Economy and fitness are linked
What's one activity that is growing among Americans 45 years and older, while it declines among the population as a whole? Bicycle riding.
The finding is in a report entitled “Global Aging and Sports: The Impact of Aging of the World's Population on the World of Sports.” It was prepared by The Consilience Group, LLC, for SBRnet, a Princeton, New Jersey-based sports marketing research firm.
I'm a little surprised in the findings that bicycling has declined among the population as a whole since the early 1990s. However, the National Bicycle Dealers Association reports that the peak participation year for cycling was 1992 with 54.6 million participants. The most recent estimates available are for 2002, when 41.4 million Americans took to their bicycles. Sales figures, however, show steady growth since the '90s.
Some other sports that older Americans are enjoying more while others are participating in less: badminton, baseball, canoeing, touch football, ice/figure skating, racquetball, scuba diving, alpine skiing, softball, swimming, table tennis and tennis.
And here are other activities growing in popularity for those 45 and older as well as the population as a whole: basketball, bowling, mountain and rock climbing, walking, exercise with equipment, running and jogging, working out at a club, tackle football, golf, hiking, hunting with firearms, ice hockey, in-line skating, kayaking/rafting, martial arts, skateboarding, snorkeling, snowboarding, soccer, target shooting with firearms and waterskiing.
The most popular activities for Americans over 45? Exercise walking.
The report, available at SBRnet, makes it sound as though businesses that engage in activities for older people might have a strong future.
That may or may not be the case, said Consilience chairman Ken Harris. Motivation for those sports needs to remain high, and a strong economy is mandatory.
Motivation stems from the continued belief in the need to exercise, competitions to compare your fitness to others, the approval of the public that sports is good for older people, and just plain fun.
A strong economy means that the health system is well-supported and older people have the discretionary income for active leisure time.
Even if the US economy becomes weak, bicycling is one of those activities that survives. According to a bleak scenario in the press release:
Chronic federal budget deficits make providing universal access to health care and adequate funding for research on chronic diseases impossible. Participation in sports and fitness activities grows more slowly than the population of older people. People lack leisure time for sports and fitness because of the need to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Walking, bicycling and swimming remain popular especially during periods of unemployment because of their low cost.
Bicycling also remains a popular activity with a strong economy, as tougher health, safety, environmental protection and energy conservation regulations are established, according to a brighter scenario.
Increased environmental and health consciousness build the necessary political support for rejuvenation of old and creation of new public parks and recreational trails where people engage in a variety of outdoor sports and fitness activities. Sports and fitness activities that allow people of all ages to enjoy the cleaner environment — walking, hiking, climbing, bicycle riding, canoeing, kayaking and cross-country skiing — are among those that become popular.
Even bicycling will remain popular in good and bad times, I'll go for the good times. Will any of this come to pass? Only time will tell.
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