Washington DC tops the list of the fittest cities in the US for third year running

May 19, 2016

Washington D.C. tops list of US fittest cities for the third year in a row
In second place is Minneapolis-St Paul and Denver came in third
They scored highest fittest points for higher number of people walking, more parkland for exercise and lower rates of heart disease and diabetes
Washington’s lower rate of smoking that tipped the scales in its favor

Lizzie Parry For Dailymail.com

Published:
14:29 EST, 18 May 2016

|
Updated:
19:01 EST, 18 May 2016

View
comments

For the third year running, Washington D.C. has been crowned the fittest city in the US.

The nation’s capital leads the pack, closely followed by Minneapolis-St Paul in second place, and Denver in third – up from sixth place last year.

The top three cities showed increased walking by residents using public transport, more parkland for exercise and lower cardiovascular disease and diabetes rates.

But, it was the lower rate of smoking recorded in Washington D.C. that tipped the fitness scales in the city’s favor to see it named the fittest.

Washington D.C. has been named the fittest city in the US for the third year running, according to the ninth annual American Fitness Index

Meanwhile, flailing at the bottom of the top 50, are the midwestern cities of Indianapolis, Oklahoma City and Louisville, which ranked in 50th, 49th and 48th places respectively.

According to the ninth annual American Fitness Index (AFI), published by the American College of Sports Medicine and the Anthem Foundation, there were some positive shifts in health habits across the country.

Never get caught short again! New ‘condom’ collects urine in…

Struggle to concentrate and make impulsive decisions? You…

How to survive a heart attack: Two men walk into AE with…

Why DON¿T healthcare workers wash their hands? Medics’…

The results revealed:

total scores increased for 30 cities (60 per cent)
an 11.8 per cent increase in the percentage of people who indicated they had exercised in the last 30 days
a 4.7 per cent drop in the percentage of smokers
a 7.4 per cent fall in the diabetes death rate
a 5.2 per cent increase in total park expenditure per resident
and that twice as many states had policies in place this year that required teaching physical education at the elementary, middle or high school level

However, researchers found that scores slipped for 19 cities between 2015 and this year.

Those experiencing the largest drop included Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, Sacramento and San Diego.

The report also noted a 7.7 per cent increase in the percentage of the city population reporting a diagnosis of angina, and a 7 per cent increase in those reporting being diagnosed as diabetic.

The top three cities showed increased walking by residents using public transport, more parkland for exercise and lower cardiovascular disease and diabetes rates. But, it was the lower rate of smoking recorded in Washington D.C. that tipped the fitness scales in the city’s favor to see it named the fittest

Dr Walter Thompson, chair of the AFI Advisory Board, said: ‘The AFI has continually proven its value as a trusted measurement of the health of our metro areas, and it has also become a catalyst for urban and suburban leaders to shape infrastructures that promote healthy lifetstyles and create positive outcomes.

‘Our overarching goal is to offer communities and residents resources that can help them assess, plan and implement measures for a quality, healthier life.’

Meanwhile, Anthem chief clinical officer, Dr Craig Samitt, said promoting healthy lifestyles begins with each individual.

Dr Samitt urged all Americans to exercise for at least 30 minutes and participate in 10 minutes of stretching and light muscle training five days a week.

‘Modeling health behavior by incorporating activity into the weekday schedule and practising good nutrition can improve fitness,’ he said.

‘We’re proud to continue our partnership with ACSM on an initiative that is providing actionable data for communities to create a culture of healthy lifestyles.’