The fitness industry is a huge market that continues to grow each year. It has evolved from gym rats pumping heavy iron and spending hours on exercise bikes to entirely new training methods, wellness philosophies and lifestyle categories that didn't exist a generation ago. Training styles like functional training, indoor cycling, mixed martial arts and yoga have risen in popularity and helped boutique studios and specialized gyms bring in members who would never have set foot in a traditional gym.
In fact, the fitness industry has moved well into the lifestyle market. Many gyms today are actually wellness centers that have the equipment, classes and amenities for the whole family. The definition of fitness has broadened considerably. It now encompasses mental wellness, recovery, nutrition and sleep alongside the more traditional markers of physical performance. That shift has opened the market to a much wider audience and changed the kinds of products, services and experiences people are willing to pay for.
However, this doesn't mean that everyone is partaking in the fitness lifestyle. There are still some significant and persistent health concerns both in the United States and worldwide, particularly around physical inactivity, obesity and cardiovascular disease. The gap between the growth of the fitness industry and the actual health outcomes of the broader population tells an interesting story. Let's look at some of the most important fitness statistics of the past several years and what they reveal about where we are and where we're headed.
Industry Statistics
We're becoming more health-conscious as a culture, thanks to the rise of workplace wellness programs, fitness technology, social media influence and growing awareness of chronic disease. The once niche gym market has become genuinely all-inclusive, with offerings designed for every age, fitness level, budget and lifestyle. That broadening of the audience is one of the primary drivers behind the sustained growth of the fitness industry as a whole.
- In 2019, the fitness industry generated $96.7 billion worldwide from franchise gyms, studios, supplement sales and other ancillary products. [IHRSA]
- The International Health, Racquetball & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) reported that as of January 2019, an estimated 64.2 million Americans belong to one of the 41,370 fitness clubs across the country. [IHRSA]
- The rising popularity of diet apps, nutrition trends and medically supervised diets helped the weight loss industry generate $72 billion in 2019. [RM]
- Research and Markets predicts that the rowing machine market will increase to $1,090.658 million by the end of 2025. [RM]
- In 2019, the home fitness equipment market generated $11.5 billion. By 2026, it's estimated to grow to $15.2 billion. [RM]
- According to the Global Wellness Institute's most recent study, roughly $109 billion was spent on fitness equipment and supplies by consumers in 2019 globally. This figure does not include any government or public sector expenditures. [GWI]
- In North America alone, the average person spent over $1,300 in 2018 on participation in physical activity, which includes a mix of technology, clothing, equipment and other supplies. [GWI]
- In 2018, an estimated 3.7 percent of the world's population was a member of a gym or fitness club, took classes regularly, or worked out either on their own or in public facilities. [GWI]
The sheer scale of spending these numbers represent is striking, but it's worth noting that spending on fitness does not automatically translate into better health outcomes across the population. A significant portion of that $96.7 billion reflects gym memberships that go largely unused, fitness equipment that ends up in the corner of a spare bedroom and diet programs that are abandoned within weeks of starting. The industry has gotten very good at selling the idea of fitness. Converting that spending into sustained behavioral change is a different challenge entirely.
Health-related Statistics
Health and fitness have been a topic of discussion in American culture for quite some time. If you're old enough to remember the 1990s, you may recall that Arnold Schwarzenegger was the chairman of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition (PCSFN), where he helped motivate Americans to get active and stay healthy. In the 2000s, alternative fitness trends like spinning, circuit training, CrossFit and obstacle course races inspired a new generation of people to start working out in ways that felt competitive, community-driven and measurable in ways traditional gym workouts never really were.
But despite the cultural momentum behind fitness, the underlying health data tells a more sobering story. Obesity rates have continued to climb. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. And a substantial portion of the adult population still does not meet even the minimum physical activity guidelines recommended by federal health agencies. The fitness industry has grown, but the population has not kept pace.
