SGMA Survey Says: Fitness Has National Appeal

SGMA SURVEY SAYS: FITNESS HAS NATIONAL APPEAL

WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 31, 2006 – At the club, in the water, at home, on a bikepath, or alongside the road. Those are the main venues where millions of Americans are working out in order to get and stay fit. For the complete story on the state of the fitness industry in the US, the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association is releasing its annual fitness study, Tracking the Fitness Movement (2006 edition).

This annual report provides the reader with current participation details and sales trends for fitness activities and equipment exercise in the United States. These fitness pursuits – more than 20 — range from abdominal trainers to fitness bicycling to treadmills to yoga/tai chi.
The main chapters for Tracking the Fitness Movement are Key Trends; Fitness Participation Trends in Detail; Analyzing Frequent Fitness Participants; Manufacturers’ Sales of Fitness Equipment; and Data Bank: Demographic Report on Fitness Participants. There are also two special reports: (1) Strength and Cardio Users, and (2) Prizm Finds Boomer Exercisers.

The entire report is filled with graphs, charts, and statistical tables which reveal levels of interest and activity in all areas of fitness.
Listed below are some of the newsworthy facts and figures within this report:

Fitness at Home: Manufacturers’ sales of home fitness equipment were $3.37 billion in 2004, up from $990 million in 1990.

Club Memberships: More than 41 million Americans are members of health clubs, nearly twice as many as the 20.7 million in 1990.

In Step: The largest number of treadmill users is between the ages of 25 and 34 (10.3 million).

Low Impact Appeal: Due to an aging population, the growth and appeal of low-impact exercises (Pilates Training, Elliptical Motion Trainer,

Yoga/Tai Chi, Stretching, Recumbent Bikes) since 2000 has been steady and strong.

Inside the Numbers: For all fitness participants in the U.S., the average age of participants ranges from 26.3 (running/jogging) to 43.3 (fitness walking).

For a number of the fitness activities, the following demographics are revealed: male/female ratio; average household income per participant; average age per participant; participants by age group; average number of days of participation per year; what percentage of all participants were beginners; average number of years of participation per participant; and what percentage of participants claim the activity to be their favorite.

This report is available free of charge to full members of SGMA. To order a copy of Tracking the Fitness Movement, access www.SGMA.com.

The background information for this SGMA report is collected by American Sports Data, Inc.

The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, owner of the Sports Research Partnership, is the global business trade association of manufacturers, retailers, and marketers in the sports products industry. SGMA enhances industry vitality and fosters sports, fitness, and active lifestyle participation. More information about SGMA International can be found at www.SGMA.com.

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