Fitness continues to top the list of 126 physical activities monitored
by the SFIA, according to the 2013 SFIA Tracking the Fitness Movement
Report. Fitness staples Walking for Fitness, Running/Jogging, and
Treadmill participation topped the rankings in the most recent study.
“The
fitness category’s array of varying activities contributes to high
participation rates,” said VJ Mayor, SFIA’s Director of Communications
& Research. “From individual activities such as Running/Jogging and
Treadmill to group-based exercise like Yoga or Boot Camp-style
cross-training, there’s something for everyone.”
The high rate of
participation showed on the sales front as fitness equipment was a $4.7
billion (wholesale) industry last year, an increase of 4.7 percent from
2011. Home-use equipment sales saw a 3.5 percent increase from the year
prior, while commercial-use equipment had an 8.5 percent increase.
The
report also dives deeper into the demographics of inactive Americans. A
majority, 54.6 percent, of inactives were female, while the 65+ age
group had the highest percentage of overall inactives at 20.3 percent.
Those who earned $25,000-$50,000 showed the highest rate of inactivity,
24.9 percent. Following in a close second were the $100,000+ incomes
with an inactivity rate of 23.0 percent
“It appears the age-old
factors of time and money are real challenges for inactive Americans,”
said Mayor. “The lower-income inactives wish they had more money for
activities while the higher-income inactives wish they had more time to
participate.”
Along with information on fitness participation,
equipment sales, and home vs. gym exercise, the Tracking the Fitness
Movement Report provides insight on the behaviors of active and inactive
Americans. For the 2013 report, insider interviews were conducted with
former Precor CEO Paul Byrne, Tennis Industry Association’s (TIA) Cardio
Tennis Manager Michelle Kraus, and Wexer Virtual CEO Rasmus Ingerslev.
Click here to download the 2013 SFIA Tracking the Fitness Movement Report.
