What makes a fit city? Of course, we’re not talking about the actual buildings, but rather the people who live, work and play in them.
Each year the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) releases the American Fitness Index, a report that measures the state of fitness at the local and community level and identifies ways to increase physical activity among Americans. The index also ranks the 50 most populous cities, or metropolitan and surrounding areas, based on personal and community health indicators, ranging from access to health care to health behaviors including smoking and eating habits.
A few other factors considered in the ranking include:
• A greater number of farmers’ markets
• Lower unemployment
• Higher level of physical activity
• More parks, dog parks, golf courses and recreation centers
• Higher percentage using public transportation
• Greater number of people biking and walking to work
• Lower obesity rate
While some factors, such as using public transportation, may seem counterintuitive to a fit community, research shows that 29 percent of people using public transportation met or exceeded the recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise by walking to and from transit.
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