I Live in The Fittest City in America. Here’s How We Stay So Fit — Even in The Winter.
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When I saw on Newsweek that my city had been awarded American College of Sports Medicine’s ‘Fittest City’ in the USA award, I couldn’t believe it. Not only did we win it, but we have won the award for the last 5 years in a row. To say the least, we apparently take our health very seriously.
The ‘Fittest City’ is decided by several criteria, such as:
- % of citizens that have exercised in the last month
- % of citizens in great health
- % of citizens without high blood pressure
- % of citizens that have not experienced a stroke
- % of citizens without diabetes
Although there are 34 health indicators in this competition, my city ranked #1 for the above criteria, as well as several others.
Krispy Kreme hates us, and health insurance companies love us. So, where is the ‘Fittest City’ in America?
The fittest city in America is… Arlington, Virginia!
If you haven’t visited Virginia yet, I highly recommend doing so. We have great hiking in the Appalachian Mountains, beautiful wineries in Charlottesville, and nice enough beaches near Norfolk.
Before I share my opinion on how my neighbors and I stay so healthy, I’ll reiterate that I originally was shocked that Arlington won. I probably would’ve guess Denver, with how much everyone loves to be outside while hiking and skiing in nature!
Upon further thought, it does make sense that we are so fit. If you haven’t visited Arlington before, let me tell you about it. The Pentagon, a.k.a. the HQ of the Department of Defense, is in our backyard.
We are a short walk over the Key bridge from Georgetown, and from some of my friends’ apartments you can actually see the Washington monument.
Let’s break my region down a bit and find out why we probably won the coveted title:
