Survey shows La. adults would rather watch sports than play them

A survey conducted by the LiveSportsOnTV.com website hints that many Louisiana people, like their neighbors across the country, would rather watch sports than play them.
The site’s survey of 3,024 adults indicates that 47% of Louisiana adults have lost interest in playing sports. The average Louisiana respondent has been 93 days without breaking a healthful sweat.
For years, public health experts have waved red flags about America’s slide into a sedentary lifestyle, tying it to a laundry list of health woes: heart disease, diabetes, you name it.
But here’s a question that’s been simmering beneath the surface: Is this less about laziness and more about a cultural drift away from playing sports entirely?
In North Dakota: folks there haven’t broken a sweat in an average of 188 days. Meanwhile, Colorado residents are practically still wiping their brows, averaging just 19 days since their last workout-worthy game. It’s a stark divide that hints at more than just climate or terrain.
Then there’s the choice between doing and viewing. LiveSportsonTV.com asked, “If you had an hour to spend on sports, would you rather play or watch?” In Louisiana, only 20% picked playing over watching, a stat that might make gym teachers everywhere wince.
The survey didn’t stop at sweat stains and screen time. It also probed whether Louisianans have simply fallen out of love with playing sports. Here, 47% admitted they’ve lost interest, perhaps a reflection of declining local options or shifting priorities. 
So what’s holding people back - and what could pull them in? The answers offer a glimpse into the practical and psychological barriers:
•44% said they’d play if they had friends or a group to join. It’s a reminder that sports, at their core, are social - and loneliness or a lack of buddies might be sidelining more people than we realize.
•27% blamed a lack of free time. Between work, family, and the endless scroll of streaming options, carving out an hour to shoot hoops isn’t as simple as it sounds.
•16% pointed to a shortage of local opportunities or facilities. If the nearest court is miles away or the community league folded years ago, motivation can fizzle fast.
•14% got creative, saying they’d play if they could do it from home - like virtual reality sports. It’s a nod to how tech might just bridge the gap for the housebound or the hesitant.
When it comes to big events like March Madness, viewing habits reveal a state of casual fans rather than diehards. Only 11% watch every game religiously, while 40% catch a few when they can.
Another 21% tune in only if their team is in the mix, and 28% skip the whole spectacle entirely. For basketball buffs who do watch, the survey pegged their March Madness screen time at an eye-popping 59 hours - proof that when the stakes are high, the couch still calls.
Game-day rituals tell a similar story. A hefty 57% order wings and settle in, treating watching as their sport of choice. Just 16% hit the field themselves before kicking back, while 12% tinker with fantasy lineups and 14% scour betting odds - more invested in the spread than the sweat.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that adults need 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity each week.
This can also be 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity. In addition, adults need at least two days of muscle-strengthening activity each week.
You don’t have to do it all at once. It could be 30 minutes a day, five days a week. You can spread your activity out during the week and break it up into smaller chunks of time.
Moderate-intensity aerobic activity includes brisk walking.
Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity may include jogging or running.
Muscle-strengthening exercise should also be part of your plan at least wice a week. Work on all the major muscle groups: legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms.