The American College of Sports Medicine just released their list of the fittest cities in the country, and Washington, D.C., came in at No. 3!
Long-time residents of Washington, D.C., probably know they live in a fit city. We have so many amazing sites and parks to walk around, beautiful trails for running and biking, and nice weather to keep us outside. But did you know Washington, D.C., is one of the fittest cities in the country? That's right! The American College of Sports Medicine just released a list of the fittest cities in the nation for 2018. The study ranked the 100 largest cities using criteria such as fitness level, nutrition, smoking, mental health, chronic diseases, access to parks, and public transportation to figure out who ranks supreme. Check out the full list here. Arlington, Virginia, ranked the fittest city in the country with an overall score of 77.7. Minneapolis, MN, followed with a close second at 77.2 and Washington, D.C., ranked third with an overall score of 74.0. On the other end, the five least fit cities are Toledo, OH; Detriot, MI; Louisville, KY; Indianapolis, IN; and Oklahoma City, OK.
It's great to see two DMV cities rank so high on the list, especially as inactivity and obesity become larger problems in our country. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, more than one third of American adults are considered overweight. The American College of Sports Medicine also found that for all participants in the top 100 cities, only 22.2 percent meet aerobic and strength training activity guidelines, and only 18 percent consume three or more vegetables a day. Despite this, over half of participants were in excellent or very good health.
Washington, D.C., won a few of the categories including the density of farmers markets, and the percentage of people bicycling or walking to work. In fact, 18.3 percent of Washington, D.C., participants bike or walk to work compared to an overall average of 4.6 percent.
So keep it up, Washington, D.C! Get out there and be active.
What do you think? Do you maintain a healthy lifestyle? Let us know how in the comments below!