- By 2030, an estimated nearly half of adults will be obese. [New England Journal of Medicine]
- According to America's Health Rankings Annual Report, obesity has increased among adults by 166 percent in the past 30 years. [AHRAR]
- Cardiovascular disease deaths in 2019 increased 4 percent from 2015, marking the fourth year in a row that deaths have increased. [AHRAR]
- Since 2008, the percentage of adults meeting the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans has increased from 28.4 percent to 37.4 percent. [CDC]
- As of 2018, only about 54 percent of adults met the minimum requirements set in the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. [CDC]
- In 2018, just over a quarter of adults engaged in no leisure-time physical activity whatsoever. [CDC]
- According to the CDC, one person dies every 37 seconds from cardiovascular disease. [CDC]
- The World Health Organization (WHO) states that those who are not sufficiently physically active have a 20 to 30 percent increased risk of dying compared to those who are physically active for at least 150 minutes each week. [WHO]
- Studies have shown that coronary artery disease accounts for 610,000 deaths each year and is the leading cause of death in the United States. [NCBI]
- The WHO recommends that older adults 65 years and older should perform at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week. [WHO]
The 150-minute weekly recommendation from the WHO and CDC is worth understanding in context. That works out to just over 21 minutes of moderate activity per day. Walking at a brisk pace, cycling at a comfortable speed, or swimming laps would all qualify. The bar is not high. Yet fewer than 4 in 10 adults consistently clear it. The issue isn't that people don't know exercise is important. Most people are well aware. The bigger challenge is structural, with sedentary jobs, long commutes, limited access to safe outdoor spaces and the sheer pull of screen-based entertainment all working against daily movement in ways that willpower alone doesn't reliably overcome.
- A recent social science journal surveyed current and former CrossFit athletes and found the most common injuries suffered in the sport are to the back (32.2 percent) and shoulders (20.7 percent). [SJ]
- According to the most recent data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Safety Council, exercise and exercise equipment is the leading cause of sports-related injuries with almost 500,000 in 2018. Basketball was second at 435,452 and bicycles were third at 424,346. [NSC]
The injury data is a useful reminder that how you exercise matters as much as whether you exercise. Improper form, inadequate recovery, overtraining and ramping up intensity too quickly are all common contributors to exercise-related injury. For anyone starting a new training routine or returning after time off, working with a qualified trainer and taking a progressive approach to intensity can go a long way toward keeping you consistent and out of the physical therapist's office.
Gender Statistics
Everyone exercises for different reasons, and the data around gender reveals some meaningful differences in how men and women approach physical activity, what barriers they face and what motivates them. These differences aren't universal, but they're consistent enough across large population studies to be worth examining. Understanding them can help gyms, coaches and brands design programming and messaging that actually reaches the people who need it most.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in 2019 that men spent an average of 1.91 hours participating in sports, exercise and recreation every day, compared to women, who spent 1.26 hours performing the same activities. [BLS]
- About half (54 percent) of men work out three times per week or more according to the MINDBODY Fitness Trends in America 2020 Report. Just 43 percent of women report working out the same amount. [MINDBODY]
- Lancet Global Health conducted an international study of 1.9 million people across 168 countries and found that women experienced insufficient physical activity at higher rates compared to men. [LGH]
- A National Health Statistics Report found that among adults ages 18 to 64, 27.2 percent of men and 18.7 percent of women met the federal government's 2008 Guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. [NHSR]
- A review on obesity reported that women are more likely to encounter weight stigma than men. [OR]
- A research report by Dr. Stephanie E. Coen found that unspoken social boundaries around gender performance and social dynamics are more likely to keep women from working out at the gym compared to men. [QU]
- In 2018, USA Weightlifting reported a record number of women participants making up 47 percent of its membership. [USAW]
- The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) found that in the 2018 to 2019 school year, the most participated boys' high school sports were football (1,006,013), outdoor track and field (605,354) and basketball (540,769). [NFHS]
- Outdoor track and field was ranked as the most popular sport among high school girls with 488,267 participants, followed by volleyball (452,808) and basketball (399,067) in 2019. [NFHS]
- Unified sports have increased in popularity in high schools across the country with 2,938 participants. [NFHS]
The gender gap in physical activity is well documented, but the reasons behind it are more nuanced than simple preference. Time constraints, caregiving responsibilities, safety concerns around exercising outdoors, and the social dynamics of gym culture all play documented roles in keeping women less physically active than men on average. The growth of women-only fitness spaces, online training programs and group fitness formats has helped close some of that gap by offering environments where those barriers are reduced or removed entirely.
Adolescent Fitness Statistics
When kids aren't in school, they're spending increasingly more time in front of screens, and getting them outside and moving can be a real challenge. Both national and international data present a picture of waning interest and insufficient time spent in physical activity among young people. This matters not just for current health outcomes but for long-term ones as well. Habits formed in childhood and adolescence tend to persist into adulthood, meaning today's inactive teenagers are at greater risk of becoming tomorrow's inactive adults.
