Jose Sanchez
Research expert covering society, economy, & politics for Latin America
Fitness industry in the United States - statistics & facts
The fitness industry in the United States is booming. This is fueled by a growing obsession with health, cutting-edge trends, and a culture that values staying active and looking good. While keeping fit can be as cheap and easy as going for a run, some fitness fanatics rely on the latest gadgets and equipment. Some of the most popular fitness investments in the United States in 2024 included having a home gym or investing in a gym membership.
How many Americans participate in sports and outdoor activities?
In 2024, the share of men and women engaged in sports and exercise per day in the U.S. was just over 21 percent. This marked an increase of one percentage point in comparison to the previous year. Some of the factors that influenced whether Americans participated in sports included socioeconomic status, age, disability, personal interests, and societal expectations. In 2023, Americans who were employed full-time spent the fewest hours per day on leisure and sports. Meanwhile, Americans who were employed part-time spent on average one additional hour on recreational activities. According to a survey conducted in 2025, the most popular sports activity in the U.S. was basketball, with 33 percent of respondents stating that this was the case. Fitness, aerobics, and cardio combined ranked as the second most popular activity.Â
The rise of eFitness in the U.S.
Due to the latest technological advancements, the eServices fitness industry is on the rise in the U.S., offering fitness apps and other wearables to help users keep track of their fitness goals. In 2024, the online revenue for the eServices fitness market in the U.S. was forecast to reach almost 1.8 billion U.S. dollars in revenue for apps and 3.84 billion U.S. dollars in revenue for wearables. Meanwhile, the number of online app users in the eServices fitness industry in the U.S. increased steadily between 2017 and 2024. By 2024, an estimated 119 million Americans were projected to be using eServices apps and 39.6 million using eServices wearables. In that same year, the number of health and fitness app downloads in the United States exceeded 520 million, with some of the most popular apps being for running, online fitness courses, or calorie counting.
The outlook for the fitness industry in the U.S. remains strong, driven by a growing commitment to staying active and the adoption of the newest technology that makes fitness more accessible, personalized, and engaging than ever before.
