Walking Still a Top Sport in 2003

How many walkers are there in the USA? The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association has a big stake in knowing the figures, and they conduct a yearly study of sports participation of people over age 6.

Walking Participation in the USA

Fitness Walking: 37,945,000
Recreational Walking: 88,799,000
Treadmill Exercise: 45,572,000
Out of a population of approximately 260,000,000 over age 6, 14.6% are fitness walkers and 34.2% are recreational walkers.

The Growth in Walking

Recreational walking and treadmill walking are up by 4.5% and 4.9% from 2002. Fitness walking numbers are stable, but up almost 40% over the past 16 years. Of fitness activities, only stretching is more popular than walking.