What 2024 wellness trends reveal about sleep, recovery, and strain

Podcast episode originally published on December 11, 2024

2024 wellness trends can show which habits were linked to better sleep, stronger Recovery, and steadier routines across WHOOP members. In Episode 301 of the WHOOP Podcast, Will Ahmed sits down with Emily Capodilupo, Senior Vice President of Research, Algorithms, and Data at WHOOP, to break down what changed in 2024, from step counts and rising WHOOP Journal behaviors to the biggest recovery boosters, the most stressed generation, and the cities that slept the most.

This article turns that discussion into six clear questions about the patterns that stood out in WHOOP data, what those patterns likely mean, and which habits are actually worth testing in your own routine.

To listen to Episode 301 of the WHOOP Podcast in full, head to the full podcast episode on Youtube.

How did step counts look in 2024, and what can they actually tell you?

Step totals were high across the board, but the more useful takeaway is that step count alone does not equal distance, workload, or fitness. Capodilupo said women averaged about 13,900 steps per day versus 13,300 for men, and she tied that difference largely to height rather than assuming women covered more ground.

That matters for interpretation inside the WHOOP app. A higher step total can reflect shorter stride length, a more active job, or both. Capodilupo also pointed to an extreme example from London: one member logged roughly 1.5 million steps in about nine weeks after steps launched in early October, which works out to about 25,000 steps per day, or roughly 12 to 14 miles.

Capodilupo framed the sex difference as a biomechanics question, not a motivation question, saying:

"If you and I both go for a walk together to go get the same lunch 2 blocks away, and then we walk back, I probably took more steps than you did because you're a couple inches taller than me."

For anyone trying to use steps well, the practical lesson is to pair step count with context. A large daily total can signal general movement, occupational activity, or deliberate walking, but it does not replace strain, exercise type, or sleep and Recovery trends. Population averages are useful, but your own baseline is more useful.

What you should take away

• Step count is best used as a movement volume signal, not a full measure of distance, effort, or fitness
• Women averaged about 4.5% more steps than men in the 2024 data Capodilupo discussed, and she linked much of that gap to shorter average stride length
• Very high step counts can reflect an active job as much as intentional exercise

If you want to hear Capodilupo unpack what step counts can and cannot tell you, head to the full podcast episode on Youtube.

Which WHOOP Journal behaviors grew fastest in 2024?

Once you move from overall activity into logged habits, the clearest 2024 story is circadian health. Morning sunlight rose 98% year over year, protein logging rose 80%, daylight eating rose 38%, red light therapy rose 38%, compression therapy rose 35%, and ice bath also landed among the biggest movers.

The first pattern here is timing. Morning sunlight and daylight eating both point to people paying more attention to the body clock. In the episode, Capodilupo credited that shift in part to the education work of Kristen Holmes, Global Head of Human Performance, Principal Scientist at WHOOP, and to the fact that these habits are relatively easy to test. Open the blinds, get light exposure early, keep food earlier in the day, and many people notice a quick difference in sleep timing and alertness.

The second pattern is that WHOOP members seem more willing to log recovery modalities. Ice baths, compression, and red light therapy all sit in the same broad category: habits people use because they expect a next-day payoff in how they feel and recover.

Capodilupo was much less enthusiastic about another fast riser. She argued that protein has become culturally overemphasized, especially when it crowds out fiber-rich foods. She also noted that keto is losing steam. In the episode, Ahmed cited a drop from roughly 30% of people reporting a keto diet in 2022 to 22% in 2023 and 17% in 2024. That shift lines up with the broader trend captured in Podcast 251: Year in Review: Unpacking 2023's Health and Wellness Trends, where circadian behaviors and recovery practices were already moving higher on the list.

Capodilupo put the protein trend in blunt terms:

"The number of Americans that are protein deprived is way less than 1%, and 97% of Americans are fiber deficient."

Her larger point was about tradeoffs. If calories are going toward highly processed protein products, they are not going toward foods that carry fiber and other nutrients. In other words, logging a popular habit is not the same thing as logging the most useful one.

