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Americans on the Move

YOUR SERVE! More adults in the U.S. are exercising, in part because of the rising popularity of pickleball. O2O CREATIVE/GETTY IMAGES

About 80% of adults in the United States exercise regularly, according to a report from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA). That’s 247 million people.

The number has been going up in recent years, driven by big growth in one sport in particular: Pickleball saw a 46% increase in players from 2023 to 2024.

The authors of the report analyzed interviews with 18,000 people. They found that the most popular physical activity is walking. And after that? Trail hiking, treadmill running, free weights, and jogging.

But in terms of the fastest-growing activities, “racquet sports are number 1,” says Alex Kerman of the SFIA. “Tennis has been doing pretty well, and pickleball is at an unprecedented level.”