The heart and soul of the sporting goods industry can be found among its core participants. That’s the underlying theme of the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association’s (SGMA) 2007 Sports & Fitness Participation Report which is based on the new USA Sports Participation Study. Improving on previous reports, this SGMA study showcases participation at the core level which focuses on those engaged in sports, fitness, and recreational activities on a regular or a frequent basis.

According to SGMA’s findings, fitness activities and team sports have a very loyal legion of core participants. In fact, of the 27 fitness activities listed, core participants represent more than 50% of total participants in 16 of them. Of the 22 team sports in the report, core participants represent more than 50% of total participants in 14 of them.

This year’s SGMA Sports & Fitness Participation Report has overall participation figures for 86 sports in eight different categories (aerobic activities, conditioning activities, strength activities, individual sports, racquet sports, team sports, outdoor sports, and water sports). Additional participation figures for 27 activities (outdoor sports, snow sports and water sports) will be released in early June.

“In the sporting goods industry, core participants are people whose lifestyles reflect their recreational and athletic interests,” said SGMA President/CEO Tom Cove. “They consistently buy sporting goods, keep tabs on product innovation, pay gym fees, play in competitive tournaments, and participate in local recreation leagues.” 

Leading Fitness Activities Based on Percentage of Core Participants
(age 6 and above; 2006 participants; U.S. residents; source: SGMA)
Rank/Sport		Core Participants	  Total Participation	% of Core Participants
1. Stretching		24,900,000 (50+ days)   32,570,000			76.5%
2. Calisthenics		  5,450,000 (50+ days)     7,580,000			71.9%
3. Walking for Fitness 70,342,000 (50+ days) 100,239,000			70.2%

Leading Team Sports Based on Percentage of Core Participants
(age 6 and above; 2006 participants; U.S. residents; source: SGMA)
Rank/Sport		Core Participants          Total Participation	% of Core Participants
1. Basketball		18,761,000 (13+ days)   24,665,000			76.1%
2. Baseball		12,175,000 (13+ days)   16,114,000			75.6%
3. Slow-Pitch Softball	  5,665,000 (13+ days)     8,640,000			65.6%

According to the SGMA Sports & Fitness Participation Report, the sports/activities with the highest levels of interest among core participants in 2006 are listed below. Fitness is the dominant participation category as fitness activities account for 11 out of the top 15 athletic pursuits – based on core participation. 

Most Popular Sports and Fitness Activities Based on Core Participation
(age 6 and above; U.S. residents; source: SGMA)
Rank/Sport				2006 Participation	Core Level of Frequency 	
  1.  Walking for Fitness	 	  70,342,000		50+ Days a Year	
  2.  Hand Weights		  	  29,333,000		50+ Days a Year
  3.  Treadmill			  	  28,489,000		50+ Days a Year
  4.  Weight/Resistance Machines	  26,210,000		50+ Days a Year
  5.  Stretching		  	  	  24,900,000		50+ Days a Year
  6.  Dumbells				  22,481,000		50+ Days a Year
  7.  Running/Jogging			  22,120,000		50+ Days a Year
  8.  Billiards/Pool			  19,663,000		13+ Days a Year  	
  9.  Basketball			  18,761,000		13+ Days a Year
10.  Barbells				  18,595,000		50+ Days a Year
11.  Golf on a 9/18 Hole Course	  17,285,000		  8+ Days a Year		  
12.  Home Gym Exercise	  	  15,424,000		50+ Days a Year
13.  Abdominal Machine/Device	  14,007,000		50+ Days a Year 
14.  Bowling				  13,979,000		13+ Days a Year  
15.  Stationary Cycling (Upright)	  13,312,000		50+ Days a Year

While the fitness trend is dominating the participation scene, sales of exercise equipment are also strong. According to SGMA’s Manufacturers Sales by Category report, the wholesale size of the exercise equipment category (at wholesale) in the U.S. was $4.7 billion in 2006 – the largest group in the sporting goods equipment category.

As far as total participation is concerned, the five sports in the U.S. with the largest participation base are walking for fitness (100.3 million), bowling (54.3 million), treadmills (49.8 million), billiards/pool (47.0 million), and hand weights (45.2 million).