GfK asked consumers around the world what activities they regularly engage in to maintain their physical health – and getting enough sleep topped eating healthy food, exercising or taking vitamins.

GfK surveyed 23 countries and found that two-thirds of global consumers (66 percent) say that they regularly get enough sleep in order to maintain their physical health. This is more popular among global women (at 69%), compared to 63% of global men.

The next most popular activity is eating healthy, nutritious foods, with 59% of global consumers regularly doing this to maintain their physical health. In this case, women are even more strongly in the lead at 63%, compared to 56% of men.

When it comes to exercise, 57 % of global consumers work out regularly to maintain their physical wellbeing – and more men tend to do this than women: 60% versus 54%.

Looking at how prevalent these healthy behaviours are in individual countries, GfK’s survey indicates that Indonesia (85%), India (77%) and China (73%) are the top three countries where consumers habitually get enough sleep in order to maintain physical health.

India and Indonesia are also the two top markets where consumers regularly eat healthily to maintain their physical wellbeing, with 79% and 74% respectively – and they are followed by Mexico with 69%.

For countries where people regularly exercise to maintain their physical health, Mexico tops the list with 68%, followed closely by China at 67% and Canada and Australia coming third at 61% each.

Other interesting findings revealed by GfK’s survey include the fact that global women are over two times more likely than global men to regularly use sunscreen in order to maintain physical health (42% versus 18%). Brazilian consumers are in the lead on sunscreen use at a national level (at 46%), followed by Canada and South Korea (both at 43%). Australia and Spain both trail at 42%.

The survey also revealed that there are differences between parents and non-parents in the top three activities for maintaining physical health. There is a slight difference in getting enough sleep (where parents lead by 2%) and exercise (where non-parents lead by 3%).

But we see a more significant difference when it comes to eating healthy, nutritious foods. Here, parents lead over non-parents by 8 percent, presumably since this healthy measure can benefit the child as well as the parent.

The activities people around the world do regularly to maintain their physical health are:
* Get enough sleep – 66%;
* Eat healthy, nutritious foods – 59%;
* Exercise – 57%;
* Have a regular oral care routine – 54%;
* Spend time with family, friends and pets – 53%;
* Use skin care or beauty/personal grooming products – 38%;
* Take vitamins or other supplements – 32%;
* Use sunscreen – 30%;
* Take a break from technology or unplug/disconnect – 22%;
* Follow a specific diet – 18%;
* Meditate or use other relaxation techniques – 17%;
* Get massages or other types of spa treatments – 14%;
* Use herbal, holistic or other alternative remedies/therapies – 14%; and
* Get cosmetic or elective surgery of non-surgical procedures – 6%.