How to Pause and Resume Apple Fitness+ Workouts

Apple Fitness+ is an innovative fitness platform that offers a wide range of workouts for users, from beginners to seasoned athletes. Whether you’re doing strength training, yoga, cycling, or any other workout, there may be moments when you need to pause the workout for various reasons—maybe to catch your breath, take a sip of water, or adjust your equipment. Learning how to efficiently pause and resume your Apple Fitness+ workouts can help keep your fitness routine smooth and uninterrupted. In this post, we’ll explore the detailed steps on how to pause, resume, and manage your workouts using Apple Fitness+ on various devices like your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

What is Apple Fitness+?

Before diving into the functionality of pausing and resuming workouts, it’s essential to understand what Apple Fitness+ offers as a service. Apple Fitness+ is a subscription-based fitness platform that integrates seamlessly with the Apple ecosystem, especially the Apple Watch. It provides a variety of workout videos, covering different fitness disciplines like HIIT, strength training, yoga, cycling, dance, and more.

With personalized workout recommendations and real-time metrics displayed on your Apple devices, Fitness+ is a powerful tool for anyone looking to improve their fitness. Whether you’re streaming a workout on your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Apple Watch, the app gives you full control over your fitness experience—including the ability to pause, resume, and rewind workouts whenever needed.

Why Pausing and Resuming Workouts is Important

When you’re in the middle of a workout, there are often moments when you might need to take a break. Pausing a workout allows you to catch your breath, ensure you’re following proper form, or even step away for a moment without losing progress. Resuming the workout lets you pick up right where you left off, maintaining the flow and momentum of your session.

Here are some common reasons you might want to pause and resume your workout:

• Hydration: Sometimes, you may need a quick water break.
• Adjusting Equipment: If you’re using weights or workout gear, you may need to take a moment to adjust them.
• Resting: High-intensity workouts often require short breaks for recovery.
• Notifications or Distractions: A phone call, message, or alert might interrupt your workout, requiring you to pause briefly.
• Technical Issues: If your video stream pauses or lags, you may want to stop the workout until everything syncs properly again.

Knowing how to pause and resume your workout seamlessly is a skill that can save you time and effort, ensuring your workouts remain efficient and productive.

How to Pause and Resume Apple Fitness+ Workouts on Different Devices

Apple Fitness+ is available across various Apple devices, including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Each device offers different methods for pausing and resuming workouts, and mastering these controls can help streamline your exercise sessions.

Pausing and Resuming on the Apple Watch

The Apple Watch is the central device for most Apple Fitness+ users, as it tracks real-time metrics like heart rate, calories burned, and workout time. It’s also one of the easiest ways to control your workout without interrupting your flow.

Steps to Pause a Workout on the Apple Watch:

1. Raise your wrist to view the workout screen.
2. Press the Digital Crown and Side Button simultaneously: This will pause the workout immediately. The workout display will show a pause icon, and your metrics will stop updating until you resume.
3. Alternatively, swipe right on the screen during the workout to reveal the pause button. Tap the pause icon to pause the session.

Resuming the Workout:

1. To resume, tap the screen or press the Side Button and Digital Crown again.
2. Alternatively, after swiping right, tap the Resume button to continue the workout from where you left off.

Pausing and resuming via the Apple Watch is extremely convenient, especially if you don’t want to interact with your iPhone or iPad during your workout.

Pausing and Resuming on the iPhone

If you’re using your iPhone to follow along with an Apple Fitness+ workout, the pause and resume functionality is equally simple. The larger screen makes it easier to view workout instructions and progress, but it’s important to know how to quickly pause without breaking the flow of your exercise.

Steps to Pause a Workout on the iPhone:

1. During a workout, tap anywhere on the screen to reveal the workout controls.
2. Tap the Pause button (usually represented by two vertical lines) located at the bottom or side of the screen.

Resuming the Workout:

1. Once you’ve taken your break, simply tap the Resume button (often shown as a play arrow) to continue your session.
2. Your metrics and workout video will start from the exact moment where you paused.

This straightforward process ensures that you can manage your workout efficiently without needing to exit the app or lose any progress.

Pausing and Resuming on the iPad

Many Apple Fitness+ users prefer the iPad because of its larger screen, making it easier to follow along with workout videos, especially for exercises like yoga, dance, or strength training. The functionality for pausing and resuming is nearly identical to that of the iPhone.

