The US sports and fitness market has never reached more people — but the SFIA’s annual benchmark reveals that breadth of participation is not translating into adequate physical activity for the majority of Americans, with particular concern around teens and women.
The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) says 250 million Americans took part in at least one sport, fitness or leisure activity in 2025 — a milestone the Washington-based trade body is calling historic. But SFIA’s topline also points to a more challenging picture: most Americans still do not meet recommended activity levels, and inactivity among teenagers is moving in the wrong direction.
Headline number, but frequency is the real challenge
SFIA’s 2026 Topline Participation Report, released March 12, tracks activity rates across 126 categories for Americans ages six and older, according to the association. Alongside the record participation total, SFIA says the report introduces a new measure focused on activity frequency.
Under that metric, SFIA reports that 32 percent of Americans meet the federal guideline of 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity, while 68 percent do not.
The finding shifts the commercial and policy conversation from access to frequency. Americans are participating, but not consistently enough to generate the health outcomes that also drive sustained product demand, gym memberships and sports category growth.
SFIA reports overall participation grew 1.2 percent year over year, a moderation from the 1.7 percent average annual rate recorded since 2020. SFIA also reports CORE participation — defined by the association as the segment of individuals who account for the majority of occasions in a given sport or activity — reached 158.8 million, up 1.3 percent.
Teen inactivity rises as gender gap widens
SFIA reports overall inactivity fell below 20 percent for the first time since the association began tracking the metric, extending a seven-year consecutive decline. The trend, however, conceals two areas of concern.
SFIA reports inactivity among teens ages 13 to 17 increased 4.4 percent year over year — the only age group to record a rise. SFIA also reports that while inactivity declined for both men and women, the gap widened slightly, reaching 6.3 percentage points compared with 5.9 points the previous year.
Both data points carry commercial implications. Teen disengagement represents a structural risk to long-term participation pipelines across equipment, apparel and footwear categories. The gender gap, meanwhile, is a recurring tension point for an industry that has substantially increased investment in women’s product and marketing over the past several years without seeing commensurate participation gains.
Team sports and pickleball lead category growth
SFIA reports team sports recorded the strongest year-over-year growth, surpassing 90 million total participants for the first time, and that pickleball remained the fastest-growing sport in the US for a fifth consecutive year. SFIA also says it added disc golf and padel to its tracked universe this year — bringing the total to 126 activities.
About
The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) is the premier trade association for the North American sporting goods and fitness industry. Representing a powerhouse network of more than 700 world-leading brands, manufacturers, retailers, and governing bodies, SFIA serves as the industry’s primary advocate and authoritative source for participation data. Collectively, SFIA members support over 375,000 US jobs and drive $150 billion in domestic sales.
The full report is available to members and non-members here.
