WASHINGTON — Turns out, Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Virginia, aren't just political powerhouses — they're fitness fanatics too! These two cities have leapfrogged to the top of the American Fitness Index, showing the nation how to stay in shape.
The index ranks Arlington as the No. 1 fittest city in the U.S. and D.C. as the second. This is the seventh year in a row Arlington has been ranked as the fittest American city.
Dr. Stella Volpe, a Virginia Tech professor and president of the American College of Sports Medicine, said this is the seventh year in a row that Arlington has taken the top spot. Volpe says that is unprecedented.
"There are many things that Arlington does well," Volpe said. One of those things is what she calls the city's "built environment." It's the environment that allows people to be active with ease, Volpe explained.
"The community is so well suited for people to walk and cycle. People are close to parks. A lot of people are only 10 minutes away from parks. It's easy to walk to public transportation, for example," she said.
Officials say Arlington has the most people exercising, the most people getting seven or more hours of sleep a night, and the lowest percentage of smokers.
D.C. came in second because it has the best fruit and vegetable habits.
The nation's capital also ranked in the top five cities that "exercised in the previous month, used public transportation, and biked or walked to work."
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