How to Add a Workout to Apple Watch Before or After Your Workout (WatchOS 8 Update)

* This post is part of iPhone Life's Tip of the Day newsletter. Sign Up. *

If you forgot to hit the start button on your Apple Watch or you left your watch behind during a workout, don't worry! You can still manually add a workout to Apple Watch via the Health app. We'll show you how to add a workout to Apple Watch manually, plus how to start one the typical way so you won't have to enter your workout later.

Related: How to Improve Calorie Tracking Accuracy on Apple Watch

Why You'll Love This Tip

• Close your Activity rings by manually adding in workouts you forgot to record.
• Keep track of movement metrics like calories burned, even when you don't wear your Apple Watch during a workout.

How to Add a Workout to Apple Watch Manually

To add a workout to your Apple Watch after a workout has concluded, you'll need to enter it in the Health app. If you're actually hoping to learn how to start a workout on Apple Watch, skip to the next section! You can also learn more about iPhone and Apple Watch features by signing up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter. For now, here's how to manually record an Apple Watch workout:

1. Open the Health app on your iPhone.
   
   
    
2. Select the Browse tab.
   
   
    
3. Tap the Search bar and enter the word Workouts.
4. Select Workouts from the list of results.
   
   
    
5. Tap Add Data in the top-right corner of the screen.
   
   
    
6. Choose your activity type, then enter the number of calories and the start and stop times.
7. When you’re finished, tap Add.
   
   

Now the data from the workout you forgot to track from your Apple Watch will be counted toward your fitness and activity goals on Apple Watch! If you're actually wondering how to start a workout on Apple Watch, keep reading.

How to Start a Workout on Apple Watch

If you're about to start a workout and want it to count toward your Apple Watch Activity, you'll need to track it in the Apple Watch Workout app. But first, if you've been having trouble with your Apple Watch not counting exercise minutes properly or another issue, you may want to troubleshoot that issue prior to continuing. Here's how to start a workout on Apple Watch:

1. Open the Workout app on your Apple Watch.
   
   
    
2. Scroll through the workout types to find the one you want. Once you see the workout you want to start, you have two options.
   
   
    
3. To track the workout without setting time or other settings, simply tap the workout and it will start automatically.
   
   
    
4. To set time, distance, or calories before you begin your workout, tap on the three dots.
   
   
    
5. Select time, distance, or calories.
   
   
    
6. Use the plus and minus icons to make changes to that setting.
   
   
    
7. Tap Start when you're ready to begin your workout.
   
   

Now your workout will begin after a brief countdown. If you have any issues logging your exercise minutes, check out how to troubleshoot your Apple Watch. Don't forget that you can see all your Apple Watch workouts in the Fitness app and have your steps display on your watch face for even better insight. Plus, check this out to learn how to get better Apple Watch calorie accuracy to maximize your fitness experience.