exercise, sleep and the number of folks reporting excellent/very good health and lower rates of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
More good news: There was an increase in the percentage of Americans exercising in the previous month, sleeping 7+ hours/day, and reporting excellent or very good health, compared to last year’s Fitness Index.
Cities can improve their rankings on the Fitness Index in multiple ways, Paluch notes.
“One way could be … increasing the number and access to parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities or taking the steps to make your city more pedestrian-friendly for both walking and biking,” she shares.
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Healthy living must be the easy choice, Paluch says. “Clean air to breathe while outside; safe and accessible walking paths and sidewalks; playgrounds within walking distance from families’ homes, are examples of ways cities can support healthy living,” she adds.
But don’t expect these changes to happen overnight. “Although slow, it will lead to improvements in your residents’ health, quality of life and overall vitality of your city,” Paluch says.
Expect other dividends, she says. Fit cities create stronger community ties and improve the quality of life of the residents.
“Cities that are well-designed to promote physical activity have economic benefits as well, such as increased home values, business and job growth, and an influx of new residents,” she adds. “It also can reduce health care costs, where every $1 invested in building trails for walking and biking saves nearly $3 in health care costs.”
The Elevance Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm of insurance company Elevance Health, helped fund the new report. The Fitness Index has expanded from 50 to 100 cities, so comparisons to the first 10 years aren’t feasible. Residents and city leaders can compare their city’s indicators from 2018 to 2022, but not the overall rank or score.
Find out how your city compares to Arlington, Va., or other cities.