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Nearly Half of Americans Didn't Go Outside For Recreation In 2018 127

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Colorado Sun: Outdoor businesses need people to get outside, but almost half of Americans don't venture outdoors to play. The steady decline in participation threatens not just the bottom line but the outdoor industry's mission to collectively steer policy on critical issues like climate change, environmental protection and public lands. While the Outdoor Foundation's 2019 Outdoor Participation Report (PDF) showed that while a bit more than half of Americans went outside to play at least once in 2018, nearly half did not go outside for recreation at all. Americans went on 1 billion fewer outdoor outings in 2018 than they did in 2008. The number of adolescents ages 6 to 12 who recreate outdoors has fallen four years in a row, dropping more than 3% since 2007.

The number of outings for kids has fallen 15% since 2012. The number of moderate outdoor recreation participants declined, and only 18% of Americans played outside at least once a week. [...] While the decline in participation is disconcerting for the industry, there were some highlights. Female participation rates are up 3.2% over last year. Hispanics are getting outside twice as often as they were a decade ago, with the strongest growth of any ethnicity. And some sports, like BMX cycling and sailing, are seeing surges in numbers. Most people's outdoor activities are close to home, with more than 63% of Americans recreating within 10 miles of their houses. Less than 19% traveled 25 miles or more to play outside. So the Outdoor Foundation is in a mission to bolster participation in outdoor play near homes, in urban areas where residents might not have as many opportunities to get outside.
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Nearly Half of Americans Didn't Go Outside For Recreation In 2018

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  • Outdoor Sport (Score:3, Informative)

    by wolf ( 17938 ) on Thursday January 30, 2020 @08:05AM (#59670502)

    Go outside and do something, or the health costs will be enormous in later years.

    • I try to hit the gym at least 3x a week - a mix of cardio, and strength training... it's hard to hit all 3 since work is such a bitch, but damn it if I'm not gonna keep trying.
      • Cool story bro.
      • "I try to hit the gym at least 3x a week - a mix of cardio, and strength training... it's hard to hit all 3 since work is such a bitch, but damn it if I'm not gonna keep trying."

        Since I retired I go 5 times a week, but when I still worked,I also had a hard time to hit 3 times.

        The Good Doctor was right, people have vacuuming robots, wet cleaning robots, lawn mowing robots, Amazon brings everything home, soon also with robots, Solaria is right around the corner.
        Adam Savage even has a dog robot, but at least h

        • people have vacuuming robots, wet cleaning robots, lawn mowing robots, Amazon brings everything home, soon also with robots,

          Which means that you have a lot more free time than your ancestrors.

          Solaria is right around the corner.

          Again don't see it as an excuse to not exist your home. See it as an opportunity to have more free time.

          Now my advice: Throw away your TV (or have Siri and Cortana help you ebay it).
          There's nothing of real interest on it.

          Buy yourself a bicycle and helmet. And try to bike to work(*).

          Or inline skates. Or a pair of skis. Or just a pair of good shoes. (Or get them second hand if you're that cheapskate).
          AND GO OUT in the week-ends, instead of si

          • People are increasingly disposing of their TVs.
            The problem is they are being replaced with cell phones which have even more time-evaporating powers.

      • by rtb61 ( 674572 )

        The gym is not outside. It is inside, with sweaty infected humans and all sorts of fungi and bacteria infesting every nook and crany, it's worse than being at home. Buy a good elliptical trainer, use it daily and you are done.

        Outside means, outdoors not indoors at another location. So go for a walk or for further afield and go for a hike. Fishing and hunting are on the wain although sit on top kayaking is fairly safe. Bike riding is also good, the most comfortable form reclining trike tadpole style.

        Problem

      • I try to hit the gym at least 3x a week - a mix of cardio, and strength training.

        Despite the other guy's response, I'd say you sound fine doing this. Not enough people do strength training. We don't need to aim to be Arnold bodybuilders or power lifters or strongest man in the world contenders.... But the sad thing is most people hit the gym and just hold on to the treadmill and move their legs while leaning/hanging on it and get nothing.

        I'd still say getting outside when able for even just a walk is good. Really good one is if you can just get up in the morning and go on a nice

    • Why?

    • Not just physical health, but mental health also.

