America is a country that has an obsession with sports, and just as fashion, music and pop culture tastes evolve, so too, do interests in athletic activities.
The annual sport-by-sport participation study has been released by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, and CNBC's Darren Rovell recently broke down some of the highlights from the research document, finding out what sports Americans are into these days.
Perhaps it's the tough economy, or the recent rise in sneaker technology, but running is up 12.6 percent since 2011 and its' participation is up 57.4 percent over the past decade. Triathlon participation is also on the rise with impressive numbers, posting a 63.7 percent increase from 2010.
On the same coin, treadmill usage continues to rise, up 42.5 percent over the past decade. Also experiencing increased usage in the gym equipment category is the elliptical machine, which has seen a rise of 20.8 million users since 2000.
It comes as no surprise that yoga's popularity has skyrocketed in the past few years, seeing a 23 percent increase in participation between 2008 and 2010.
Though yoga has received plenty of positive plugs from in-shape celebrities, it still ranks behind another sport as the fastest-growing activity over the past decade. Lacrosse earns that title, up 218 percent in participation in the past 10 years. Despite the ever-growing numbers, lacrosse is still largely outdone by baseball, which attracts nine times more participants each year.
Football may be the most popular spectator sport, but its participation levels are down 16.1 percent over the past decade. Perhaps this generation's youngsters are also worried about the NFL lockout and its impact on the sport.
Also on the decline are roller sports, wrestling and slow-pitch softball.
