It’s tempting to think about 2020 relegated to the rearview mirror, however the reality is that we’ll be finding out it for many years to come back — not solely due to the onslaught of COVID-19, but in addition due to the myriad methods during which human habits modified in consequence. However at Garmin, we’ve bought some particular insights into these human behaviors due to Garmin Join™, the interactive instrument utilized by tens of millions of health lovers across the globe to trace, analyze, and share well being and health actions.
It might’ve been simple to throw within the towel this yr. When the world locks down — when gyms shut and colleges go digital and jobs are out of the blue distant — it’s simple to skip the exercise. Train usually will get placed on the again burner even in one of the best of circumstances, and 2020 was, nicely, not precisely very best. And for a quick second, that’s precisely what occurred. COVID-19 hit the scene and Garmin customers sat nonetheless together with the remainder of the world — till you didn’t.
What the Garmin Join knowledge exhibits — in each exercise logged and each accomplishment achieved — is that you just tailored. Caught at residence? Tremendous. That doesn’t imply you’re caught on the sofa. You bought extra intentional together with your actions, and also you discovered methods to interact your our bodies — even when it meant pushing the espresso desk out of the way in which for room to roll out a yoga mat or just operating in place. In your individual approach, and whereas retaining your self and your fellow people protected, you took cost. You confirmed up, you logged in, and also you prioritized your self and your wellness repeatedly. You fought again.
And so, with out additional ado, right here’s how Garmin customers throughout the complete globe shifted their actions in 2020.
You logged extra actions.
Try that spike round week 14. As soon as you bought used to the concept your routine would look totally different for some time, you began discovering new methods to train — a lot so that you just logged a median whole of 5% extra actions in 2020 than 2019. Despite all of the uncertainty across the globe, from the pandemic to totally different social and political flashpoints relying on area, you realized you wanted to take time for your self to maneuver your physique. You stayed the course, and Garmin customers engaged in additional actions than ever earlier than in consequence.
You tried new issues.
They usually weren’t simply the identical previous actions you’ve all the time accomplished. Not that there was something incorrect with these to start with, however we’re guessing most of you don’t have indoor tracks or stair climbers in your house — your choices modified. And so that you tailored. You tried new issues. You bought out of your consolation zone and tried new workout routines extra usually. In truth, 8% extra Garmin customers logged at the least two exercise sorts per week in 2020 than in 2019, a transparent nod to your dedication to #beatyesterday.
You walked rather a lot.
In a yr when lots of you have been confined to a smaller quantity of sq. footage than regular, you needed to actually need to stroll. And because it turned out, you probably did. Garmin Join customers logged 55% extra strolling actions in 2020 than 2019.
However actually, it did develop into tougher to get these steps in.
There isn’t any denying that staying at residence makes it considerably tougher to take care of step counts. However as soon as phrases like “quarantine” and “social distancing” steadily grew to become part of the traditional vocabulary, you began discovering new routines and started to drag these numbers again up. We all know {that a} 7.31% lower in common steps from the earlier yr may usually be a disappointing statistic, however context right here is essential. You needed to work rather a lot tougher for steps this yr than regular, and we predict the comeback was fairly spectacular.
You yoga’d rather a lot too.
Wow, did you yoga rather a lot — 93% greater than in 2019. You rapidly realized that the inherent stress reduction and mindfulness that comes with yoga was going to be important in a yr like 2020. And since having Garmin Join in your wrist means all the time having a instrument to information you thru your apply, no matter ability or expertise ranges, that additionally meant you had assist in case your preliminary yogic understanding began and ended with the downward canine pose.
You constructed up these muscle mass.
Regardless of the preliminary dip in energy coaching actions, these additionally got here again with a vengeance and bought extra fashionable in 2020 than they have been in 2019 — 23% extra fashionable. Garmin Join knowledge can not point out whether or not you have been capable of get your fingers on some new at-home weight units or in case you began hammer-curling canned items to move the time, however both approach, we’re right here for it.
You began taking deep breaths.
Take a look at that spike in Breathwork actions that began throughout week 12 of 2020. Coincidence? It could possibly be, however we form of doubt it. Aware respiration with Garmin wearables can improve consciousness, cut back stress, enhance psychological sharpness, increase work efficiency or put together for sleep. Three totally different Breathwork exercise methods are tranquility, coherence, and loosen up and focus — all of which we’re guessing you felt such as you wanted greater than ever. As a result of this can be a newer Garmin characteristic, we don’t have a whole 2019 dataset to indicate — however the 2020 statistics alone present that, slowly however certainly, the common stress ranges began to say no in customers who have been logging at the least one Breathwork exercise per week.
However what about my a part of the world?
Right here’s the factor about having a world viewers in a pandemic: We all know quite a lot of you have been dealing with totally different challenges at totally different instances. Outbreaks lessened and worsened, and restrictions shifted. Some international locations confronted stricter lockdowns for longer intervals of time, whereas others had residents who have been out and a few bit extra. All the above insights have been based mostly on world knowledge as a complete, however we predict there’s worth in seeing the developments in your particular a part of the world too. Plus, who doesn’t love a little bit of pleasant competitors? We’ve pulled the info from the top-10 performing international locations in every exercise for strolling, yoga, energy coaching and Breathwork.
The information exhibits us that regardless of a couple of outliers, the developments in every nation roughly adopted the identical path. All of these squiggly strains transferring collectively? They’re extra than simply statistics. They’re a standard thread, and it exhibits that regardless of variations in location and regulation, we have been all battling the identical obstacles in roughly the identical methods. (Though, actually, it ought to be famous that France found out the significance of yoga approach sooner than the remainder of us, and Spain completely dominated in energy coaching towards the start of the pandemic. Good for you, France and Spain.)
So what’s subsequent?
The COVID-19 state of affairs is continually evolving. Relying on the place you reside, chances are you’ll be dealing with the renewal of lockdowns, or you could have been given the go-ahead to begin slowly getting out of the home extra. That’s not one thing we are able to predict or management. What we are able to do, nevertheless, is hold these wholesome habits we inbuilt 2020 on a gradual upward development in 2021. Maintain being intentional about these walks. Maintain engaged on that cat-cow stretch. Maintain hammer curling your new dumbbells — or your hen noodle soup. Maintain prioritizing your well being and wellness, since you deserve it. We’re already fairly assured you’re going to beat yesterday, however in case you want some assist, look no additional than your wrist for all of the Garmin instruments and options you want to get you there.
