It is safe to say that we are a product of our environments. And birds of a feather tend to flock together. So what areas of the US have the fittest residents? Let’s see below.
Los Angeles, California
Right at the top of our list are cities in California. If there is access to options that help you stay fit, then you are more likely to use them. On the West Coast, there are simply more options. Additionally, fitness is more integrated into their daily lives. Let’s start with L.A. After a study was done to assess activeness in cities in the US, Los Angeles reported that 87% of its residents work out at least once a week. The city also has the highest percentage of residents who work out five times a week or more out of any other city in the US.
If you’re looking for a place that will help you get more active, then Los Angeles might be the key. You may want to start browsing houses for rent in Los Angeles when you find out that it’s also the city with the highest percentage of residents meeting CDC guidelines for physical fitness. That’s a lot of people working out and it works for them. There must be something in the water there.
You can move to almost anywhere in California and it might be on the list of fittest cities. There are a ton of cities in California, big and small, that are considered some of the healthiest and most active cities in the nation.
Seattle, Washington
Next, let’s talk about Seattle Washington. Just under 80% of residents work out at least once a week. The way they stay fit is by bringing the community together for their workouts. Some of the most popular ways of working out in Seattle are boxing, dance, and pilates. Many of the residents in Seattle choose to exercise in group settings. We all know that it’s easier to work out if we have someone there pushing us to finish strong.
It helps that the city has a small percentage of adults with diabetes and who are obese. This most likely contributes to the statistical information. The lower percentage of those categories may be a result of the access to health and fitness programs and equipment throughout the city. As we said above, access to these amenities generally creates more of a desire for the community to come out and get active.
In cities such as Seattle, walking and biking are options that are more prevalent because of the short distances between home and work. Biking was on the rise across the country during Covid, so every city saw a little bit of a hike in that department. We can all use a little more activity in our lives, but hopefully next time it won’t be because we are enduring a pandemic.
Washington, D.C.
Finally, we come to the city of Washington DC. In DC, there is a push for healthy eating habits and access to fresh produce through farmer’s markets and other local initiatives. Additionally, they score pretty high for those that bike or walk to work. Even more so than Seattle. There are also more farmer’s markets in DC than in any other city. That’s a lot of vegetables!
DC also has a large variety of community classes. Some of the most popular classes are Barre, yoga, cycling, and pilates. And as we know, Arlington is right across the bridge and they are also considered to be quite an active city. Either of these locations would be a prime spot for those looking to live a healthy lifestyle.
Some research shows that there is a correlation between income and physical activity. Cities with lower levels of income tend to have less physical activity. Those that have higher levels of income, like California, tend to have higher levels of activity.
Ultimately, we can all use a little bit more physical activity. So even if your state is not on this list maybe you should consider getting out there and working up a sweat. Physical fitness plus a healthy diet can assist with a longer and happier life.