SFIA: American Physical Activity Rates Tick Up

After years of stagnant activity rates, and as a counterbalance to some not-so-great participation news from the Outoor Foundation, SFIA reports that 3 million more Americans took part in some sport or fitness activity in 2019. According to the SFIA’s annual Topline Participation Report, fitness, outdoor activities and team sports categories showed the most growth.

The report also further substantiated alarming income disparities among those who are physically active. Households in lower income brackets ($49,999 and below) are significantly more inactive than those in higher income brackets ($50,000 and above), said SFIA.

“The uptick in number of people being active is good news and reflects a lot of hard work done in recent years to get more Americans active and healthy. But make no mistake. The work is only beginning, and now is the time to double down to sustain this direction,” said Tom Cove, SFIA president and CEO.

“As a nation, we have a special responsibility to ensure that access to sport and fitness is open to all, without regard to one’s income. It’s a moral imperative and it’s also a sure-fire way to reduce long term health care costs. This is why it is so important that we pass the PHIT Act immediately,” Cove added.

In fitness, nearly every category increased in participation. Dance, step, and other choreographed exercise to music (7.0 percent); aquatic exercise (6.4 percent); rowing machine (5.9 percent); and treadmill (5.7 percent) represented the greatest year-over-year growth. The trend is driven by casual (occasional) participation in a multitude of activities. This is likely due to opportunities presented by a variety of studios, gyms and classes, as well as apps such as ClassPass, allowing individuals to participate on a more flexible schedule, said SFIA. New gyms new apps and social media are working to reduce barriers to first-timers, providing the option to diversify your workout and try new things.

Yoga remains strong, with a 6 percent year-over-year growth. This is a significant increase in an activity with such a large base. There are more yoga participants than high impact intensity training (HIIT), boot camp style training and barre combined. In addition, all combat sports (MMA for fitness, MMA for competition, boxing for fitness, boxing for competition