Treadmills remain popular among fitness enthusiasts, walkers and runners. According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association’s fitness study, Tracking the Fitness Movement (2008 edition), the treadmill is number one in sales for the fitness equipment category.

In 2007, there were 50.1 million Americans who used a treadmill. In the entire fitness/exercise category, only “working out free weights” and “walking for fitness” attracted more participants – 57.7 million and 108.7 million, respectively. Wholesale sales of treadmills exceeded $1 billion.
Other findings from the report include:

STAYING ACTIVE There are more people over the age of 35 (29.8 million) using a treadmill than under the age of 35 (20.3 million).

GENDER 56 percent of all treadmill participants are female.

MOTIVATED PARTICIPANTS Of the 50.1 million treadmill users, 29.8 million (58 percent) are considered “core” participants, i.e. somebody using the treadmill 50 days or more a year.

CATEGORY LEADER There are 18.5 million “frequent” users of a treadmill (i.e. those using the machine 100 days or more a year) which is more than the total participation for fitness/competitive swimming (18.4 million), yoga/tai chi (14.8 million), stair-climbing machines (13.5 million), aquatic exercise (9.8 million), Pilates training (9.2 million), rowing machines (8.8 million), calisthenics (7.6 million), cardio kickboxing (4.8 million), and cross country ski machines (3.7 million).

SOARING SALES Wholesale sales of treadmills (for use at home, in clubs, and in schools and institutions)were $1.25 billion, in 2007.

HOME SWEET HOME Nearly half (47 percent) of all treadmill users work out on a treadmill more often at home.