How to Use Heart Rate Zones on Apple Watch

Step by step

1. 1 min

   Verify your health data

   Open the Health app on your iPhone. Navigate to Summary, tap your profile icon, and ensure your Date of Birth, Height, and Weight are accurate under Health Details to allow for precise zone calculation.

2. 30 sec

   Initiate a workout

   Open the Workout app on your Apple Watch. Select a cardio-based activity, such as Outdoor Run, Indoor Cycle, or HIIT.

3. 30 sec

   View the Heart Rate zone metric

   During your workout, rotate the Digital Crown to scroll through the data screens. Locate the screen displaying your Heart Rate Zone, which labels your intensity from Zone 1 (Easy) to Zone 5 (Maximum).

   Note: If you do not see this screen, go to the Workout app, tap the More (...) button, select the activity, tap Preferences, and ensure the Heart Rate Zones metric is toggled on.
4. 2 min

   Define custom heart rate zones

   Open the Watch app on your iPhone. Navigate to My Watch > Workout > Heart Rate Zones. Select Manual to input your own Beats Per Minute (BPM) ranges for each zone based on your specific training goals.

   Note: Choose Automatic if you prefer the Apple Watch to calculate zones based on your maximum heart rate and resting heart rate data.
5. 1 min

   Analyze session results

   After completing your workout, open the Fitness app on your iPhone. Select the completed workout from the Summary tab and scroll down to the Heart Rate section to view the time spent in each intensity zone.

   Note: A distribution graph allows you to visualize your effort spent in each zone over the course of the session.