The 17th annual American Fitness Index has found out which cities are doing their workouts and living healthy in the latest ranking of the country’s fittest cities.
The rankings were published by the American College of Sports Medicine and the Elevance Health Foundation.
To compile the list, researchers used 33 health indicators, which included different health behaviors and their outcomes.
After crunching the numbers — and abs — researchers found that this year’s fittest city is Arlington, Virginia.
According to a news release, Arlington ranked first in community and environmental indicators, had the highest rate of residents who exercised the previous month (87.8%), the most getting seven or more hours of sleep a night (76.4%), and the lowest percentage of those who smoke (3.4%).
Number two on the list was the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.
The release said that Washington, D.C., ranked best at eating fruits and vegetables and was in the top five for cities that “exercised in the previous month, used public transportation and biked or walked to work.”
The bronze medal was given to Seattle, Washington, which had the third-highest rate of exercising in the previous month and also valued and invested in parks.
Rounding out the top 10, from four to 10, include San Francisco, California; Madison, Wisconsin; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Denver, Colorado; Atlanta, Georgia; Irvine, California; and St. Paul, Minnesota.
ACSM President Stella Volpe said that the annual rankings can be helpful for city leaders who are looking to improve the well-being of their citizens in a world after COVID-19.
“Post-pandemic, Americans are not as active as we would like. To help facilitate this, local community leaders must step up and make bold spending choices, policy decisions, and infrastructure changes to increase opportunities for residents to be physically active and healthy,” Volpe said. “The Fitness Index is a trusted road map showing sound strategies for communities to improve. By embracing collaborative advocacy and leveraging data-driven insights, we can collectively move toward a healthier future for America, one city at a time.”
The American Fitness Index did rank more than just the top 10 cities. For the full list of the 100 cities ranked, visit the group’s website here.