Fitbit’s Fittest: The Countries (And Cities) That Stepped It Up and Slept More In 2018

Another year has come to a close. But, before you turn the page, it's important to spend some time reflecting on what worked and what could have gone smoother. SettingSMART goalswill help you slowly build on past progress and set you up for success in the year ahead.

We've taken the guesswork out of the equation. Fitbit researchers crunched the numbers and counted the steps of millions of Fitbit users worldwide. Here are the stats that stood out:

The U.S. Fitbit Community Raised The Bar in 2018

This year, the Fitbit family raised the bar by crushing it in activity, steps, and sleep. Logging all that heart-pumping activity-nearly 106 billion minutes worth-spelled out over 23 trillion steps. That's no small feat (feet?)! Fitbit users also caught more well-earned Zs, logging over 10 billion total hours slept.

Trip Down Memory Lane

Starting off the year on the right foot definitely tired out U.S. Fitbit users. January 27th was the day Fitbit users slept the most, while mid-February was the time of year users consumed the most water (making a splash for the Aquarius sign). Around mid-year, users revved things up. Spring weather provided the perfect backdrop for users to charge up and take to the outdoors. May 1st was the day with the most outdoor runs and, after tallying up active minutes, Fitbit researchers found May 5th to be the most active day of the year. The year closed out with a peak in deep sleep,a stage in which your body rebuilds and repairs, on November 3rd.

Top 5 Countries with the Most Steps

When it comes to stepping, Hong Kong took first place. Leading the charge in the nearly 24 trillion steps users took in 2018, Hong Kong steppers fit in 10,493 daily steps on average over 365 days. Spain came in second with 10,002 average steps. Ireland, Sweden, and Germany rounded out the top five countries who stepped it up in 2018 with 9,726, 9,609, and 9,601 average steps respectively.

Top 5 Countries that Get the Most Sleep

Tips liketurning off the lights, unplugging, and setting a sleep scheduleweren't lost on Fitbit users in Finland, which logged an average of 410 minutes of sleep in 2018. That's close to the 7 hours a night that theCDCrecommends for adults. Other top snoozers who joined the ranks were in New Zealand, Ireland, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Top 5 U.S. Locales With the Lowest Resting Heart Rate

In the U.S., the average adult resting heart rate is60 to 100 beats per minute, but lower heart rates may be a measure of good cardio fitness. Bend, Oregon was 2018's U.S. locales with the healthiest heart stats. Other cities that topped the list were Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and San Luis Obispo, CA, Twin Falls, ID, Monterey-Salinas, CA, and Juneau, AK.

Disclaimer: The 2018 Fitbit Year in Review is based on aggregated and anonymized data of Fitbit users from January 1, 2018 - December 31, 2018.

This article is not intended to substitute for informed medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, altering your sleep habits, taking supplements, or starting a new fitness routine.

Stephanie Smith

Stephanie Smith is Fitbit's Fitness editor. A New York City native and University of Missouri grad, Stephanie has written articles for a number of outlets, including Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Daily Burn, Active.com, EatThis, and BodyBuilding.com. She is excited to spread the health and fitness message-and the importance of getting in steps-to Fitbit users. When she's not encouraging people to get moving, she enjoys indoor cycling, animal-shelter volunteering, and vegetarian meals.