Story at a glance
- Many Americans setting goals for the new year plan on improving their physical health, poll results show.
- Using 36 different metrics, WalletHub assessed which U.S. cities are most conducive to an active lifestyle.
- Honolulu was joined by San Francisco, Calif. and New York, NY in the top three spots.
Honolulu, Hawaii is the best city for Americans seeking an active lifestyle, according to a new WalletHub ranking. San Francisco, Calif.; New York, NY; Chicago, Ill.; and Las Vegas, Nev. rounded out the top five spots on the list.
The ranking comes as many Americans plan on adopting fitness-related new year’s resolutions in 2023. A recent Gallup poll found 80 percent of goal setters cited personal health or fitness goals when queried about their plans for the new year.
Along with financial improvements, personal health goals were among the most common resolutions cited by respondents, poll results show.
But for some, environmental barriers, like a lack of access to parks or sidewalks, may get in the way of achieving a more active lifestyle.
WalletHub researchers assessed the 100 biggest cities in the United States and rated them on 36 different metrics, including average monthly fitness club fees and shares of physically inactive adults.
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Factors were divided into two groups: budget and participation, and sports and outdoors. Honolulu ranked first in the sports and outdoors category and netted an overall score of 62 out of 100.
Additional metrics included intramural leagues per capita and average cost of sports apparel, along with per capita sports fields, hiking trails, and bike rental facilities.
Cincinnati, Ohio; San Diego, Calif.; Madison, Wis.; Denver, Colo.; and Atlanta, Ga. made up the latter half of the top ten best cities for an active lifestyle, respectively.
In comparison, North Las Vegas, Nev. ranked worst overall. Garland, Texas; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Winston-Salem, N.C.; and Irving, Texas also ranked in the bottom five.
Seattle, Wash. and Scottsdale, Ariz. had the lowest percent of physically inactive adults. Scottsdale also had the highest number of fitness centers per capita and was tied with Gilbert and Glendale, Ariz. for most public golf courses per capita.
Leading a physically active lifestyle has been linked with a host of mental and physical health benefits.
Being physically active can improve cognitive function and brain health and lowers the risk of anxiety and depression. It’s also been associated with improved sleep and overall quality of life, while being active outdoors can increase feelings of happiness.
In addition to the mental health benefits, physical activity can help manage weight, strengthen bones and muscles, and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers, according to the CDC.
Cities can help encourage active lifestyles by building more sidewalks and bike lanes, Steven K. Malin told WalletHub. Malin is an associate professor in the department of kinesiology and health at the school of arts and sciences at Rutgers University. To promote safety, these additions should be accompanied by signs about the importance of sharing the road, he added.
For those looking to incorporate more activity in their lifestyles while on a budget, Malin suggests getting up and walking for one to five minutes per hour during the workday.
“In line with low-budget activity would be to do bodyweight exercises, including body squats, jumping jacks, lunges, push-ups, or planks for 1 to 5 minutes an hour,” he said.
“This could go a long way in curbing blood glucose, blood pressure, and lipid levels to even improving cognition throughout the day, not to mention mental well-being.”
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