Skip to content
AF

Running as a workout type on HealthKit, Health Connect, Wear OS and the Google Health API

4 platforms · 2 facts from the sources beyond the names · read 2026-10-18

Running has a constant on all four platforms: HKWorkoutActivityType.running, ExerciseSessionRecord.EXERCISE_TYPE_RUNNING (56), ExerciseType.RUNNING (55) and RUNNING. The names match once the EXERCISE_TYPE_ prefix, case and separators are removed, but the Health Connect and Wear OS numbers differ (56 and 55); none of the Apple and Google pages read for this reference maps them to each other. Apple says: “HealthKit provides optimized calorie calculations for this activity based on the data from Apple Watch’s sensors.” A Health Connect session of type EXERCISE_TYPE_RUNNING accepts EXERCISE_SEGMENT_TYPE_RUNNING and EXERCISE_SEGMENT_TYPE_WALKING segments, besides the 5 segment types every session accepts.

PostHacker NewsRedditLinkedIn

The constant on each platform

These share a row because their names match under the crosswalk rule. None of the Apple and Google pages read for this reference maps them to each other.

PlatformConstantNumberWhat the source says
Apple HealthKitHKWorkoutActivityType.runningnone printedThe constant for running and jogging.iOS 8.0, watchOS 2.0 · Exercise and fitness
Android Health ConnectExerciseSessionRecord.EXERCISE_TYPE_RUNNING56Google’s Jetpack reference gives no description.Platform API: EXERCISE_SESSION_TYPE_RUNNING = 33 · “Use this type for the running session.” · API level 34
Wear OS Health ServicesExerciseType.RUNNING55Google’s ExerciseType reference gives no description.
Google Health APIRUNNINGthe string itself“Running type.”

Health Connect’s EXERCISE_TYPE_RUNNING is 56; Wear OS’s ExerciseType.RUNNING is 55. The names match and the numbers do not. Every pair that differs.

What the sources say about running beyond its names

Quoted from the sources as read on 2026-10-18. These are what give this row a page of its own under the page rule.

Apple’s discussion of the HealthKit case

On running, from Apple's page for each HKWorkoutActivityType case (84 JSON documents), read 2026-10-18

HealthKit provides optimized calorie calculations for this activity based on the data from Apple Watch’s sensors.

The segment types Health Connect accepts in this session type

On EXERCISE_TYPE_RUNNING, from ExerciseSegment.kt (androidx source), read 2026-10-18

ExerciseSessionRecord.EXERCISE_TYPE_RUNNING to setOf(EXERCISE_SEGMENT_TYPE_RUNNING, EXERCISE_SEGMENT_TYPE_WALKING)

A Health Connect session of type EXERCISE_TYPE_RUNNING accepts EXERCISE_SEGMENT_TYPE_RUNNING and EXERCISE_SEGMENT_TYPE_WALKING segments, besides the 5 segment types every session accepts.

Every session also accepts OTHER_WORKOUT, PAUSE, REST, STRETCHING, UNKNOWN.

Where each platform’s list lives on this site

Other activities side by side

Questions

What is the Health Connect constant for HKWorkoutActivityType.running?

ExerciseSessionRecord.EXERCISE_TYPE_RUNNING, value 56. The two names match once the EXERCISE_TYPE_ prefix, case and separators are removed; none of the Apple and Google pages read for this reference maps one to the other, so this is a name match, not a documented equivalence.

Is the Wear OS ExerciseType.RUNNING id the same number as Health Connect's EXERCISE_TYPE_RUNNING?

No. Health Connect's Jetpack reference prints 56; the androidx ExerciseType.kt source gives ExerciseType.RUNNING the id 55. The names match and the numbers do not.

Which exercise segment types can a Health Connect running session contain?

A Health Connect session of type EXERCISE_TYPE_RUNNING accepts EXERCISE_SEGMENT_TYPE_RUNNING and EXERCISE_SEGMENT_TYPE_WALKING segments, besides the 5 segment types every session accepts. The universal ones are EXERCISE_SEGMENT_TYPE_OTHER_WORKOUT, EXERCISE_SEGMENT_TYPE_PAUSE, EXERCISE_SEGMENT_TYPE_REST, EXERCISE_SEGMENT_TYPE_STRETCHING and EXERCISE_SEGMENT_TYPE_UNKNOWN. ExerciseSegment.isSegmentTypeCompatibleWithSessionType() answers the question in code, and on devices where the record is not handed to the platform API the ExerciseSessionRecord constructor fails with “segmentType and sessionType is not compatible.”

How does HealthKit estimate calories for a running workout?

Apple's documentation for HKWorkoutActivityType.running says: “HealthKit provides optimized calorie calculations for this activity based on the data from Apple Watch’s sensors.”

Sources (13)