Washington D.C. — fitter than you thought!
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recently did a study to measure the state of health and fitness at the community level in 15 major metropolitan areas. The winner? San Francisco. However, the perhaps surprising finding is that the Washington, D.C. metro area came in 4th place, just after Seattle and Boston.
According to an article in USA Today by Nancy Hellmich (May 29, 2008), the ACSM “took into consideration a number of health indicators, including the percentage of people who exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, eat the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables, have access to health care, have health insurance and don’t smoke. They also looked at the environment, including the availability of parks, walking/bike trails and public transportation.”
The Washington D.C. area’s greatest strengths include many recreational opportunities, such as trails, ballparks and fields, farmer’s markets, rec centers, and high use of public transportation. The obesity rate is slighty lower than average; however, the number of people with diabetes is currently a challenge.
Check out the full report here: ACSM American Fitness Index Project
In the meantime, get out and take advantage of the many fitness opportunities that Washington D.C. has to offer!
Danielle
Orla said,
October 28, 2008 @ 5:41 pm
Good for people to know.