Although there have been some advances for women in sports over the recent decades, they are more like baby steps, and certainly not giant leaps and bounds. It could be many generations into the future before women are equally recognized for their abilities in sports compared to men, if ever.
Most women who are professional athletes make only a fraction of what male athletes are paid. Of course, the reason for this is that men’s sports generate a lot more media exposure and bring in a lot more money than typical female-dominated sports.
Consider the salary of one of the best women basketball players in the Women’s National Basketball Association, the WNBA, compared to one of the best NBA players.
Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm makes the maximum WNBA salary of about $100,000 a year while her counterpart in the NBA with the same number of years experience can make closer to $20 million.
Among average women, which sports do they participate the most in?
Here is a look at five of the most popular:
Aerobics
Aerobics is by far the No. 1 sport with the most female participants. Of all individuals that take part in aerobics, 83 percent are female. Aerobics is basically choreographed exercise and can be combined with a variety of different sports activities, including yoga, dancing and martial arts.
Exercising to music makes the activity a lot more fun, and it also provides a wealth of benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, weight-loss and better muscle tone.
Yoga
While some professional athletes, including NFL (as I wrote here) players, have discovered the benefits of yoga, it is still mainly a women’s sport. In fact, 80 percent of those who participate in yoga are female, and they discovered the many benefits of this great exercise.
Yoga helps increase endurance and build muscle. It also improves balance, flexibility, posture and concentration.
In 2008, the figures show the numbers of men who enjoy the benefits of yoga are increasing, and a total of 15.8 million people in the United States practice daily.
Walking
The largest number of people who walk for their health are women, at 57 percent. Walking is a great activity that almost anyone can do. Brisk walking is the most beneficial, and it is a lifetime exercise that can be done by women of all ages.
Walking helps keep the mind sharp and can stave off osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and much more. Best of all, walking is free and can be done most anywhere.
Dancing
Dancing has been made even more popular by the television show “Dancing with the Stars,” and it is dominated by females, with just over half participating more often than men. As the fit bodies of the dancers show on TV, dancing is one of the greatest overall exercises for your body, and it’s fun, too.
When dancing, you’re not only exercising your body, but you’re exercising your brain along with it. Remembering dance moves boosts your memory and brain power and has even been known to help some Alzheimer’s patients recall lost memories.
Swimming
Swimming is also among the activities that are quite popular among women, with just a slight edge over the men at 53 percent. Swimming is one of the best sports for those who are afraid of risking injury, as it’s easy on the body yet provides many benefits, both physical and mental.
Swimming is a sport that women can participate in while they’re pregnant as well, and it’s a great way to relax all of the stress that a body endures during pregnancy. Just of few of the benefits include better mood, stronger heart and muscles, and increased physical endurance.
K.C. Dermody has been an avid runner and yoga enthusiast for twenty years, and as a trained yoga instructor she taught a variety of students from senior citizens to competitive athletes. She enjoys combining her passion for sports, emotional and physical well-being with her love of writing.