- In the most recent global survey conducted on adolescents ages 11 to 17 from 146 countries, 80 percent did not meet the recommendation of at least one hour of physical activity each day. [WHO]
- Similarly, according to the CDC and National Survey of Children's Health, only 24 percent of kids in the United States ages 6 to 17 participate in 60 minutes of physical activity daily. [NSCH]
- The Philippines had the highest prevalence of adolescent boys with insufficient physical activity at 93 percent in the most recent global study. South Korea saw the highest prevalence with girls at 97 percent. Bangladesh had the lowest rates for boys, girls and both genders combined at 63 percent, 69 percent and 66 percent respectively. [WHO]
- National Federation of State High School Associations participation in high school sports declined by 43,395 in 2018 to 2019 (7,937,491), compared to 2017 to 2018 (7,980,886). [NFHS]
The adolescent data is particularly concerning when you consider that physical activity during childhood plays a foundational role in bone density, motor skill development, cardiovascular health and mental wellbeing. The one-hour-per-day recommendation from the WHO isn't arbitrary. It reflects the minimum threshold of movement needed to support healthy development in growing bodies. The fact that roughly 8 in 10 adolescents globally aren't hitting that mark is a significant public health concern that goes well beyond the fitness industry and touches on urban planning, school policy and how families structure their time.
National Fitness Statistics
Different trends across the United States show how unique each state and region truly is when it comes to fitness habits, physical activity levels and overall health. From cycling culture to weightlifting participation, geography, climate, local infrastructure and cultural norms all play a role in shaping how and how often people move. Looking at state-by-state and city-by-city data helps put the national picture into sharper focus.
- The United Health Foundation's 2019 Annual Health Report ranked Arkansas (48), Louisiana (49) and Mississippi (50) as the least healthy states. [UHF]
- Los Angeles, California reported the highest workout frequency with 87 percent of residents working out at least once per week. Tulsa, Oklahoma residents reported the lowest percentage at 61 percent. [MINDBODY]
- According to the MINDBODY Fitness Trends in America Report in 2020, Americans say they work out 2.6 times per week on average. [MINDBODY]
- In the 2019 MINDBODY Wellness Index Report, yoga is the top exercise for those who exercise at least once per week in a group setting. Walking is the top exercise for those who exercise at least once per week individually. [MINDBODY]
- Miami, Florida has the highest percentage of residents (52 percent) who are satisfied or very satisfied with their fitness level. The lowest reported satisfaction came from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at 21 percent. [MINDBODY]
- The League of American Bicyclists voted Washington as the most bike-friendly state in America, compared to Nebraska which ranked 49th. [Bicycle League]
- The NCAA reported that there are an estimated 46,000 student-athletes in the United States.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that in 2019, 28,600 athletic trainers were employed in the United States. [BLS]
- In 2019, the top-paying states for personal trainers were the District of Columbia ($68,400), Hawaii ($62,610) and Connecticut ($60,930). [BLS]
The regional variation in fitness satisfaction is worth taking seriously. States and cities with the highest activity levels tend to share a few common traits: walkable urban design, access to public parks and trails, higher median incomes and a culture that normalizes outdoor activity. The gap between the most and least active regions reflects something deeper than personal motivation. Infrastructure and environment play a much larger role in everyday physical activity than most people give them credit for.
International Fitness Statistics
Looking globally, health concerns and fitness trends are shaped by everything from geography and climate to GDP levels and government investment in public health infrastructure. High-income countries have more access to gyms, recreational facilities and fitness technology, but that access doesn't always translate into better population-level health outcomes. The differences compared to the United States help put into perspective the fitness challenges we face as a global community.
- Looking at the most recent Global Wellness Institute report, the United States and China are the top two national consumer markets for recreational physical activity at $264.6 billion and $109.3 billion respectively. The next closest country is Japan at $43.9 billion.
- According to the WHO, the Americas and the Eastern Mediterranean have the highest rates of physical inactivity globally. [WHO]
- The WHO compared high-income to low-income countries and found that fitness participation was twice as prevalent in high-income countries. [WHO]
- As of 2019, the Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index ranked Spain as the most physically fit country, followed by Italy and Iceland. The United States ranks 35th. [Bloomberg]
- In 2018, the United Kingdom and Germany had the largest fitness markets in Europe, generating 5.3 billion euros each. [Deloitte]
- Germany (11.1 million) was ranked first in 2018 for having the most fitness memberships in Europe, beating out the UK (9.9 million) and France (6 million). [Deloitte]
The United States ranking 35th on the Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index, despite having the world's largest fitness consumer market by far, points to a fundamental disconnect. Spending money on fitness is not the same thing as being healthy, and having access to gyms is not the same thing as using them consistently. Countries that rank at the top of global health indexes tend to have something the United States doesn't: built environments and cultural norms that make daily movement the default rather than a deliberate choice that requires motivation and time set aside specifically for it.
The statistics in this post represent a snapshot of where the fitness world stood heading into the 2020s. The direction of the data, growing industry revenue alongside persistent inactivity and worsening chronic disease rates, reflects a tension at the heart of modern fitness culture. The tools, information and opportunities to live a more active life have never been more accessible. The challenge, for individuals and for public health systems alike, is turning that access into action.
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