anuary 2021 saw an increase in Polar customers opting for outdoor exercise – particularly cross-country skiing – thanks to perfect snow conditions.
This was a significant finding in the analysis of Polar Finnish customer data for January 2021, and January 2020. Both years saw ‘walking’ as the most common form of exercise, but interestingly, cross-country skiing has become one of the most widely trained sports in Finland among Polar product users over the two years.
The analysis identified the top sport modes in Finland as such (% of ALL sports listed):
January 2020 – walking (18%); strength training (11%); indoor (10%).
January 2021 – walking (21%); other outdoor (11%); cross-country skiing (10%).
Number of people walking increased by nearly 40 000 persons and number of people cross-country skiing by over 50 000 persons in January 2021 compared to January 2020. The number of cross-country skiers increased more than other sport modes and southern Finland saw the highest increase.
A detailed analysis for sports in January 2021 presented the following:
- Walking – people typically walked two times per week for one hour.
- Skiing – people exercised about 6 times per month for 70 minutes per session:
- Age: 45% percent of all skiers aged 30 – 50 years-old; youngest under 10 years old; oldest over 90 years old.
- Gender: Surprisingly, number of females was higher than males across all age-groups (up to 60 years old) – the biggest difference (double) was in the 20–29-year-old female group.
- Ski Style: ‘Classic’ was preferred by the majority – almost double compared to those who preferred ‘Skating’ styles.
- Location: Finns used Polar devices for cross-country skiing exercise in all parts of Finland, but there was a marked increase in the south where snow conditions were very good.
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Please note that the information provided in the Polar Blog articles cannot replace individual advice from health professionals. Please consult your physician before starting a new fitness program.
