How to Start a Workout on Apple Watch

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There’s no denying that the Apple Watch is a great accessory for any iPhone user, but one of its most useful features is its ability to track workouts. As the Apple Watch logs your workouts, you can keep track of your overall health and ensure you're meeting your fitness goals. Below, we'll show you how to start a workout on your Apple Watch.

Related: 10 Best Apple Watch Faces Apps: 999+ Custom Backgrounds

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Why You’ll Love This Tip

• Log workouts on your Apple Watch to maintain your overall health.
• Set fitness goals and use your Apple Watch to stay on track.

How to Start Workout on Apple Watch

Using the Workout app, you can start a workout and set fitness goals on your Apple Watch. To learn more about your Apple Watch settings, sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter. Here's how to start a workout on your Apple Watch: 

1. Open the Workout app on your Apple Watch.
   
   
2. You can choose a pre-selected workout from the list.
   
   
3. You can also tap Add Workout to add a workout for a different activity.
   
   
4. If you select a pre-set workout, you can choose from a wide variety of activities such as Soccer, Boxing, or Fitness Gaming.
   
   
5. Once you select a workout, you’ll see a three-second countdown before the workout begins.
6. Once your workout begins, you can set goals for yourself. Tap the more icon next to a workout.
   
   
7. Tap Open if you don't want your workout to have a specific goal. 
   
   
8. Tap Calories to select the number of calories you want to hit before the end of your workout. To learn more about the accuracy of Apple Watch calories, read this.
   
   
9. Press the plus or minus button to increase or decrease the number of calories.
   
   
10. Tap Distance to select a set distance you want to travel before you end the workout. (This option only shows up for workouts like walking, biking, or swimming.)
    
    
11. Press the plus or minus icons to increase or decrease the distance.
    
    
12. To set a time goal, press Time to set how long you want your workout to last.
    
    
13. Press the plus or minus icon to increase or decrease the amount of time.
    
    
14. Once a workout begins, you can view how long you’ve been working out, your active calories, your total calories, and your heart rate.
    
    
15. This screen will vary depending on the type of workout selected. For example, a walk will also show you the distance you’ve covered.
    
    
16. Swipe to the right and you’ll have a variety of options, where you can lock your watch screen to prevent accidental presses from rain or sweat droplets, pause and resume the workout, or end the workout.
    
    
17. Swipe to the left and you’ll bring up 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 like a true fitness addict! You can also start a workout using Siri. For example, you can say “Hey, Siri, start a yoga workout,” and your watch will automatically start a yoga workout with an open goal. 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!