The Most and Least Active Cities in America

[Aaron W]

Men's Health Magazine: The Most and Least Active Cities in America (http://www.menshealth.com/health/most-active-cities)

By Laura Roberson
Posted Date: June 20, 2011


Summer is the season for kicking back and doing nothing, which means it's always summer in Lexington, Kentucky. In fact, folks there didn't need to lift a finger to be named America's Most Sedentary City, since movement of any kind means you're not a committed couch potato.

Now, we don't doubt the Lexington work ethic—it's the workout ethic we question. We looked at where and how often people exercise (Experian Marketing Services); the percentage of households that watch more than 15 hours of cable a week and buy more than 11 video games a year (Mediamark Research); and the rate of deaths from deep-vein thrombosis, a condition linked to a lot of sitting (CDC). And since some people define "exercise" loosely, we gave credit for any physical activity in the past month (CDC).

Most active cities:
1) Seattle, WA (A+)
2) San Francisco, CA (A+)
3) Oakland, CA (A)
4) District of Columbia (A)
5) Salt Lake City, UT (A-)
6) Reno, NV (A-)
7) Portland, ME (A-)
8) Atlanta, GA (A-)
9) Denver, CO (A-)
10) Minneapolis, MN (A-)

(click the link above for the cities banked in between)

Least active cities:
91) Birmingham, AL (F)
92) Laredo, TX (F)
93) Nashville, TN (F)
94) Little Rock, AR (F)
95) Tulsa, OK (F)
96) Oklahoma City, OK (F)
97) Charleston, WV (F)
98) Jackson, MS (F)
99) Indianapolis, IN (F)
100) Lexington, KY (F)

[PrincessLeppard]

I was just in Seattle and San Francisco last week, and my parents and I both noticed that the percentage of overweight people there was very, very low.

[Gazpacho]

I'm not sure I like the criteria. Rating a city as active/inactive by the number of video games they buy?!

Also, I wonder how they define exercise. People in New York and Boston get a lot of exercise simply because they take public transportation. It's not vigorous exercise and not done for the sake of physical activity, but a little every day makes a big difference in the long run. I rarely see very obese people in New York. Plenty of mildly to moderately overweight, but few very obese people. I almost never saw a very obese person in Boston.

Michelle Obama has picked a fantastic cause to champion, and she's a great role model for it.

[mmscfdcsu]

Why 15 hours of Cable television?:confused: More than 10 hours per week of any television is :eek: :scream: :eek: :scream:

[genevieve]

I was just in Seattle and San Francisco last week, and my parents and I both noticed that the percentage of overweight people there was very, very low.
It's all the hills :lol:


I'm not sure I like the criteria. Rating a city as active/inactive by the number of video games they buy?!
what if they bought Dance Dance Revolution or whatever it's called? :P

[Gazpacho]

Why 15 hours of Cable television?:confused: More than 10 hours per week of any television is :eek: :scream: :eek: :scream:But I routinely waste as much time on FSU :shuffle:

[danceronice]

I have no idea how many hours a week my TV is on (basically, if I'm in the house and I don't have company, it is) but that has no bearing on what I'm doing. (In fact if I'm on the eliptical the TV must be on, because I can't hold a book and use it at the same time.) Also, a lot of those bottom cities are ones where if you don't drive, you're not getting anywhere, so I would bet some lack of walking is just where are you going to walk to?

[myhoneyhoney]

It's all the hills :lol:

and running to move your car to another spot so you don't get a parking ticket! :D

[Sparks]

...and those cities in the bottom of the list are ungodly hot.

[Gazpacho]

...and those cities in the bottom of the list are ungodly hot.Only in the summer. They're quite nice in the winter.

Minneapolis has awful weather practically all year, yet they're among the most active. (I still don't buy the criteria, but going along with it). I wonder if active includes shoveling snow? :)

[PDilemma]

Two experiences in Birmingham when staying over there one time:

1--I asked at the hotel desk if there was anywhere to eat in walking distance and the guy said "oh, you don't want to walk, lots of places will deliver!"

2--I walked anyway to a Subway at a strip mall about three blocks down. The people there were confused as to how to make a 6 inch sub and felt that I would be dying of hunger if I at least didn't add double meat to it.

[orbitz]

I'm kind of surprised to see D.C. on the list of most actives. You definitely see a good amount of heavy people around town. Just look at members of Congress, :lol: (except for the shirtless Congressman that was on the cover of Men Health a few months ago)

[mmscfdcsu]

But I routinely waste as much time on FSU :shuffle:

That involves much more brain power. Television is the most passive activity out there.

[genevieve]

That involves much more brain power. Television is the most passive activity out there.
which has nothing to do with the topic, which is physical activity.

[DarrellH]

I live in number 90. I can see evidence of it in almost every direction.