Watching the Olympics? Many common sports and exercise activities are part of the competition

The first modern Olympic Games were in Athens, Greece, in 1896 and included nine sports. Today, the Olympic Opening Ceremony celebrates the 2024 Summer Games hosted in Paris, France, with over 10,000 athletes competing in 32 sports. Though not everyone can make it to the Olympics, many people across the ocean in the United States will be taking part in some of the same sports and exercise activities as those exceptional athletes.

From 2021 to 2023, walking was the most popular choice among people 15 and older in the United States who engaged in some sort of sports or exercise activity on a typical day. Picking up the pace, race walking has been part of every Olympic summer competition except one since it was first introduced at the 1904 Games in St. Louis, Missouri. Another popular selection in the United States was weightlifting, 1 of the 9 sports included in the first Olympic Games. Among people that participated in sports or exercise on an average day, 40.3 percent engaged in walking and 16.2 percent in weightlifting.

Golfing (6.5 percent) was also a common sport in America, and while it has been included in only four Olympic Games, the United States takes the gold for the most successful nation, with 13 total medals. Swimming, surfing, or water skiing was the choice of 5.6 percent of people who participated in sports or exercise activities. Swimming, along with running (3.9 percent) and cycling (2.9 percent), has been featured in all Olympic Summer Games since 1896. Surfing was introduced at the 2021 Games.

With many common sports and exercise activities among those on the Olympic schedule, future Olympians may be in our midst. Even the 0.5 percent of people participating in a sport or activity that engage in dancing have a shot at the Olympics, as breakdancing debuts in 2024 as the first dance sport ever included.  

These data are from the American Time Use Survey. For more information, see "American Time Use Survey — 2023 Results" and American Time Use Survey charts. Data are based on the approximately 20.3 percent of people age 15 and older who engaged in any sports or exercise activity on an average day.