  • by Brandano ( 1192819 ) on Thursday January 30, 2020 @08:14AM (#59670518)

    What's this "outside" thing they are speaking of?

    • Probably the thing you see on your way to work? I see it too on the way to work. I, one day, may be able to go do something there when I retire around age 76.

  • BS Story (Score:3, Informative)

    by LatencyKills ( 1213908 ) on Thursday January 30, 2020 @08:19AM (#59670528)
    Not that we're not becoming more sedentary, and not that it's not a bad thing, but this "survey" is from the Outdoor Foundation, which is a part of an industry group supporting companies with outdoor interests (camping supply companies, LL Bean, that kind of thing). So what they're really saying is REI sold less expensive crap last year. Maybe it means people are going outside less. Maybe it means that we're doing things that require less crap to do. My wife and I take hikes every weekend, and other than buying good boots every few years, there's no expense to doing it at all. From that perspective, the Outdoor Foundation can't tell if we're outside getting exercise or are inside on our couch masturbating to GoT (we do it together, so it's healthy).
    • by DarkOx ( 621550 )

      Right, and there is another thing here that is potentially being ignored. The "A Walk in the Woods" effect. While the AT is probably still more popular than ever; that book came out and it romanticized the heck out of hiking.

      Now for a lot of people like myself who love hiking it rings true; but its not everyone's cup of tea. I don't blame the book for portraying it as something other than what it is, it actually does not for the most part but brought a lot of visibility to the "sport" and when you read the

      • by G00F ( 241765 )

        I got stuff going on 25-30 years, and take good care, but I am finding odd things like the elastic parts of things stop being elastic. Foam padding disintegrate a, creases in soft material like fabric become stiff and brittle or crack.

        I'm talking kelty, REI, north face things purchased 20+ years ago, long before that stuff and brands became trendy. Also had to somewhat recently had to buy a new stove as they have new canisters that I no longer find.

        And now, the last 5-10 years, it's gotten so crowed and t

  • But.. the GODS!! (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Daemonik ( 171801 ) on Thursday January 30, 2020 @08:22AM (#59670536) Homepage

    NOOOO, no going out on the shell of the world egg!! The Burning One in the sky hates usss and stares at us with it's baleful glare!

    Safe, SAFE are we in the cool darkness of the Eternal Blissful Night!

    Think my lovelies.. do you shrug off your protective skins and seek comfort in the sky fires?? NOOO!! TRUE GLORY is to be found wrapped in the snuggle of the blankets of happiness! The Burning One shines his hate upon your shame for all to see!! Only the Comforting Night cloaks you so you may always hold your head high among your neighbors, your petty sins unknown.

    REJECT! REJECT, I say, the lies from the Burning One's tricksters, before you are cursed with the malignant melanoma! Seek the dark brothers and sisters, and you shall be accepted!

  • Fine by me; I know how to use compass and topo map. I dont need a lot of investment in fancy trails and facilities. Just leave the wilderness areas open to the public for back-country camping/hiking and fly a drone over once in while to make sure people are not doing destructive/illicit crap.

    Its better without a crowd anyway

    • A friend of mine worked in the National Parks concession industry for a couple of decades. Hotels and restaurants and stores in the parks. That sort of thing. He told me that 95% of the people who visit a national park don't go more than 200 yards from the roads. I added a single data point to verify his assertion on a summer trip to Yellowstone 5 years ago. There were traffic jams on the roads, but once we got 400 yards up the trail everyone disappeared and we had the place to ourselves.
      • by radl33t ( 900691 )
        I can confirm this is true of 100+ state and federal parks I've visited. It's not a bad thing. Those folks fund the parks. And frankly, 95% of the majesty of our wild areas can be captured within 400yrs of the roads - by design. This gives people what they want at low effort and minimizes impact. Those of us who want to run around in the woods days on end are satisfied too.
        • by DarkOx ( 621550 )

          I could not agree more. The Park Service has done (at least did many decades ago) build a wonderful system of access that allows a lot people to see the most awe inspiring part of our interior without getting out of the car. It does minimize impact and it is a good source of revenue to protect and maintain the rest of the parks.

