Exercise Statistics: Time and Daily Participation
Published September 19, 2026 · StatsGalore
Participated in sports, exercise, or recreation on an average day [1]
In 2025, 23.4% of people age 15 and older recorded sports, exercise, or recreation on their diary day. Participants averaged 1.47 hours, while the average across everyone was 0.34 hours. Each measure answers a different question about how this activity fits into daily life. [1]
The numbers
| Group | Daily participation | Hours across everyone | Hours among participants | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All people age 15+ | 23.4% | 0.34 | 1.47 | [1] |
| Men | 25.7% | 0.43 | 1.66 | [1] |
| Women | 21.1% | 0.26 | 1.25 | [1] |
A daily participation rate is a snapshot
Someone who did not exercise on the sampled day may exercise on other days. The complement of the daily participation percentage cannot be described as the share who never exercise. A survey of weekly activity would answer a different question.
The category also includes sports and recreation. Its boundaries should be checked before treating the total as a measure of a particular type of workout.
[1]The two time averages
The population average includes days without the activity. The participant average excludes those days, so it is naturally higher. Comparing one group’s participant average with another group’s population average would mix denominators.
For understanding time devoted to recreation across society, the population measure is useful. For describing days when people participate, the conditional measure is more informative.
[1]Interpreting group comparisons
Men had higher reported participation and a longer participant duration in the displayed table. These are descriptive differences across surveyed groups and do not explain the role of work schedules, age, or other characteristics.
The averages do not describe everyone within either group. Some people spend much more time participating and others less.
[1]Time is not exercise intensity
A diary duration does not establish how strenuous an activity was. It cannot by itself determine whether someone met a health guideline or how many calories they used. Those conclusions would require additional information.
Use these data to describe recorded time and participation, while keeping health outcomes and recommended exercise amounts separate.
[1]Sources & notes
BLS ATUS Table 1, 2025. The sports, exercise, and recreation category is broader than a single workout type. These statistics are not a health recommendation.
The 2025 ATUS did not collect diaries for September 30–November 11 during the federal shutdown. Under the existing weighting method, later fourth-quarter diaries represent the missing days as well. See the BLS collection notice before making year-to-year comparisons.
Source review: 2026-09-15. Article publication and underlying data dates are separate. How we use statistics · Suggest a correction