Garmin has released its Connect Fitness Report for 2022, which shows that users of its tech have returned to their pre-pandemic fitness habits.
The data behind 2022’s findings was sourced from Garmin Connect, the app through which Garmin users track and share fitness activities that are recorded by a paired Garmin device.
When HCM spoke to Garmin about how many users Garmin Connect has, the company responded that “millions of Garmin customers around the world use Garmin Connect”, but confirmed that Garmin does not publicly disclose the numbers.
The company has sold more than 250m Garmin devices since launching in 1989.
“We found, within the data, a return to pre-pandemic fitness habits with strong growth in indoor activities that can’t be performed at home, including indoor swimming, rock climbing and gym-based activities such as HIIT workouts,” says the report. “Meanwhile, home-based workouts such as yoga and indoor cycling, both of which spiked during the pandemic, appear to have stabilised.”
In terms of gym-based workouts, strength-training activities were up 20 per cent in 2022 compared with 2021. Elliptical usage increased by 15 per cent compared with 2021, treadmill running was up by 13 per cent, stair climbing grew by 24 per cent and Pilates increased by 38 per cent.
As people returned to leisure centres after Covid, lap swimming activities among Garmin users increased by 34 per cent in 2022 and swimming sessions overall increased by 13 per cent.
Growing consumer interest in tracking body metrics while gaming continues to rise, reflected in the usage of Garmin’s Instinct Esports edition watch and the Str3amup! app. Players can record and analyse their body metrics during play, such as heart rate, stress tracking, energy and sleep, and these can be broadcast to game streams over a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connection.
As well as creating watches and devices for outdoor and indoor fitness activities, Garmin also provides solutions to the aviation, marine and auto markets, holding 1,700 patents and over 1,000 trademark registrations worldwide.
In 2021, Garmin sold 16.6m units and recorded US$4.98bn in revenue, up 19 per cent on the previous year. For 2022, it anticipates revenue of US$4.85bn, according to the company’s financial report from Q3 2022.
