According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) in its recently released Sports Participation in America, women represent more than half of the participants in 18 of the 27 fitness activities SGMA researches. The research also found that the peak age of participation in team sports is age 11, as 72% of the children in that age group play at least one team sport.
The study also found that most of the people who make time for consistent exercise are avid enthusiasts. Those who dont exercise on a regular basis list a plethora of reasons not to be active including; long days at the office, lengthy commutes to and from work, an addiction to computer-related activities, a lack of interest in exercise, or not enough money needed to participate in a sport on a regular basis.
“The report reinforces the long-term trend of declining casual play with greater activity by the core group of regular and frequent participants. We also see an aging of the activity base in this country as the boomer generation continues to skew older and increases in participation by younger demographics decreases,” said SGMA VP Gregg Hartley.
