America's 10 Fittest Cities

The American College of Sports Medicine's annual fitness index ranks the 50 largest metropolitan areas on a 100-point scale that combines 30 fitness indicators, including acres of park land, death rate from cardiovascular disease, the number of primary care physicians per capita and the percentage of residents who bicycle or walk to work. Other important indicators include the obesity rate and the exercise rate, defined as the percentage of the population that reports having exercised in the last 30 days. The Wellpoint Foundation, a nonprofit arm of the insurer WellPoint, sponsors the list. Here are this year's 10 fittest cities (starting with 10).

 

1. Washington, D.C.

        Score: 73.5

        Obesity Rate: 22.6%

        Exercise Rate: 80.1%

        America's fittest city is Washington D.C. It scores high on almost every measure of fitness, whether it's bicycling commuters, farmers' markets or recreation centers.

 

2. Boston, Massechusetts

       Score: 72.6

       Obesity Rate: 19.9%

       Exercise Rate: 78.6%

       Boston's relatively affluent population avoids cigarettes and stays trim. The state also mandates that all its residents have health insurance.

 

3. Minneapolis, Minnesota

       Score: 71.7

       Obesity Rate: 23.9%

       Exercise Rate: 84.3%

       A penchant for exercise offsets slightly above-average obesity rates in the Twin Cities.

 

4. Seattle, Washington

       Score: 70.5

       Obesity Rate: 22.8%

       Exercise Rate: 81.9%

       The Pacific Northwest either produces or attracts healthy citizens. Seattle scores high by providing physical education classes for kids and tennis courts for adults.

 

5. Portland, Oregon

       Score: 70.4

       Obesity Rate: 23.9%

       Exercise Rate: 82.3%

       Portland is dotted with dog parks, doctors' offices and "no smoking" signs--which add up to impressive health stats.

 

6. Denver, Colorado

       Score: 69.9

       Obesity Rate: 19.3%

       Exercise Rate: 83%

       The Mile High City has low rates of disability and heart disease.

 

7. Sacramento, California

       Score: 65.8

       Obesity Rate: 21.4%

       Exercise Rate: 82.3%

       With a high percentage of people reporting they walk or bike to work, Sacramento exercises more than its western peer San Francisco.

 

8. San Francisco, California

       Score: 64.7

       Obesity Rate: 18.4%

       Exercise Rate: 81.5%

       Low poverty rates in the Bay Area go hand in hand with lower rates of diabetes, smoking and obesity.

 

9. Hartford, Connecticut

       Score: 64.4

       Obesity Rate: 21.1%

       Exercise Rate: 77.2%

       Hartford denizens enjoy a disproportionate number of farmers' markets, baseball diamonds and golf courses--and eat lots of fruits and vegetables.

 

10. Austin, Texas

       Overall score: 63.9

       Obesity Rate: 22.5%

       Exercise Rate: 78.4%

       Austin has a high number of parks and pools per capita--and low rates of asthma and heart disease.

 

Source: Forbes.com