Arlington and D.C. ranked as America’s fittest cities
Arlington and D.C. rank as the top two fittest cities in America, according to a study released Tuesday by the American College of Sports Medicine in Indianapolis. Arlington ranked as No. 1 for the seventh year in a row, while D.C. secured the No. 2 spot for the second consecutive year, beating out Seattle, San Francisco and Madison, Wis.The annual study looks at the United States’ 100 most populous cities and evaluates their fitness using two main scores: a personal health score, which considers exercise frequency, smoking and heart disease; and a community environment score, which measures the accessibility of walkable trails, bike paths and parks. It draws from existing public data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks health risk behaviors such as whether people eat fruits and vegetables, exercise, and smoke.Arlington, which is technically a county, received the highest ranking for the community and environment score and the highest percent of people exercising in the previous month. D.C. earned the top spot in the health behaviors category for the number of residents consuming two or more fruits and vegetables a day, though it did trail in other categories, such as health outcomes for the percentage of people with poor mental health.Arlington’s accessible infrastructure is a major reason for its seven-year streak, said Stella Volpe, president of ACSM and chair of the fitness index committee. “Arlington has great walking paths, great biking paths, great access to parks, so it is easy for people to be active,” Volpe said.These findings came as no surprise to some Arlington residents, who told The Post Tuesday afternoon that the city’s fitness-friendly landscape encourages an active lifestyle. Raymond Murry, a 28-year-old from Arlington, said he lives two miles away from a gym, and though he owns a car, often opts to walk.“A lot of people feel comfortable jogging, walking and stuff like that,” he saidCameron Bane, a 24-year-old environmental engineer, said he thinks Arlington’s high fitness ranking is due in part to intentional city planning to promote healthier lifestyles. “It’s a newer city as far as development terms go,” he said. “I think the urban planners had a lot of foresight as far as walkability is concerned.”Tripp Fussell, a 35-year-old who lives in North Arlington, said he’s surprised D.C. is not ranked higher. Fussell said he used to live in D.C. and noted it “seemed like a very fit city in the sense that people were walking more than driving,” because of the prevalence of public transportation.Pierre Marques, an engineering intern from France, says that he’s found everything he’s looking for when it comes to staying fit in D.C.Marques said that in France he would typically pay for a gym membership, but rather than spend money on gyms in D.C., he takes advantage of Rock Creek Park’s exercise course. On the trail, he typically rides his bike and uses the publicly available exercise equipment. He also enjoys the many basketball courts, running trails and parks for street workouts.“There are several outdoor places in the city for you to go when you can’t go to the gym, and it’s not like that everywhere,” he said.Similarly, Callum Wayman, a 30-year-old who lives in Mount Pleasant, often visits Rock Creek Park to use the exercise trail. When he lived in Northeast, Wayman said, he often went to his neighborhood’s free fitness centers.Volpe, of the American College of Sports Medicine, hopes cities take a look at the study’s outcomes. “The fact that we chose to do something like this that can really help cities take a look at maybe what they’re doing great, maybe what they could improve upon, and maybe if they have resources to put toward things like some parks or trails,” she said.As the rankings come out each year, each city has the opportunity to rise, and that’s the goal, she said.
The American College of Sports Medicine ranked Arlington first for the seventh year in a row.
Arlington and D.C. rank as the top two fittest cities in America, according to a study released Tuesday by the American College of Sports Medicine in Indianapolis. Arlington ranked as No. 1 for the seventh year in a row, while D.C. secured the No. 2 spot for the second consecutive year, beating out Seattle, San Francisco and Madison, Wis.
The annual study looks at the United States’ 100 most populous cities and evaluates their fitness using two main scores: a personal health score, which considers exercise frequency, smoking and heart disease; and a community environment score, which measures the accessibility of walkable trails, bike paths and parks. It draws from existing public data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks health risk behaviors such as whether people eat fruits and vegetables, exercise, and smoke.
Arlington, which is technically a county, received the highest ranking for the community and environment score and the highest percent of people exercising in the previous month. D.C. earned the top spot in the health behaviors category for the number of residents consuming two or more fruits and vegetables a day, though it did trail in other categories, such as health outcomes for the percentage of people with poor mental health.
Arlington’s accessible infrastructure is a major reason for its seven-year streak, said Stella Volpe, president of ACSM and chair of the fitness index committee. “Arlington has great walking paths, great biking paths, great access to parks, so it is easy for people to be active,” Volpe said.
These findings came as no surprise to some Arlington residents, who told The Post Tuesday afternoon that the city’s fitness-friendly landscape encourages an active lifestyle. Raymond Murry, a 28-year-old from Arlington, said he lives two miles away from a gym, and though he owns a car, often opts to walk.
“A lot of people feel comfortable jogging, walking and stuff like that,” he said
Cameron Bane, a 24-year-old environmental engineer, said he thinks Arlington’s high fitness ranking is due in part to intentional city planning to promote healthier lifestyles. “It’s a newer city as far as development terms go,” he said. “I think the urban planners had a lot of foresight as far as walkability is concerned.”
Tripp Fussell, a 35-year-old who lives in North Arlington, said he’s surprised D.C. is not ranked higher. Fussell said he used to live in D.C. and noted it “seemed like a very fit city in the sense that people were walking more than driving,” because of the prevalence of public transportation.
Pierre Marques, an engineering intern from France, says that he’s found everything he’s looking for when it comes to staying fit in D.C.
Marques said that in France he would typically pay for a gym membership, but rather than spend money on gyms in D.C., he takes advantage of Rock Creek Park’s exercise course. On the trail, he typically rides his bike and uses the publicly available exercise equipment. He also enjoys the many basketball courts, running trails and parks for street workouts.
“There are several outdoor places in the city for you to go when you can’t go to the gym, and it’s not like that everywhere,” he said.
Similarly, Callum Wayman, a 30-year-old who lives in Mount Pleasant, often visits Rock Creek Park to use the exercise trail. When he lived in Northeast, Wayman said, he often went to his neighborhood’s free fitness centers.
Volpe, of the American College of Sports Medicine, hopes cities take a look at the study’s outcomes. “The fact that we chose to do something like this that can really help cities take a look at maybe what they’re doing great, maybe what they could improve upon, and maybe if they have resources to put toward things like some parks or trails,” she said.
As the rankings come out each year, each city has the opportunity to rise, and that’s the goal, she said.