           

        • I would not say that 95% of the majesty is within 400 yards. Thinking of some of the National Parks I visited:
          Zion, the best parts are a good hike away from the roads.
          Grand Canyon, the bottom of it is worth much more than 5%.
          Bryce, ... maybe that one. We did not hike that far from the road.
          Lassen: Cinder Cone and Painted Dunes are more than 2000 yards from the road. Bumpass Hell is over 1000 yards from the nearest bend of the road.
          Muir Woods: Cathedral grove is half a mile from the entrance (trail access on

    • by ranton ( 36917 )

      Its better without a crowd anyway

      The crowds are a strong factor in keeping those wilderness areas open to the public instead of turning into a subdivision, shopping mall, or more farm land. If not enough people are using them, and therefore applying pressure to local governments to resist development, they can easily go away.

  • What is this outside of which you speak? This is Slashdot.
  • Because Elon Musk will colonize Mars!
  • by jellomizer ( 103300 ) on Thursday January 30, 2020 @08:38AM (#59670578)

    I live across the street from a State Forest. So I can go on a 6 mile hike when ever I feel like it. However there is little parking available, and no trashcans at the exits. Leaving a lot of litter in the forest. But also there are a lot of hunters in this forest who I don't have an issue with... But I need to be sure I am wearing bright colors and stay on the trail.

    40 years of "Stranger Danger" has made sure that generations of parents are scolded (sometimes arrested) for letting their kids to go out an play unsupervised around the neighborhood. As the media made it seem behind every street corner there is a guy who is going to abduct children.

    Having government failed to put money into walking paths, and bike trails for some reason became some LiBeRaL Greeny conspiracy vs giving its citizens alternate way to enjoy their area.

    Parks need to be updated, cleaned, with sufficient services, Play Area, and a few area for sports.

    So after a generation of not letting our kids out to have fun + letting the existing infrastructure rot. That means we are afraid to go out and if we do there isn't much we can do. Unless you plan a massive trip around it.

    • by Jfetjunky ( 4359471 ) on Thursday January 30, 2020 @08:55AM (#59670632)

      40 years of "Stranger Danger" has made sure that generations of parents are scolded (sometimes arrested) for letting their kids to go out an play unsupervised around the neighborhood. As the media made it seem behind every street corner there is a guy who is going to abduct children.

      This right here. My wife and I were recently watching a documentary where two people recreated and revisited some of the things they did as kids. They traveled miles by bike just the two of them. We started reminiscing too, and suddenly felt heartbreak for kids knowing they'll never get to experience that freedom, their parents constantly shuttling them around and helicoptering over them. And that sad part I imagine is that there are probably parents that don't want to, but can't because they'll be demonized for not spending every waking moment hovering about their child.

      • by Ogive17 ( 691899 )
        I have one son who is in 1st grade. My wife and I are both in our 40s, so a 2nd child is likely out of the question. I do put forth an effort to not be a helicopter parent but at the same time he is all I have. I sometimes joke with my neighbors who have multiple children about my struggle between letting him be a normal boy and my urge to keep him from getting hurt.. because I don't have any backups!

        I let him run around with the other kids nearby.. my rule is just for him to tell me where he's going
      • there are probably parents that don't want to, but can't because they'll be demonized for not spending every waking moment hovering about their child

        I'm one of these. I'm in a town where police will be called if my daughter was unsupervised for even a moment.

    • > However there is little parking available, and no trashcans at the exits. Leaving a lot of litter in the forest.

      Put a trash can there and chain it to a tree? Change the bag every week? It's like $14 for 52 decent trash bags.

      • I thought about that.
        However my start to the trail isn't the main one. And when I walk the trail I rarely go to the main entrance. There is a sign at the main entrance saying No Dumping. I feel if I put a trash can there, it may encourage people to dump their trash from their cars there.

        • by cusco ( 717999 )

          While walking the dogs in the morning I used to pick up litter and stick it in dumpsters on trash pickup day every week, but one woman got so incensed that I put a water bottle (which had been laying in the street in front of her house for a week) in her recycle bin that she threatened to call the police. So much for that.

    • by cusco ( 717999 )

      We garden a lot (my goal is to never have to mow again, and I'm well on the way to replacing all the grass with other stuff). I say "Hello" to everyone who passes, and some of the reactions from younger people are appalling. Kid, I'm not going to jump across the iris bed to grab you. Young parents with babies in strollers sometimes react as though I'm going to snatch the brat and cook it. My wife has stopped saluting anyone under about 40 years old, but I persist. I do like the reactions when I give ra

  • by Bigbutt ( 65939 ) on Thursday January 30, 2020 @08:43AM (#59670596) Homepage Journal

    I live in Colorado and yes, recreate outside fairly regularly.