What you should take away

• Morning sunlight and daylight eating were two of the clearest 2024 signs that WHOOP members are paying more attention to circadian timing
• Protein logging rose sharply, but Capodilupo argued that the bigger nutrition gap is fiber, not protein, for most people
• Keto reporting continued to fall from 2022 to 2024, which suggests a move away from more rigid diet patterns
• Recovery modalities gained traction in 2024, especially ice bath, compression therapy, and red light therapy

If you want to hear Capodilupo go deeper on circadian habits, protein, and the decline in keto, head to the full podcast episode on Youtube.

Which activities grew fastest, and what does that say about training in 2024?

From habit logging, the next useful step is to look at what people actually did. The fastest-growing activities in the episode were kayaking, up 191%, followed by field hockey, gymnastics, walking, and hiking or rucking.

Walking taking the top overall spot is important because it reinforces the step data. People are paying more attention to low-friction movement. At the same time, the rest of the most popular activity list still looks familiar: general activity, weightlifting, running, functional fitness, cycling, golf, HIIT, spinning, and hiking or rucking rounded out the top 10.

What changed more than the top of the list was the shape of the middle. Capodilupo said WHOOP growth across more countries is starting to pull region-specific sports into view. That makes these year-end lists more useful as a picture of how movement culture differs across places, not just across age groups.

Her most actionable training point in this section was about rucking. Capodilupo said many people underestimate how effective it can be as a form of strength-supporting movement, especially for adults who do not want a conventional gym routine.

Capodilupo explained the aging angle this way:

"If you aren't intentional about it, you lose about 1% of your muscle mass per year after 30, and rucking with something like 10 to 15% of your body weight is so, so good for maintaining muscle mass as you age."

That advice makes rucking useful far beyond trend status. It turns walking into loaded movement, keeps impact relatively low, and gives people an accessible way to hold onto muscle as they get older. In a year when walking led the board, that is one of the clearest examples of how a common behavior can become a smarter one.

What you should take away

• Walking was the most popular WHOOP activity in 2024, which lines up with the strong focus on step tracking
• Kayaking, field hockey, gymnastics, and hiking or rucking were among the fastest-growing activities in the data Capodilupo discussed
• Rucking is a practical way to add load to walking and can help support muscle retention with age
• The 2024 activity mix also reflects broader international growth, which brings more regional sports into the data set

If you want to hear Capodilupo unpack rucking, walking, and the fastest-growing activities, head to the full podcast episode on Youtube.

What were the biggest recovery boosters and detractors in 2024?

The strongest positive and negative recovery factors in 2024 were still remarkably clear. Good sleep was the biggest booster, adding about 10% to Recovery on average and up to 14% in some cases. Alcohol was the biggest detractor, pulling Recovery down about 12% on average and as much as 17%.

Between those two poles sat the habits that shape circadian rhythm and evening wind-down. Caffeine ranked second among positive factors, with about a 4% average Recovery lift and up to 7% in the data Ahmed cited. Consistent wake time and consistent bedtime each added about 3% on average and up to 5%. Daylight eating, reading in bed, melatonin, shared bed, hydration, and blue light blocking glasses also made the top positive list.

Capodilupo's explanation of why consistent sleep timing matters was one of the most useful mechanism-based sections in the episode. She said the body works best when it can anticipate what is coming next, especially around bedtime. A stable sleep window gives the body time to prepare hormonally for sleep instead of getting surprised by it.

As Capodilupo put it:

"If you're sleeping at a consistent time, it means that your body can start to build up melatonin about 2 hours before, and then when you get into bed, your body's ready for this."

That is why the positive list clusters around light, timing, and routine. Dimmer light, blue light blocking glasses, reading, morning sunlight, and daylight eating all reinforce the same message: make bedtime easier for the body to predict.

The detractor list is the mirror image. After alcohol and fever came sleep at altitude, high stress zone, feeling sick, night shift, late meal, air travel, marijuana, and late workout. Some of those are hard to avoid, but most are understandable. Altitude means the body must work harder for oxygen. Night shift breaks sleep timing. Air travel disrupts time cues and can add dehydration. Late meals ask the body to digest when it is trying to wind down. Marijuana may help some people fall asleep faster, but Capodilupo said WHOOP data shows poorer sleep architecture, especially less REM sleep.

