Take a quick drive through Arlington and you’re sure to see people exercising. Whether it’s with the newest bike on the block or training for the next half-marathon, Arlington residents are staying active and there is data to prove it.
Earlier this month, The American College of Sports Medicine and Anthem Foundation published its nationwide report on the county’s top fittest cities, and Arlington ranked No. 1 out of 100 surveyed urban areas. DC followed close behind at No. 6.
The report, which analyzed data on 33 different indicators of health behaviors, such as consistent exercise, meeting aerobic and strength guidelines and biking or cycling to work, gave Arlington an overall personal health score of 93.5.
The city ranked first in the report’s community health ranking as well, which analyzed resident’s average distances and access to local parks, swimming pools and overall air quality index.
In the past 30 days, 92.6% of Arlington residents have exercised, 32.9% of residents are meeting aerobic and strength guidelines and 71.4% are in excellent or very good health.
DC ranked first in the commuting category, with 17.7% of residents biking or cycling to work, and 29.5% of residents consuming more than three vegetables a day.
Regardless of the ranking, there’s one thing to know for sure: As DC and NoVA move forward, their residents will run with it. Want to see how other urban areas across the county compare? Click here to see the results.
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