Fitbit, the ‘global leader in the connected health and fitness category’ has released its first-ever global ranking of the most popular fitness activities.
Based on the logged activities of more than 1 million of its users, analysing gender, age and location (focusing on the US, Australia, UK and Canada) the Fitbit Activity Index provides a picture of emerging fitness trends in a variety of key areas, showing how people pursue their fitness goals differently.
Fitbit found that nearly 70% of surveyed users said they walk for fitness, and decided to dig into the other ways people frequently get in their workouts.
The interactive microsite allows users to explore the data: looking at the most logged workouts around the world, comparisons between countries, which activities are more popular with men or women and how different age groups – millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers – approach fitness differently.
Chrissie Wellington, four time World Ironman champion and Fitbit Ambassador said, “It’s great to see that the three disciplines of triathlon feature at the top of the UK Fitbit Activity Index.
“Whether you do them separately or together, running, swimming and cycling really are open to all; no matter what your age, ability or background – and wearing a Fitbit helps you make sure that your training (and the recovery) stays right on track so you can achieve your sporting goals!”
For UK Fitbit users:
- Running, biking and swimming take the top three spots for the most popular UK activities
- Running remains the number one overall activity for both male and female millennials and Gen Xers, but biking is most popular amongst Baby Boomers
- UK Fitbit users like to experiment with new ways to keep fit with fitness trends such Cross Fit and Insanity appearing in the list of most popular activities for both UK men and women aged 18-55
- The British weather may have an influence on how people like to exercise – with indoor activities including aerobics and indoor cycling appearing higher on the list of most popular activities in the UK than in the US, Australia or Canada
Top 10 most popular activities logged by UK Fitbit users:
- Running
- Biking
- Swimming
- Strength training
- Indoor cycling
- Aerobics
- Rowing
- Circuit training
- Elliptical workouts
- Yoga
These findings are sourced through Fitbit’s ‘expansive aggregated and anonymised data’. Fitbit’s mission is to use data to motivate people, and the company believes that seeing the many ways others choose to stay active can help people do the same for themselves.
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Fitbit was founded by James Park and Eric Friedman. The company is known for its eponymous Fitbit products, which are activity trackers, wireless-enabled wearable technology devices that measure data such as the number of steps walked, quality of sleep, steps climbed, and other personal metrics.
