Minneapolis, St. Paul Among Most Fit American Cities: Report

The Twin Cities lead most American cities in health, according to a new fitness index released by the American College of Sports Medicine. Minneapolis, which ranked No. 2 overall, received a total score of 77.2.

Saint Paul ranked No. 8 and received a score of 70.2.

The fittest city in the U.S. is Arlington, Virginia, according to the ACSM index. The index was calculated using 33 indicators and Arlington ranked No. 1 in “very good or excellent health” and in “low smoking rates.” The city also landed a spot in the top 10 for 11 other indicators.

After holding the title of “America’s Fittest City” for three years in a row, Washington, D.C. came in second to Minneapolis.

Criteria used to grade cities includes:

• low smoking rates
• residents meeting aerobic and strength activity guidelines
• low levels of residents with obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes
• number of farmers markets, local parks, dog parks, and tennis courts
• residents that live within a 10-minute walk to a park
• funding for public parks
• high use of public transportation

Top 10 most fit cities in America

1. Arlington, VA — 77.7

2. Minneapolis, MN — 77.2 3

3. Washington, D.C — 74.0 4

4. Madison, WI — 72.4 5

5. Portland, OR — 71.6 6

6. Seattle, WA — 71.5 7

7. Denver, CO — 70.2

8. St. Paul, MN — 70.2 9 ;

9. San Jose, CA — 69.

10. Boise, ID 69.2

Other rankings

7+ Hours of Sleep

1. Madison, WI

2. Laredo, TX

3. Plano, TX

4. Minneapolis, MN

5. Aurora, CO

6. St. Paul, MN

7. Lincoln, NE

8. Denver, CO

9. Seattle, WA

10. Boise, ID

Any Exercise:

1. Madison, WI

2. Portland, OR

3. Boise, ID

4. Seattle, WA

5. Charlotte, NC

6. Raleigh, NC

7. Minneapolis, MN

8. Colorado Springs, CO

9. Durham, NC

10. Denver, CO

Aerobic Activities:

1. Boise, ID

2. San Diego, CA

3. Chula Vista, CA

4. San Jose, CA

5. Seattle, WA

6. Reno, NV

7. San Francisco, CA

8. Portland, OR

9. Madison, WI

10. Denver, CO

Aerobic & Strengthening Activities:

1. Plano, TX

2. Arlington, VA

3. Boise, ID

4. Denver, CO

5. Reno, NV

6. San Jose, CA

7. Virginia Beach, VA

8. Colorado Springs, CO

9. St. Petersburg, FL

10. Albuquerque, NM

You can see how the Twin Cities scored across all health indicators and how it compared to other cities here.

Image via Shutterstock