Q: BUG: Exercise app time not showing in Activity app

I walked outdoors using the fitness app and it still does work properly.On the iPhone Activity/History/today/Workouts/The workout detail information is accurate. This includes Active Calories, Total Time, Total Distance,Avg Pace and Avg Heart Rate all show uo accurately. On the main screen the exercise minutes for today is not accurate. However if you scroll down to Workouts that information is accurate.

I am having a similar issue. I worked out on the stair machine last night and my watch said 7 minutes when I worked out for 30 minutes....

Not true. I do about 90 minutes of cardio every morning. Usually that's 30 minutes each on a elliptical (wrist moves), on a treadmill (no appreciable wrist movement) and on a stationary cycle (again no appreciable wrist movement). All three exercises show up on the iPhone Activity app but I consistently only get credit for 60 minutes of activity on the rings. If your theory was correct I should only be getting credit for 30 minutes.

There's a bug but I don't think that's it.

work out app with phone posts correctly for me.  Activity app exercise ring is a mystery to me.    My first 5 mile walk at comfortable pace cause I was sick, did not show any minutes of the 5 mile, 1 hr 50 min walk on activity ring.   Next day 10 mile bike ride an  increased effort/heart rate increased effort the activity ring recorded minute for minute.  Next day faster 5 mile walk only gave me 12 mins on activity ring after 1 hr 50 mins.  Next day bike at average heart rate of 110 - 115 bpm gave me minute for minute in activity ring.   Next day 3 mile walk/run with average heart rate 125 bpm only gave me 15 mins out of 55 mins.   I swing my arms during all walking & running. Don't move my arms much during ride.  Makes no sense.  activity ring can't be using heart rate or arm swing.   I used watch work out app each time.  Friend walking next to me on last walk/run got 30 mins credited to her exercise ring. She's 30 lbs lighter same height but 5 years older. I'm very frustrated. 

This can't be true.  I swing arms during outdoor walk & run with higher heart rate & get very little credit.  On a bike ride with less heart rate & no arm movement I get minute for minute credit.

A week ago today my 2 mile run recorded as exercise 33 of the 35 minute workout time. That evening my 2 mile walk was not recorded as exercise. I am incredibly disappointed in Apple. The exercise aspect of the Apple Watch is an incredibly important feature that they heavily promote and advertise. It was grossly irresponsible to put the watch out with this not working. I cannot conceive how they didn't know that this feature was not working. This is a much more significant fiasco than the Apple Maps fiasco.

I'm having the same problem with my activities not being counted as exercise, so I called Apple today. I was sent to a senior support analyst who was very appreciative of my concerns and feedback. Apple realizes that this is a problem and is working on a software update. I recommend that everyone having this issue calls Apple or submits a bug report: https://www.apple.com/feedback/watch.html

Since this is a new product Apple needs our feedback to resolve the bugs.

I went back and listened to the Apple video for the Activity App. The presenter said it records a "brisk walk". A brisk walk is defined as a 16 minute mile or less. Today I walked a brisk 2 mile walk at 16 minutes per mile with 120 bpm heart rate. It recorded everything as planned including the Exercise recorder. My assumption is that one needs to walk at 16 minutes per mile for a brisk walk and elevate one's heart rate to a specific threshold consistent with a brisk walk. Hopefully I can repeat this tomorrow morning.

I Can't do a 16 min mile.  I'm 62, 80 lbs overweight.  I'm lucky to do a 19-20 min mile.  My heart rate is 125 bpm at that. 

Thanks for Apple's contact info.  I wrote them with my info. 

Where did you get this definition of a "brisk walk"? was it from Apple? That's the kind of info I've been looking for. a 16m mile is an AWFULLY brisk walk and 120bpm is a pretty high heart rate for some people. I'd hope apple watch would at least use your age to calculate your target HR zones...

I also have to add though- I find that ANYTHING I do as an "other" workout, even sitting on my couch, gets added to my exercise ring. (I tested it). Yet the other day I walked for 64m as an "outside walk" and got 4m credit. Then this weekend I tried the elliptical and indoor cycling settings (and I've read of a lot of problems with indoor cycling) and they both worked perfect and matched the hr/calorie stats the machines gave me.

Hopefully this this will all get fixed in a software update soon- I have to expect it will be

It was a common definition on respected web sites.

Apple Tech Support called me again today. They are aware of the issues and they are working hard at resolving them.

I have not seen anyone talk about racket sports but I play competitive badminton and burn about 500cal in a 30 min session. Using the watch during a badminton workout session records the exercise in the workout app but it does not show up in the activity app. I think racket sports (badminton, tennis etc) might be another problem with the Apple Watch if the heart beat recording is not consistent during rapid movements - my watch arm moves very rapidly during my workout. Lets hope Apple fixes this bug as soon as possible.

I initiated a case with Apple Support and they walked me through the usual rigmarole - re-pair, do the workout calibration, check for distance between watch and phone etc - but there is a clear flaw in the activity recording during fast moving exercises.

Happend to me this morning, I did an 10 minute eliptical workout yesterday evening just before going to bed to hit my goal and this morning it did not show in the app. However, after checking again later that morning, the info was updated.