According to a recent report by the Physical Activity Council, the number of Americans described as “inactive” fell to 81.6 million in 2015, down from a record high of 82.7 million the previous year.
While those keeping up with pop culture might guess CrossFit, Soul Cycle, and the continuing explosion of “fun runs” are behind the increase, sports industry group PHIT America found the jump came from a surprising source—the shooting sports. According to that group’s report, four of the eight top growth activities were firearm-related, specifically sporting clays, trap/skeet shooting, handgun hunting and target shooting with a handgun. Moreover, those taking part in firearms related activities made up 46 percent of the increase in the number of active Americans.
Whether this upswing is due to the growing number of guns in American households, the re-emergence of high school and college shooting teams, or people simply taking a cue from Colion Noir, one thing is clear—this new generation of health-conscious shooting enthusiasts may prove an invaluable asset in the fight to protect our freedoms in coming decades.
