How do I build a workout app with watchOS?

To build a workout app with watchOS, you can utilize WorkoutKit, which allows you to create and sync various types of workouts directly from your app to the Workout app on Apple Watch. Here are some key features and steps to consider:

1. Custom Workouts: You can create goal-based workouts focusing on energy, time, or distance. Additionally, you can design pacer workouts, triathlon workouts (swim, bike, run), and custom workouts with structured steps like warm-up, work, recovery, and cool down.

2. Custom Swimming Workouts: With the latest updates, you can build custom swimming workouts. This includes setting up workouts with repeatable interval blocks and using the workout scheduler API to plan workouts. The app can prompt for pool length to ensure accurate lap distance measurements.

3. New Features in watchOS 11:

   • Distance with Time Goal: This new goal type allows a workout step to have both a distance and a time goal, which is particularly useful for swimming workouts.
   • Custom Step Names: You can customize the names of workout steps (e.g., warm-up, work, recovery) to provide more context during the workout.

4. User-Selectable Workout Locations: Starting in watchOS 10.1, you can schedule workouts without specifying indoor or outdoor locations, allowing users to choose based on their preference.

For more detailed guidance, you can refer to the session Build custom swimming workouts with WorkoutKit (04:20) which covers custom pool swimming workouts in depth.