    In the winter I avoid the ski slopes mainly because of the costs. $160 to $210 a day to go skiing along with renting skis, motel (if you can find one), food, and transportation is basically a once a winter vacation. And there’s a ton of people out skiing. The parking lots get full fast and even the in town, bus to the slopes parking lot fills quickly so people park in the town itself preventing shoppers from shopping.

    We generally go snowshoeing at Rocky Mountain NP. And if you don’t get to the more popular destination, Bear Lake, before 6am, you likely won’t find a parking spot as the place fills up fast. We went up a few weeks back and had to park at a lower lake and walk around it. Generally I’m trying to get to the lake around 5am and the lot is a quarter to half full.

    Summer time hikes is even more populated, with people parking on the road and hiking half a mile or more to get to a trailhead. As we have a dog, we like dog friendly trails but some people think there’s a magic poop fairy that collects dog bags left on the trail.

    My wife and I take summer motorcycle trips. East coast to visit family, experience outside, and see the sights. Same with alternate west coast trips. PCH is lovely and we visit the various parks long the way.

    It seems like the article is also worried folks aren’t buying or renting gear which supports local business. Personally we have all the gear we need for what we do and would only make purchases if something breaks or gets lost. Or maybe not paying to go to parks. I did get my National Park Senior pass so no more paying to get into a NP :)

    [John]

    • I was talking to some of my Colorado colleagues recently at an event here in New York City and they were complaining about how cold it was. I was surprised because I think Colorado is generally colder - we had been having temperatures ranging from low 20s to high 30s (F) at that point - but they were not used to being outside longer than it took to get to and from their cars.

      In a place like this where few of us own cars, we are outside a lot more. I, like many people, continue to walk and bike even whe

  • What's sad is that pretty much every state has a solid state park with hiking, some body of water to appreciate in some fashion, and usually a nice view.overlook, all within an hour's drive. It's east enough to hit Costco for some grub, pack up the car, and drive out to the nearby State Park for a day. Even the kids will find things to instagram/snapchat/tiktok while they're there.

    A yearly camping trip to a state park is also something to consider. Most camping spots are cheap. You learn a lot about
  • by Baleet ( 4705757 ) on Thursday January 30, 2020 @10:14AM (#59670848)

    Outdoor businesses need people to get outside...

    What the actual fuck? That's the way they start the story? No mention of documented benefits of spending time in nature?

    No place is perfect, but being out among the trees and grass--something green--is good for emotional health. Yes, there are lots of people and crap to put up with in parks and so on. That's one reason I go backpacking. In certain places the trails are somewhat overrun, too, but part of the fun--if you have some degree of curiosity, I suppose--is finding your own special places to go that are not overrun with people.

    I have several places like that and I don't tell anyone about them because I want them to stay as empty as possible. Knowing you are the only human for a ten-mile radius is something worth experiencing. It makes people much easier to put up with--and makes me easier to put up with, I hope--when I return to "civilization".

    • No mention of documented benefits of spending time in nature?

      I suspect such benefits may be correlative rather than causal, at least for some of these benefits. Probably the biggest improvement I notice when being outside for a while is improved mood, especially if I've been inside for a few days. However, I also feel this with a sun lamp, or by taking vitamin D supplements, with supplements having the most noticeable and obvious impact (usually within 1-2 hours I feel fantastic).

    • The study was funded for and intended to be used by businesses that sell outdoor equipment and recreation. So yes it is about business. Another thing about this study is that it was likely done reasonably well since it's goal wasn't to push an agenda but for these businesses to make plans for the future.
  • Buy-n-Large (Score:4, Informative)

