- Third annual Vitality In America study shows more people achieving high vitality, driven by an improved sense of energy.
- While Gen Z adults continue to have the lowest overall vitality, they are feeling more confident, capable, and optimistic.
- People with high vitality are more than 5X as likely to wake up feeling well-rested, underlining strong link between sleep quality and vitality.
- Prolonged sitting during the workday is tied to low vitality, with one in 6 workers sitting for more than 8 hours per day.
Although Americans continue to report concerning levels of stress, poor mental health, and loneliness, they are feeling more energized and slightly less likely to report financial insecurity, according to new vitality research from global health company The Cigna Group. The third annual Vitality In America report shows a small, but significant 2% shift in people with medium vitality to high vitality – the first sign of improvement since 2022. This year, 1 in 5 people report high vitality, largely due to gains in people feeling energized (up 3% from 2022) and feeling alive and vital (up 4% from 2022).
“Vitality is a measure of overall health and wellbeing and, ultimately, human performance. As a health care company, we are deeply committed to both understanding vitality and helping people, employers, and communities improve it,” said David M. Cordani, chairman and CEO of The Cigna Group. “While most of our health care dollars are spent on fixing things after they break, vitality presents an opportunity to look more broadly and identify ways to keep people healthy in the first place. Focusing on vitality offers a sustainable guidepost to make our employment landscape, and our communities, better.”
The Vitality In America report is available here. Key findings include:
Gen Z adults still report the lowest levels of vitality but show double-digit improvements in vitality building blocks. Gen Z adults indicate positive changes in their autonomy and competence, which are foundational for vitality. They’re steadily acquiring skills for a healthy life, feeling more in control during stressful times, gaining confidence in health goals, and becoming more optimistic since 2022.
Sleep quality is highly connected to vitality. Although people report getting the same amount of sleep since 2022, the quality is declining, with 45% waking up feeling rested compared to 53% in 2022. People with high vitality are more than 5x times as likely to say they wake up feeling well-rested.
High vitality is linked to higher job satisfaction and better job performance. Workers with high vitality are more engaged and willing to put in extra effort. For example, 86% of high vitality employees are ready to work harder to help their workplace succeed, compared to 43% of low vitality workers.
Manager relationships impact worker mental health and vitality. People with high vitality report significantly more positive relationships with their managers. For example, high vitality workers are more than 4x as likely to feel understood by their manager.
Prolonged sitting during the workday significantly impacts vitality. Workers who sit for 6+ hours daily have lower vitality, poorer health, and engage in fewer healthy behaviors compared to those who sit less. The lowest vitality workers are the 1 in 6 individuals who are completely sedentary, spending the 8-hour workday sitting down.
“These findings offer some actionable insights for both individuals and employers,” said Dr. Stuart Lustig, National Medical Executive for Behavioral Health Strategy and Product Design, Cigna Healthcare. “Employers have an opportunity to address workforce vitality by helping employees build and enhance meaningful workplace connections, and managers at every level of an organization can initiate discussions with their team members. Employers can also encourage their colleagues to take full advantage of their health benefits, which often include no-cost mental health care, nutrition and fitness support and can encourage healthier habits.”
Explore HRTech News for the latest Tech Trends in Human Resources Technology.
