Lifestyle

WHOOP’s Year-End Review Highlights New Activities, More Sex

December 27, 2021 by
Photo Credit: WHOOP
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WHOOP has released its year-end review, providing an in-depth look at data generated by members around the world. There were several takeaways, headlined by an increase in new activities and a correlation between stress and the amount of days spent working late. 

One big thing: WHOOP generated the anonymous data from its global membership base. This data took into account the eased COVID-19 restrictions in the United Kingdom in April, as well as other countries moving forward into May and June. 

  • The changed restrictions around the world had an impact on rest and recovery. May 15 had the second lowest average recovery score at 53% as the CDC updates guidelines about mask-wearing and social distancing.
  • The global data showed that members had the worst average sleep during the month of June. Some of the factors that played a role in poor sleep were sickness, late meals, alcohol, sharing a bed, injuries, stress, sex, and anti-inflammation medication.
  • The WHOOP data also revealed that female members experienced the biggest deviations in heart rate and respiratory rate the night after receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. The deviations were larger after the second dose than after the first. 

Emily Capodilupo, VP of Data Science & Research: “We found a positive correlation across the year between stress and sleep duration which further supports our covid resilience project research, highlighting the impact that sleep can have on mental health. It’s a powerful reminder as the very stressful pandemic continues on with the new Omicron variant that sleep can not only help bolster our immune systems and keep us healthy, but also helps keep us resilient to the stressors we’re all experiencing.” 

Getting outside: According to the WHOOP data, 37% of members chose to broaden their horizons in 2021 by trying a new activity. Popular activities included hiking, rucking, and swimming. By comparison, WHOOP members took less of an interest in parkour, diving, hurling, and circus arts. 

Fitness Trends: A key piece of data provided by WHOOP in the year-end review focused on exercise. A multitude of members logged an impressive array of moments, which varied based on country. 

  • Members in the United States listed Functional Fitness as the top movement with running and cycling rounding out the top three. Australian users had the same top three, but cycling took over the second spot behind Functional Fitness.  
  • Members in the United Kingdom and Germany both reported cycling as the top movement, followed by running. Members in Ireland listed running as the top movement ahead of walking. 

Stress, Sex, and Overtime: While June had the lowest average sleep performance, the data showed a considerable change in July and August. These two months featured a decrease in days spent working late, a considerable increase in the amount of sex, and the least amount of stress all year. 

  • Members in the United States reported having the most sex during the month of July, followed by January, June, and August. On average, members in the United States reported having the most sex while members in the United Kingdom reported the least amount. 
  • July featured the fewest reports of stress from members in the United States while August had the fewest number of days spent working late. 

Bottom line: WHOOP provides a staggering amount of data about recovery, performance, and the impact of outside influences. 2021’s year-end review only further showcased this by proving how alcohol, sex, work, and other outside factors have a direct effect on recovery and performance. 

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