THE RECORDING GUIDE
Record the movement you actually did.
A useful record separates the activity, its active duration, and the effort you experienced. You can use Lifetime without a wearable. Use measured inputs when available and check estimates before saving.
Walking and running: avoid counting the same steps twice
For walking, enter walking-only steps if you know them. Otherwise, use distance or duration and review the step estimate. The default assumes 90 steps per minute or a 0.75 m step length; both can be adjusted. These are starting assumptions, not a measurement of your gait. Walking also asks for age at the time of the activity.
For running, record distance in kilometers, duration, and effort. If a device shows a daily step total that includes your run, do not enter that full total as a separate walking record.
Cycling, swimming, ball sports, and yoga
Record the time spent doing the activity rather than the entire outing. For example, a 60-minute court booking with 20 minutes spent waiting gives 40 active minutes. Choose the named ball sport when available. Optional cycling and swimming distance helps describe the session; their current scores use time and effort.
Strength training
Enter the session duration and effort. If you enter working sets, keep that count attached to the session it describes. Do not copy the full set count onto several fragments of the same workout. A missing set count is treated differently from explicitly entering zero.
Why the preview can differ from your workout time
Thirty minutes of activity does not mean thirty LIFE minutes. Each activity has its own provisional curve; daily aggregation, consistency, and variety can affect the result. A short activity can be recorded even if it does not meet the threshold for a qualifying activity day.
Read the exercise scoring method for the inputs and bonus rules. Keep a truthful record instead of choosing a higher effort solely to increase the score.