History of women in sports. Societal issues.

Despite the general trend toward increased participation of women in sports and physical activity across the lifespan, the future of women in sports is not clear. Whereas many women have benefited from the passage of Title IX and increased opportunities for competition, a large percentage have had no instruction in sports either in school or at home. Working women report they can find little time for themselves and that physical activity or exercise is hard to fit into an already overextended schedule. Single working mothers and women at the lower end of the economic scale are doubly disadvantaged. There is a widespread belief, promulgated by the press, that physical activity enriches one's life, but a great percentage of women plan to start "tomorrow." At the same time, women's concerns about their health encourages them to ask more questions that can aid in decisions to make good lifestyle choices. Combining the desire women express for healthy lifestyles with the knowledge of the positive features of physical activity should help health professionals and educators encourage more widespread participation in lifelong sports.