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Atarango

Q: Can I manually add exercise such as swimming for when I cannot wear my watch?

Also can I edit an exercise if I leave the exercise app running accidentally?

Apple Watch

Posted on Jun 1, 2015 8:52 PM

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Q: Can I manually add exercise such as swimming for when I cannot wear my watch?

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  • by nick101,

    nick101 nick101 Jun 1, 2015 11:47 PM in response to Atarango
    Level 5 (5,103 points)
    Jun 1, 2015 11:47 PM in response to Atarango

    There's no way currently to add an exercise manually either to the Activity or Workout apps. There's a workaround, which is to install a 3rd party activity tracker on the phone such as RunKeeper that acts as a source for the Health app on the phone and allows manual activities. The Health app is where all the Activity and Workout data gets held.

     

    It's not ideal - some people don't want the extra app - but it's all that's available now.

     

    At the link below, you can request this as a feature for the future:

     

    http://www.apple.com/feedback/

  • by kingtoe,

    kingtoe kingtoe Jun 13, 2015 7:47 PM in response to nick101
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jun 13, 2015 7:47 PM in response to nick101

    Huh?

    Yes, you can manually add a workout to the health app on your iphone: Health Data/Fitness/Workouts/Add Data Point. But I assume you're asking how to add workouts to the native workout app. Which I want to know as well.

     

    @Nick101: For a minute I thought you meant that something from RunKeeper would somehow show up in the activity app. You had me all excited for a minute there...

     

    I'm not even sure I understand your answer though, since you can add workouts manually to the health app without third-party apps anyway... So how would RunKeeper even enter into it?

     

    But seriously: does the fitness app really not read any workout data from the health app? At all? I mean this is about as basic as it gets; I feel like I've got to be missing something here. That one single feature would be worth $100 to me alone, since I like swimming. And millions of people will be using these watches. And yet the built-in fitness app can't read the workouts from the built-in health app? This is bananas.

     

    What am I missing?

  • by Atarango,Helpful

    Atarango Atarango Jun 13, 2015 10:16 PM in response to kingtoe
    Level 1 (7 points)
    Jun 13, 2015 10:16 PM in response to kingtoe

    Yes, you are assuming correctly and the thread is under "workout app."  My favorite workout is kickboxing, but I don't want to wear my watch because I'm afraid I will break it. But I would really like my watch to accurately measure that I have done that activity.  I work out regularly but rarely get all three rings full due to this, which makes me sad.  I know I'm not the only one.

     

    On another note, I have accidentally left my workout app running after finishing a workout and I wish I ccould edit it. I don't like inaccuracy!  I think most Apple watch users are with me.

  • by kingtoe,Helpful

    kingtoe kingtoe Jun 13, 2015 10:48 PM in response to Atarango
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jun 13, 2015 10:48 PM in response to Atarango

    Hey I just noticed the WWDC he mentions that in iOS2 the activity app will get data from other sources.

    So good news looks like we  can definitely do this in the fall

    Bad news looks like we definitely can't till then

  • by nick101,

    nick101 nick101 Jun 14, 2015 8:13 AM in response to kingtoe
    Level 5 (5,103 points)
    Jun 14, 2015 8:13 AM in response to kingtoe

    I said that there's no way to add an activity to the Workout or Activity apps - which is clear and correct. I'm aware that you can add a data point to Health on the phone, but if you look at data points there, you see each individual measurement,not a summary of a routine.

     

    Using the likes of Runkeeper (there are others, it just happens to be the one I use) allows you to define a completed workout and have the results added to Health *and* to the Activity app on the phone. So, in my opinion, a better workaround. But YMMV

  • by kingtoe,

    kingtoe kingtoe Jun 14, 2015 7:13 PM in response to nick101
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jun 14, 2015 7:13 PM in response to nick101

    I said that there's no way to add an activity to the Workout or Activity apps - which is clear and correct. I'm aware that you can add a data point to Health on the phone, but if you look at data points there, you see each individual measurement,not a summary of a routine.

    Ohh OK I see what you mean now, sorry. Yeah using a third-party app would be good for that.

    Using the likes of Runkeeper allows you to define a completed workout and have the results added to Health *and* to the Activity app on the phone.

    When I saved my swim workout to RunKeeper, it didn't add anything to the activity app. But if you can help me figure out how to make this work, I will be your best friend. Please keep me posted. Thanks!!!

  • by aforandy,

    aforandy aforandy Jun 27, 2015 10:39 AM in response to kingtoe
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 27, 2015 10:39 AM in response to kingtoe

    I'm in the same boat.... I don't see how the activities entered in runkeeper are transferred to the Activity app. Any advice appreciated!

  • by nick101,

    nick101 nick101 Jun 28, 2015 12:11 AM in response to aforandy
    Level 5 (5,103 points)
    Jun 28, 2015 12:11 AM in response to aforandy

    Make Runkeeper a source for the Health app - the option's in RK settings.

     

    Then RK results get shown under Activity

  • by kristenm6,

    kristenm6 kristenm6 Jul 27, 2015 10:10 AM in response to kingtoe
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 27, 2015 10:10 AM in response to kingtoe

    Do you know which session of WWDC this was mentioned in? Thanks!

  • by nick101,

    nick101 nick101 Jul 28, 2015 3:32 AM in response to aforandy
    Level 5 (5,103 points)
    Jul 28, 2015 3:32 AM in response to aforandy

    RK transfers to Activity (on the phone) happen automatically for me, having set RK as a source for the Health app. Have you done that?

     

    RK activities don't show in Activity on the watch

  • by lundejd,

    lundejd lundejd Aug 1, 2015 6:21 PM in response to nick101
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Aug 1, 2015 6:21 PM in response to nick101

    I think there is some confusion here.

     

    You can have 3rd party apps like Runkeeper input to the Health app, not the Activity app.  

     

    From what I can tell there is no way to add, remove or otherwise edit in the Activity app.   You can in the Health app.   They are not tied together from what I can tell.

     

    (left my watch at home on a run today.  Run keeper and Health got my workout just fine, but the Activity app did not... I see no way to update my missed workout data and will have a big old miss on that day's workout in calendar view)

     

    Not sure why Apple wouldn't want to make sure the Health and Activity apps sync.

  • by chiccociolla,

    chiccociolla chiccociolla Sep 24, 2015 6:48 AM in response to Atarango
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 24, 2015 6:48 AM in response to Atarango

    any news here, now that we have watch os 2?

  • by nick101,

    nick101 nick101 Sep 24, 2015 7:00 AM in response to chiccociolla
    Level 5 (5,103 points)
    Sep 24, 2015 7:00 AM in response to chiccociolla

    There's still no way to add activities directly to the Activity app, unfortunately. What we're waiting for is some good 3rd party options. I believe that Runtastic has a native watch app, but I don't know what functionality it has. I expect the other 3rd parties in that area won't be far behind.

     

    But, as I say, no change in this area with Apple's own apps

  • by chiccociolla,

    chiccociolla chiccociolla Sep 24, 2015 7:09 AM in response to nick101
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 24, 2015 7:09 AM in response to nick101

    thanks for the reply. My "hope" is indeed that some 3d party app becomes able to enter the "activity" app, helping me to proceed with the three wheels even if swimming for examples!

    so, let's wait for the developers!

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