The Apple Watch Workout app can do more than you realize. Not only can you use it to simply start a workout of your choice, you can also set custom goals like time, distance, or calories burned. I’ll teach you how to start a workout on Apple Watch and customize it.

Why You’ll Love This Tip:

Start an open-ended workout.
Customize workouts based on your fitness goals to make the most of your Apple Watch.
Improve and track your fitness with the help of the Workout App.

How to Start Workout on Apple Watch

System Requirements

This tip was performed on an Apple Watch 10 running watchOS 11.4, but it will work on most Apple Watches. Find out how to update to the latest version of watchOS.

Apple Watch’s Workout app can start recording a regular workout in seconds. If you wish to set up the workout based on your fitness goals, there are a few extra steps you’ll need to take. To learn more about your Apple Watch settings, sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter. Here's how to start an activity on Apple Watch:

Open the Workout app on your Apple Watch.
You can choose a pre-selected workout from the list. You'll notice the word Open under the name of the workout. Open means that you don’t want your workout to have a specific goal.
To set goals before you begin the workout, tap the more icon (three dots).
Tap Calories to select the number of calories you want to hit before the end of your workout. Tap Distance to select a set distance you want to travel before you end the workout (this option only applies to workouts like walking, biking, or swimming.) Tap Time to set how long you want your workout to last. There is also a Custom option for an interval workout.
Once you select one of the above options, you can swipe up or down or turn the Digital Crown to increase or decrease the numbers on the display. Tap Done when you are finished.
Once a workout begins, you can view how long you’ve been working out, your active calories, your total calories, and your heart rate. This screen will vary depending on the type of workout selected. For example, a walk will also show you the distance you’ve covered.
Swipe to the right from the workout screen to see a variety of options, including End and Pause.
Swipe to the left from the workout screen to see the Now Playing screen. If you’re listening to music or a podcast while working out, you can use the controls here to pause, play, or skip forward and backward.

Now you're ready to start working out! You can also start a workout using Siri. Your workouts will be logged in the Health app on both your Apple Watch and iPhone, so you can take a look at your progress at any time. Next, learn how to add a workout manually on your Apple Watch!