The fastest way to record a workout
Open the Workout app on your Apple Watch — it's the green icon with a white running figure. Tap the type of exercise you did: Outdoor Run, Indoor Cycle, Swimming, Strength Training, Yoga, or one of dozens of other options. Hit Start, do the exercise, then End when you're finished. The watch records your heart rate, calories, and duration automatically.
If you finished exercising before you thought to open the app, you can still add it. Open Health on your iPhone, go to Browse at the bottom, select Workouts, tap the plus sign in the top right, choose your exercise type, and enter the time, duration, and calories burned. The watch will sync this data within a few minutes.
You can also ask Siri: raise your wrist and say "Start a run" or "Start a cycling workout" and the Workout app opens ready to begin. This works for any exercise type the app recognizes.
Key Takeaways
- The Workout app on your Apple Watch records heart rate, calories, and duration automatically once you select an exercise type and tap Start.
- If you forget to log during exercise, you can add it afterward through the Health app on your iPhone by entering the type, time, duration, and calories.
- The watch recognizes dozens of exercise types beyond running and cycling, including swimming, strength training, yoga, hiking, and rowing.
- Data syncs between your watch and iPhone within a few minutes, so you see your workout history in one place across both devices.
Choosing the right exercise type matters
The Workout app has a long list of exercise categories, and picking the right one changes how the watch calculates calories and tracks your effort. Outdoor Run uses GPS to measure distance; Indoor Run estimates distance from arm motion. Swimming automatically pauses the timer when you rest between laps. Strength Training counts reps and sets rather than continuous movement.
If you don't see your exact activity, scroll down in the Workout app and tap "Other" at the bottom. This logs the workout without assuming a specific calorie burn rate, so you'll need to enter that number yourself if you add it after the fact. For common activities like walking, hiking, or elliptical work, the app has a dedicated option — search by scrolling rather than guessing.
Starting a workout before you're ready to move
You don't have to start the Workout app the moment you begin exercising. Tap Start, then take a few minutes to get to the gym, the trail, or the pool. The watch begins counting time and heart rate from the moment you hit Start, but you can pause it if you need a longer break. Tap the pause icon (two vertical lines), then tap Resume when you're ready to continue.
If you start a workout and realize you picked the wrong type, swipe left on the screen and tap End, then start a new one with the correct category. The watch won't save the incomplete workout unless you confirm it at the end.
What happens after you end a workout
When you tap End, the watch shows a summary: total time, calories burned, average heart rate, and distance (if applicable). Swipe down to see more details like elevation gain or pace splits. Tap Save to record the workout, or tap Discard if you changed your mind. Once saved, the data goes to the Health app on your iPhone within a few minutes.
The watch stores workouts even if your iPhone isn't nearby. When the two devices connect again, they sync automatically. You can view your workout history on the watch itself by opening the Workout app and scrolling down, or on your iPhone in the Health app under the Workouts tab.
Syncing workouts between your watch and phone
Your Apple Watch and iPhone sync over Bluetooth when they're close to each other and both have Wi-Fi or cellular service. You don't have to do anything — it happens in the background. If you're away from your phone for hours, the watch holds onto your workout data and syncs as soon as the devices reconnect.
To check that sync is working, open the Health app on your iPhone, go to Browse, tap Workouts, and look for today's date. If you don't see a recent workout, make sure Bluetooth is on, bring the watch and phone within a few feet of each other, and wait a minute. If it still doesn't appear, restart the Workout app on the watch by closing it completely and opening it again.
Editing or deleting a workout after you save it
On your iPhone, open Health, go to Browse, select Workouts, and find the workout you want to change. Tap it, then tap Edit in the top right. You can change the type of exercise, the date and time, duration, or calories burned. Tap Save when you're done.
To delete a workout, open it the same way, tap Edit, scroll to the bottom, and tap Delete Workout. On the Apple Watch itself, you cannot edit workouts — you can only view them. If you need to change something, you must use the iPhone app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Apple Watch count regular walking as exercise?
Regular walking doesn't count toward your exercise ring unless you log it in the Workout app. The watch does track all movement in the Activity app, but only workouts you deliberately start count as exercise. If you want to log a walk, open Workout, select Outdoor Walk or Indoor Walk, and tap Start.
Can I log a workout I did before I got my Apple Watch?
Yes. Open Health on your iPhone, go to Browse, select Workouts, tap the plus sign, choose the exercise type, and enter the date, time, duration, and calories. This data won't sync back to the watch, but it will appear in your iPhone's workout history and count toward your monthly totals.
What if I don't know how many calories I burned?
If you log a workout after the fact through the Health app, you can leave the calories field blank or estimate based on the type and duration. The watch calculates calories automatically during a live workout using your heart rate and personal data, so you don't need to guess when you use the Workout app in real time.
Why does my watch show different calorie counts than my iPhone?
The watch and iPhone should show the same numbers once they sync. If they differ, force a sync by closing the Workout app on the watch, closing Health on the iPhone, then opening both again. If the discrepancy persists, the data may not have synced yet — wait a few minutes and check again.
Can I log a workout on my iPhone without the Apple Watch?
Yes. Open Health on your iPhone, go to Browse, select Workouts, tap the plus sign, and enter the exercise type, date, time, duration, and calories. This creates a workout record in your health history, though the watch won't have recorded your heart rate or other biometric data during the activity.