Steps to Pause a Workout on the iPad:

1. During your workout, tap the screen to bring up the control options.
2. Tap the Pause button to halt the workout. The workout video will stop, and all progress tracking will pause as well.

Resuming the Workout:

1. When you’re ready to get back to your workout, tap the Resume button to continue where you left off.
2. The workout will pick up exactly where it paused, and your stats will continue updating.

Using the iPad gives you the benefit of a larger display while maintaining ease of control with a few taps.

Pausing and Resuming on Apple TV

For those who enjoy working out with Apple Fitness+ on a big screen, Apple TV provides an immersive experience. With the large display, you can easily follow along with your workouts, making it ideal for living room or garage gym settings. However, since you’ll need a remote to control the Apple TV, the pause and resume functionality differs slightly from other devices.

Steps to Pause a Workout on Apple TV:

1. Press the Play/Pause button on your Apple TV remote to pause the workout instantly.
2. You’ll see the workout pause, and your Apple Watch metrics will also halt during this time.

Resuming the Workout:

1. Press the Play/Pause button again to resume your workout from where it left off.
2. Your workout video and stats will continue, keeping everything in sync with your Apple Watch.

Apple TV is an excellent option for group workouts or those who prefer a cinematic workout experience.

Pausing and Resuming Specific Workout Types

Apple Fitness+ offers a variety of workout types, and while the pause/resume functionality is generally the same across all types, you may approach pausing differently depending on the workout you’re doing. Let’s explore how pausing and resuming applies to a few popular workout categories.

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)

During a HIIT workout, you’re moving quickly through different exercises with little rest between intervals. Pausing a HIIT workout can interrupt the flow, so it’s essential to use it sparingly.

• Best Time to Pause: Between intervals, if you need an extended rest beyond the programmed break.
• Resume Consideration: Try to resume the workout as quickly as possible to maintain your heart rate and intensity.

Yoga

Yoga involves slower, more controlled movements, making it easier to pause without losing momentum.

• Best Time to Pause: During pose transitions, when you need to adjust your form or catch your breath.
• Resume Consideration: Resume at a calm pace to stay aligned with the workout’s rhythm.

Strength Training

Strength training workouts often include rest periods between sets, making it a perfect time to pause and catch your breath.

• Best Time to Pause: Between sets or exercises, especially if you need to grab heavier weights or adjust your equipment.
• Resume Consideration: Pausing between sets won’t affect the workout flow as much, so you can take your time resuming.

Cycling

Apple Fitness+ cycling workouts are intense, with intervals of high speed and resistance. Pausing during a cycling workout can give your legs a much-needed rest, but be mindful of maintaining your momentum.

• Best Time to Pause: When transitioning between different intensity levels or resistance settings.
• Resume Consideration: Get back into the rhythm quickly to avoid losing too much momentum.

How Pausing Affects Your Workout Metrics

When you pause an Apple Fitness+ workout, all your workout metrics (like heart rate, calories burned, and duration) pause along with the workout. This ensures that your statistics remain accurate, as the workout time will not include the time spent paused.

Once you resume the workout, the metrics will start tracking again from where they left off. This is especially important if you’re aiming to meet certain fitness goals, like closing your Apple Watch activity rings or hitting a specific calorie burn.

Best Practices for Pausing and Resuming Workouts

Pausing a workout can disrupt the flow, so here are some tips to ensure you’re doing it effectively:

1. Plan Your Breaks: If you anticipate needing breaks, plan them between exercise transitions or rest periods.
2. Stay Hydrated: Use pauses to hydrate without breaking the workout flow too much.
3. Be Mindful of Form: If you pause to correct your form, ensure that you resume the workout with proper technique.
4. Minimize Distractions: Turn off notifications or place your device in “Do Not Disturb” mode to avoid unnecessary interruptions.
5. Sync with Your Fitness Goals: Track how pausing affects your overall workout time and intensity to ensure you’re still meeting your fitness goals.

In Short

Apple Fitness+ provides a versatile platform for a wide range of workouts, and knowing how to pause and resume your sessions is an essential skill. Whether you’re using an Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, the process is intuitive and user-friendly, allowing you to take breaks when needed without losing track of your progress.

By understanding how to use the pause and resume functionality effectively, you can maintain a smooth, productive workout routine that fits your fitness goals. Whether you need a quick rest during an intense HIIT session, time to adjust your form in yoga, or a break to hydrate during strength training, Apple Fitness+ has you covered.

Start exploring your favorite workouts with the confidence that you can pause and resume whenever necessary to optimize your fitness journey.