How Garmin Users’ Activity Levels Increased in 2023
Analysis of activity tracking data from Garmin wearables in 2023 reveals that we completed significantly more activities across almost all categories compared to the previous year. The top five most logged activities were running, walking, cycling, strength training, and indoor cardio. Alongside that, year-over-year increases were seen in most other types of exercise as well. But as always, the devil lies in the detail, and many interesting nuggets are hiding behind the headline numbers from each sport.
Running
Running saw especially dramatic growth, with users finding time each day to squeeze in more runs. Both outdoor trail running and indoor treadmill sessions on the Garmin Forerunner smartwatches were up substantially.
Garmin didn’t say to what extent these increases were from an increased number of Garmin Connect users. Nor did they clarify if the growth in Track Running was down to the introduction of new ways to record track runs, like Track Mode from 2020.
Garmin users could have simply been more correctly recording their track runs with the correct profile rather than using the watch as a glorified timer in a generic run mode.
Cycling
Cycling also increased sharply, indicating users were pushing their limits on outdoor bike rides and indoor trainer workouts with their Edge cycling computers.
Garmin Edge 530 overtaken by Wahoo bolt in Strava Uploads [USA, official figures]
Casually glancing at the numbers, we might think that the importance of road biking is gone and that most people now use eBikes or only cycle on gravel. Of course, the truth is likely very much different as the figures Garmin quotes are percentage increases and I would imagine that the 7% growth in road cycling is from an already very high point.
Fitness Equipment
Use of fitness equipment at gyms and home rose 19% overall. All types of strength training machines like ellipticals, stair steppers, and rowing saw more frequent use. This suggests Garmin watch owners are better equipping their home gyms or making better use of gym memberships.
Perhaps instead they are simply more accurately recording the workout type than previously. That said some of these changes strike an anecdotal chord from things I talked to fellow athletes about.
Hiking & Triathlon
Hiking also continued its yearly rise in popularity among Garmin athletes. With durable watches like the Fenix 7 Pro providing long battery life, more trails were explored all over the world. Multisport athletes remained exceptionally driven as well, increasing triathlon/duathlon events and “brick” workouts by 18% through swimming, biking, and running.
Thoughts
2023 data shows Garmin users are more committed than ever to logging a wider variety of sports and fitness activities. Perhaps their Garmin devices are being more effectively used to track and support improved performance across all sports types. The global market login sports must still be growing, let’s see what 2024 brings
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Increase in track training is probably more because of more watches have trackmode.
My new 965 has trackmode and I tried it but it doesn’t do anything for a track workout. The length of the recorded intervals is still off. After I had to replace my 965 due to the many problems I reported, I couldn’t bothered using it again.
yes that’s what i thought. but that’s also why i included the lauch date of Track Mode which suggested it wasnt a factor. admittedly i didn’t track to see when the mode was later introduced to other models.