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The Fittest Cities in America Aren't Ones You'd Expect

| © Holly Mandarich / Unsplash

In Los Angeles and New York—America’s most wellness-fixated cities—buzzy studios and athleisure stores abound, so it’s interesting that both are conspicuously absent from Gallup’s latest report on the country’s fittest cities.

Boulder, Colorado—where 70 percent of residents regularly engage in physical exercise—came out on top, followed by Fort Collins, Colorado (68 percent); the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande area of California (67 percent); Greeley, Colorado (65 percent); and Santa Rosa, California (62 percent).

One thing these cities have going for them, as opposed to metropolitan New York and traffic-jammed LA, is a walking-friendly structure and proximity to nature that facilitates everyday activity without the need for scheduled gym time. In Boulder, for example, hiking and trail running in the mountains is a legit weekend activity, and the city center is generally pedestrian friendly, encouraging residents to meet the recommended 10,000 steps per day.

Of course more activity leads to notably better health, and according to Gallup “the highest 10 exercise communities have significantly lower incidence of chronic disease, with approximately 30% less obesity, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart attack, as compared with the lowest 10 communities.”

Although Cali and Colorado both get gold stars for being impressively active states, the rest of the country also deserves recognition. Americans in general are making a concerted effort to workout. Only 27 percent report doing no exercise whatsoever—a reduction of 3 percent—and the number of people exercising three or more days per week for at least 30 minutes has reached an impressive 53.4 percent—the highest since Gallup began its well-being index.
Where do you want to go next?

Find out which states topped the list of happiest in the USA, or try the simple trick that could help you start enjoying exercise.

About the author

Born and raised in Bristol, England, Esme has been geeking out over syntax her entire life. She studied English Lit by the Brighton seaside before moving to London to pursue her writing career in 2009, going on to work for Grazia Daily, The Telegraph and SheerLuxe. In 2013 she swapped The Big Smoke for The Big Apple, where she trained as a yoga teacher and contributed to Refinery29, Self, Fitness Magazine and Greatist. When she's not glued to her laptop or iPhone you'll find her drinking Kale Margaritas at an East Village happy hour, planning her next adventure, or hand-standing (with more vigor than skill) at the yoga studio.

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