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30 May 2008 03:37 PM

Friday Fitness Fun Articles

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the Bay Area of San Francisco would likely win a challenge to survival of the fittest and Seattle's metropolitan residents would likely come in second.

The American College of Sports Medicine brought in an expert panel of 26 health and physical activity specialists to measure the health and fitness index of 16 different cities. For the Bay Area of San Francisco, they included San Francisco, Fremont, Oakland and Hayward. The study found that an above average number of citizens in the area exercised regularly.

The study takes into account the area's available of amenities such as parks and fitness clubs. It also found that 32% of residents eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. More people there were also likely to have health insurance and fewer people had chronic health problems.

If you're curious as to where your city came in the list, in order they ranked:

• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Boston
• Washington
• Atlanta

Following those top five are: Philadelphia; Chicago; Dallas; New York; Miami; Phoenix; Indianapolis; Houston; Los Angeles; Riverside, Calif., and Detroit. My area comes in number 8, which is strictly middle of the road based on just 16 cities.

Improving Your Chances

If you want to create a personal study for yourself, consider how often you bike somewhere rather than drive. Consider your access to local amenities: swimming pools, parks, outdoor recreation and more. What percentage of your diet is made up of fruits and vegetables? These are all markers of living healthier and making fitter choices whether it's local to the area or individual.

I'd rank fairly high in most of those, but I could definitely eat more fruits and vegetables.

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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