How to Customize Workout Metrics in iOS 16 Fitness

With the release of iOS 16 and watchOS 9, Apple significantly expanded the customization options for workout metric displays, allowing athletes and casual exercisers to personalize real-time data views. Users can modify their screens to track specific performance indicators, including Heart Rate Zones, Running Power, Elevation, and custom data fields. This guide explains how to access, adjust, and configure these display parameters to match your specific training goals.

Accessing Workout Customization Settings

Customizing the in-session workout display parameters begins directly on the Apple Watch within the Workout app:

  1. Open the Workout app on your Apple Watch.
  2. Locate the workout type you want to customize (e.g., Outdoor Run, Outdoor Cycle, HIIT).
  3. Tap the More (...) icon in the upper-right corner of that workout card.
  4. On the preferred workout goal (Open, Time, Distance, etc.), tap the Edit (pencil) icon.
  5. Tap Workout Views, then select Edit Views.

Toggling Built-in Metric Views

The system provides several pre-configured, specialized views that you can toggle on or off depending on your preference:

  • Heart Rate Zones: Displays your current heart rate, time spent in the current zone, and your progress through customizable zones (Zone 1 through Zone 5).
  • Power: Specifically for outdoor runs, this view displays real-time running power measured in watts.
  • Elevation: Shows current elevation, total elevation gained, and an elevation profile graph.
  • Segments and Splits: Allows you to view pacing and distance breakdown for manual segments or automatic split intervals.

To include or exclude these views, scroll through the list and toggle the switch next to each parameter to Include or Exclude.

Customizing Individual Data Fields

You can modify the primary multi-metric views to show only the specific data points you need during a session:

  1. In the Edit Views menu, navigate to the multi-metric view (labeled Metric 1 or Metric 2).
  2. Tap the Edit (pencil) icon next to the view.
  3. Tap on the specific metric field you wish to replace (e.g., Duration, Heart Rate, Current Pace).
  4. Scroll through the available categories, such as:
    • Pace Metrics: Average Pace, Current Pace, Rolling Mile/Kilometer Pace.
    • Heart Rate Metrics: Current Heart Rate, Average Heart Rate.
    • Distance and Energy: Active Calories, Total Calories, Total Distance.
    • Form and Dynamics: Ground Contact Time, Stride Length, Vertical Oscillation, Cadence.
  5. Select your replacement metric.
  6. Tap Done to save your preferences.

Reordering Metric Pages

To optimize the order of screens during an active workout:

  1. Go to the Workout Views editing screen.
  2. Press and drag the reorder icon next to any metric view to move it up or down in the sequence.
  3. Position your most critical metrics closest to the default view so you can access them with a single turn of the Digital Crown.

Once saved, these parameters become the default display settings for that specific workout type, and the collected data automatically syncs to the iOS 16 Fitness app on your iPhone for post-workout analysis.