The same pattern has shown up across earlier WHOOP year-end analyses, including Health & Fitness Trends in 2020 Seen in WHOOP Data and 2021 Year In Review: Insights From a Year of WHOOP Data. The specifics move a little, but routine, sleep quality, alcohol, and timing keep returning as the main levers.

What you should take away

• Sleep performance was the strongest positive Recovery factor discussed in the episode, at about +10% on average and up to +14%
• Alcohol was the strongest negative Recovery factor discussed in the episode, at about -12% on average and up to -17%
• Consistent bedtimes, consistent wake times, morning light, and earlier eating all support the same goal, a stronger circadian rhythm
• Late meals, late workouts, air travel, altitude, and marijuana can all pull next-day Recovery down through different mechanisms

If you want to hear Capodilupo go deeper on Recovery boosters, alcohol, late meals, and sleep timing, head to the full podcast episode on Youtube.

What did WHOOP data show about stress and alcohol across generations, countries, and cities?

If recovery factors explain what affects a single night, the wider population trends show where stress and alcohol cluster. Gen Z was the most stressed generation in the 2024 discussion, spending only 30% of time in the low stress zone. Gen X was the least stressed, spending 40% of time there.

Capodilupo said part of that gap may reflect activity and part may reflect life stage. Younger people tend to be more physically active, which can raise time outside the low stress zone, but she also suggested that younger adults may be less equipped for day-to-day stress management while dealing with economic pressure.

Capodilupo summarized that pattern this way:

"I don't think they have the skills for that [...]. They're going to be hit harder by things like inflation because they're making less money, they've got less saved."

At the country level, the most stressed were the Czech Republic, Indonesia, and India. The least stressed were the United States, South Africa, and Brazil, based on percent of time in the low stress zone discussed in the episode.

Alcohol patterns were also revealing. The United States topped the list of countries reporting alcohol most often at 26% of days, followed by Canada and the United Kingdom at 23%, Australia at 21%, Germany at 20%, and Ireland at 17%. Within the United States, Washington, D.C. led the city list at 33%, followed by Denver, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Cincinnati. Men also reported alcohol more often than women, 23% of days versus 21%.

Ahmed floated an election-year explanation for some of the United States pattern, especially in Washington, D.C. The episode treated that as informed speculation rather than a confirmed conclusion, but it is a useful reminder that the same behavior can be driven by culture, season, job demands, and current events, not only by individual choice.

What you should take away

• Gen Z was the most stressed generation in the 2024 data discussion, while Gen X spent the highest share of time in the low stress zone
• Stress zone trends may reflect both life stage and activity level, so they need context before turning into a judgment about coping
• The United States led the countries discussed for alcohol reporting frequency, and Washington, D.C. led the US city list
• Men reported alcohol more often than women in the 2024 episode breakdown

Which cities and generations slept the most, and what habits improved sleep consistency?

After stress and alcohol patterns, sleep geography adds one more layer. The best sleeping cities in the episode were Bristol, Stockholm, and Munich, all a little above seven hours per night on average. The lowest-sleep cities were clustered in the Gulf region, with Sharjah at the bottom, followed by Doha, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Dubai.

The spread was narrower than many people might expect. Capodilupo pointed out that the difference between the city sleeping the most and the city sleeping the least was only about half an hour. That makes population sleep rankings more interesting as a cultural signal than as a dramatic physiological divide.

Age followed an equally consistent pattern. Gen Z slept the most, then millennials, then Gen X, then boomers. The oldest group also went to bed earliest, around 10:48 p.m. on average, while Gen Z went to bed latest, around 12:21 a.m. Capodilupo said that pattern fits the literature well because sleep need tends to decline with age, even as sleep often becomes lighter and less efficient.

