Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi Report fewer participants for first time in years
March 2, 2009

Pilates, Yoga and Tai Chi may be experiencing a slowing down in growth. According to the 2008 Sports & Fitness Participation Report from the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA), Pilates, Yoga and Tai Chi experienced a decay in participants since 2007.

The most affected of the three was Pilates, with a dramatic 15.9% loss compared with the year 2007. While in the year 2007 almost 11 million people registered in Pilates’ classes, this 2008 year the number fell to 9.2 million, according to the report.

However, in the IDEA survey, indicated that Yoga and Tai Chi are still hanging on there with a slight increase from 56% in 2007 to 61% in 2008.

As for Tai Chi, it also registered a small increase rising from 22% to 24%.

For more information on the SGMA report, see www.sgma.com