The Fittest Place to Live
Minneapolis-St. Paul edged out the nations’ capital this year as the fittest city in the U.S. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) made the final choice based on epidemiologic factors including rates of asthma, diabetes and heart disease, obesity, smoking, availability of farmers’ markets and investment in public parks and playgrounds. Washington D.C. came in second this year because, an ACSM American Fitness Index spokesperson said, the capital hadn’t made enough of an investment in its park system. Ranking numbers three, four and five were San Francisco, Seattle and San Jose respectively, while at the bottom of the list were Indianapolis, Oklahoma City and Louisville, KY. The ACSM reported a 16 percent increase in the number of people nationwide who performed the recommended amount of aerobic exercise and a 10 percent drop in diagnoses of chest pain and heart disease. But the report also noted a slight rise in obesity and a drop in the number of people who described themselves as in optimal health. You can check the ranking of your favorite big city here.
Source:
American College of Sports Medicine, “ACSM American Fitness Index® Health and Community Fitness Status of the 50 Largest Metropolitan Areas, 2017.” americanfitnessindex.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/ACSM-AFI-Report-2017.pdf
Also in this week’s bulletin:
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