash icon appears — tap it to delete the workout.

The workout disappears from your watch when ready and from your iPhone's Fitness app within a few minutes. It also stops counting toward your activity rings for that day. If you delete a workout by mistake, there is no undo button, so make sure you're removing the right one before you confirm.

Delete a workout from your iPhone

You can also delete workouts through the Fitness app on your iPhone if that's more convenient. Open Fitness, find the workout under "Workouts," tap it to open the details, then tap "Edit" in the upper right. Scroll to the bottom and tap "Delete Workout," then confirm.

Like deletion on the watch, this removes the workout from your activity rings and health history. The deletion syncs to your Apple Watch, so you won't see it there either.

What happens when you edit or delete a workout

When you change a workout's details — the type, duration, or calories — Apple Health updates your records across all your devices. If you use other apps that pull data from Apple Health, like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer, those apps will see the updated information the next time they sync, usually within an hour.

Deleted workouts are gone from your activity rings for that day. If deleting a workout drops your move ring below your daily goal, your ring closes at the lower number. You cannot recover a deleted workout from Apple Health, so if you think you might need the data later, take a screenshot or note the details before you delete.

Workouts from third-party apps may not be editable

If you recorded a workout using Strava, Nike Run Club, Garmin, or another fitness app, that workout appears in your Apple Health data but may not be editable through Apple's Fitness app. Some third-party apps sync read-only data to Health, meaning you can see it but not change it.

To edit a workout from a third-party app, go back to that app itself. Open Strava or Nike Run Club, find the workout, and look for an edit or details option there. Changes you make in the third-party app will sync back to Apple Health.

Why you might want to edit a workout

The most common reason to edit is when the watch misidentifies the activity. If you went for a run but the watch recorded it as a walk, or you did strength training but it logged as "Other," changing the type corrects your activity history and your rings.

You might also edit if you paused the workout — for example, you stopped to tie your shoe or wait for a friend — and the watch counted that pause as part of your exercise time. Adjusting the duration removes the dead time. Some people also edit the calorie count if they know it's inaccurate based on their own fitness tracker or experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit a workout that's more than a few days old?

Yes. Apple Health stores your complete workout history, and you can edit or delete workouts from months or years ago. Open the Fitness app, scroll through your workout history, and tap any workout to edit or delete it, regardless of when it was recorded.

If I edit a workout, does it change my activity ring history?

Yes. If you change a workout's duration or type, your activity rings recalculate for that day. If you delete a workout, it no longer counts toward your move ring. The change happens when ready on your watch and syncs to your iPhone.

What if I can't find the edit button?

Make sure you're in the Fitness app on your iPhone, not the Health app. Open Fitness, tap "Workouts," find the workout, tap it to open the details, and look for "Edit" in the upper right corner. If you're using an older version of watchOS or iOS, the edit option may not be available.

Can I recover a deleted workout?

No. Once you delete a workout from Apple Health, it cannot be recovered. If you think you might need the data, take a screenshot of the workout details before you delete it.

Do edited workouts sync to my iPhone if I edit them on my watch?

You cannot edit workout details directly on the Apple Watch — you can only delete them there. To edit details like duration or exercise type, use the Fitness app on your iPhone. Changes made in the iPhone app sync to your watch within a few minutes.