She described the age trend this way:

"Your physiological need for sleep declines as you get older, and if everybody was doing exactly what WHOOP recommended, we would see this trend."

The strongest sleep-consistency habits in the episode all fit the same circadian frame: dim lights after sunset, blue light blocking glasses, sound machine, reading in bed, weighted blanket, daylight eating, melatonin, and morning sunlight. Capodilupo said these rankings lined up with summer WHOOP research on sleep and stress, and she also said WHOOP research keeps finding sleep consistency to be a powerful predictor of disruption. The theme also showed up in Podcast 201: The Top Trends, Behaviors, and Activities from 2022, where circadian health and bedtime routines were already central.

The practical message is simple: sleep duration matters, but the conditions that make sleep happen on time matter too. Light exposure, timing of meals, wind-down cues, and bedtime regularity repeatedly rise to the top.

What you should take away

• Bristol, Stockholm, and Munich were the highest-sleep cities discussed in the episode, while Sharjah, Doha, and Jeddah were among the lowest
• Gen Z slept the most and went to bed latest, while boomers slept the least and went to bed earliest
• The gap between the highest-sleep and lowest-sleep cities was only about half an hour
• Dim lights, blue light blocking glasses, daylight eating, morning sunlight, and bedtime reading all showed up as habits linked to steadier sleep timing

The bottom line

• Step count is useful for tracking daily movement, but stride length and job demands can change step totals without changing distance or fitness
• Morning sunlight and daylight eating were two of the clearest 2024 signals that WHOOP members are paying more attention to circadian health
• Walking was the most popular activity in 2024, and rucking stood out as a simple way to make walking more strength-supportive
• Sleep performance remained the strongest Recovery booster discussed in the episode, while alcohol remained the strongest Recovery detractor
• Consistent bedtimes and wake times improve sleep by helping the body prepare for sleep before you get into bed
• Gen Z spent the least time in the low stress zone of any generation discussed in the episode, while Gen X spent the most
• The city-level sleep rankings were tighter than they may appear, with only about a half-hour separating the highest-sleep and lowest-sleep cities

Frequently asked questions about things discussed in this episode

How does WHOOP measure steps, and why can step totals differ between people who walk the same route?

• WHOOP shows that step totals can differ even when two people cover the same distance. Step count depends partly on stride length, so shorter people may log more steps over the same route, which is why Capodilupo said the higher average step count for women in this episode likely reflects height as much as movement volume.

What does WHOOP show about alcohol and next-day Recovery?

• WHOOP shows alcohol as one of the clearest negative behaviors for next-day Recovery in year-end Journal analysis. In this episode, alcohol lowered Recovery by about 12% on average and by as much as 17%, which kept it far ahead of most other detractors.

How does WHOOP use Journal data to identify habits linked to better Recovery?

• WHOOP compares Recovery trends with the behaviors members log in the WHOOP Journal. In this episode, sleep performance, caffeine, consistent wake time, consistent bedtime, daylight eating, hydration, and blue light blocking glasses all appeared among the habits linked to better Recovery.

What does WHOOP data say about sleep consistency and circadian habits?

• WHOOP data in this episode points strongly toward circadian habits as practical levers for better sleep timing. Morning sunlight, daylight eating, dim lights after sunset, blue light blocking glasses, reading in bed, and consistent sleep timing all showed up as behaviors associated with better sleep consistency.

How does WHOOP show stress patterns across generations?

• WHOOP shows stress by tracking time spent in different stress zones over the day. In this episode, Gen Z spent only 30% of time in the low stress zone, while Gen X spent 40%, which made Gen Z the most stressed generation discussed and Gen X the least stressed.

What does WHOOP reveal about late meals, late workouts, and marijuana before bed?

• WHOOP data in this episode links all three to worse next-day Recovery. Late meals and late workouts can keep the body activated when it should be winding down, and Capodilupo said marijuana may help some people fall asleep faster while still producing poorer-quality sleep with less REM.

Your 2024 Year in Review becomes more useful when you compare these population trends with your own WHOOP data, especially around sleep timing, alcohol, and the small habits that keep showing up in Recovery.