FEATURES

The Fittest City in America...

Saturday, 20 May 2017 23:10

By Erika Edwards (Today.com)

Despite their long, cold winters, Minnesotans do not hibernate. Their culture is to get up, bundle up, and get outside.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul area topped the list of America’s 50 “fittest cities” this year, according to the annual American Fitness Index from the American College of Sports Medicine and the Anthem Foundation....

The report examined a variety of health indicators: rates of asthma, diabetes and heart disease, obesity, smoking, availability of farmer’s markets and investment in public parks and playgrounds.

“America is walking more,” said Dr. Pamela Peeke, national spokesperson for the American College of Medicine. “We have more parks, more walking paths. People are getting out using public transportation instead of driving all the time. They’re walking to work. This is all great.”

It’s no surprise to Minneapolis resident Rumen Hulmequist. He and his friends are drawn to the surrounding lakes where they walk, run and work out. “This is where health happens,” said Hulmequist. “I like to walk outside even in the winter because it’s gorgeous.”  READ MORE