The Global Wellness Institute, at the same event, released new data on the North American fitness market. The US is way out in front of all nations for overall physical activity spend ($265 billion) and leads in spend in all six markets studied: sports and active recreation, fitness, mindful movement, equipment and supplies, apparel and footwear, and technology.
But there’s a serious disconnect: Sedentary lives, obesity and chronic disease are escalating right
alongside the fitness market’s explosive growth. The US ranks 20th (58 percent) for the rate of participation in physical activity, way behind leaders such as #1 Australia, #2 Taiwan, #3 Norway and #4 New Zealand—where participation ranks in the 80 percents. A sharp divide exists between the fitness/wellness “haves” and “have-nots” in the US.