    by drjzzz ( 150299 ) on Thursday January 30, 2020 @10:21AM (#59670862) Homepage Journal
    The growing popularity of the shut-in lifestyle will certainly ease our transition to life aboard the starship we will need to escape our ruined earth. (WALL-E reference.)
  • So this isn't a surprise. Also long work hours leave less energy for sporting. And low wages mean fewer vacations
  • This apparently doesn't count playing in my backyard.
  • I think the growth of what people can do online has fueled this. Playing with your friends can more easily be done online. If your friends are miles away as a kid, you aren't getting there, but you can get home and hop on a console or iPad and 'hang out'. On the other hand, as I've gotten older I realized that yes I am an outdoor person without meaning to be. Snowboarding, mountain biking, running, cycling, beach/camping. People who are interested will discover these things. As a geek I used to, by m
  • Let me see if I understand this correctly. Rather than focusing on the health impact (both physical and mental), we are concerned about the business aspects?
    • Rather than focusing on the health impact (both physical and mental), we are concerned about the business aspects?

      Exactly, you must take care of your body in order to be a good Consumer.

      If you get sick your Netflix subscription might lapse and we can't have that. Or if you're dying from cancer and in a hospice with a few weeks to go, you might stop ordering stuff from Amazon.

      Think of the economy, Citizen, and do your part. Only terrorists refuse to support our vibrant and growing economy, which must remain healthy if we're to win our war with EastAsia.

      • Sounds like the argument the FA/HAES crowd makes. "We don't owe you health!!". Sure, but apparently we owe you millions of dollars of health care, especially when single payer comes (and it will, within 10 years).

        Perversely in many cases the morbidly obese end up costing less because they die so early, like smokers.

        • Yep, the FA/HAES nonsense is so supremely stupid that it's hard for me to comment rationally on it.

          1) Being obese is bad for your health, and no amount of touchy-feely bullshit will ever change that. The outright denial of medical science by the HAES people is infuriating. Extra pounds means more health problems and tens of thousands of studies confirm it. No study has EVER shown that being overweight is good for you or that it's even neutral in terms of your health.

          2) 99.99999999% of people in the world do

  • I went outside once, it was cold and wet. Ewwwwwwwww. No thanks.

  • Nearly Half of Americans Didn't Go Outside For Recreation In 2018

    What are you talking about? I clearly recall running across the sand dunes of Tatooine for hours on end.

  • But how is Corporate America, who wants us to pay, pay, PAY for everything we have and everything we do every single month for our entire lives, going to turn 'playing outdoors' into a monthly subscription fee? No no no, you have to stay indoors and play your Xbox or watch your streaming service!
    ..Oh, you want to *move your body*? Well then you MUST buy a Peloton and sit in your nice safe living room and turn pedals (for a monthly subscription fee, of course).
    ..or any number of other 'activities' that com
  • I've heard about this "outside" thing. The pizza guy often mentions it to Mom and I. We invite him down here for gaming so we don't have to go up.

  • They could just stay inside all the time - below ground. These are all the people who typically keep their blinds closed.
  • Well I play Red Dead Redemption Online, and I am outside the whole time in there.
    I can camp, I can fish, I can hunt. I go out and ride on my horse outside, see the beautiful mountains, the sun rises, the sunsets, the winter snow, desert, swamps, nature with all its animals.
    And I can could outside it with friends in there also.

    Yes its a real virtual worlds that is outside and kids are probably getting more of an outdoor experience there than in the real world...

  • by Åke Malmgren ( 3402337 ) on Thursday January 30, 2020 @04:36PM (#59672386)
    We'll be prepared for life inside a Mars base in no time!
  • As a society, we've been making decisions as if if we explicitly wanted to make the outdoors unsafe and unwelcoming and predatory. We let cops kill people for no reason, we let polluters go right on polluting, we let civilians buy and carry all the guns they want, we sell off state and national parks to oil companies.

    I can't say I'm shocked that people don't go outside as much under such conditions.

  • As far as I understand it, Americans have a high standard of living, i.e. they buy lots of stuff, & a really shitty quality of life, i.e. poor physical & mental health, not much social contact ("social media" isn't social), & pretty poor attitudes towards their fellow human beings. They also have the largest & most powerful military the world has ever seen: A nation of weird, kooky, grumpy, anti-social, & aggressive nut jobs who are armed to the teeth.
  • I'm not from America so this stat seems unbelievable to me - you guys have such a vast expanse of beautiful land and half of you didn't do such much as go for a walk outside?!

The 11 is for people with the pride of a 10 and the pocketbook of an 8. -- R.B. Greenberg [referring to PDPs?]

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