Best and Worst Cities for an Active Lifestyle
Out of the 100 biggest U.S. cities, Honolulu, San Francisco, and New York do the most to promote healthy habits, according to a new study. At the very bottom of the list: North Las Vegas.
If you feel like life sometimes conspires against you when you try to get more active, you might be on to something. A new study suggests that some cities are far better than others at creating the best environment for a healthy lifestyle.
Out of the 100 biggest U.S. cities analyzed by WalletHub, Honolulu topped the list of places that set people up for success at adopting an active lifestyle based on factors like gym costs, bike lanes, sidewalks, parks, and the number of physically active residents. San Francisco took second place, followed by New York, Chicago, and Las Vegas.
At the very bottom of the list were Fort Wayne, Indiana; Garland, Texas; and North Las Vegas.
Affordable Gym Memberships Were Not a Deciding Factor
The top ranked cities didn’t earn their spots based on affordable monthly gym fees. New York and San Francisco were in a three-way tie with Washington, DC, for priciest gyms — with costs 7 times higher than the most affordable city for fitness club memberships, Glendale, Arizona.
But many top-ranked cities offered a wide range of other ways for people to stay active without ever setting foot in a gym, including a wide variety of free and easy ways to get moving throughout the day.
“Safe physical activity spaces like public parks, biking routes, and active community offerings are the most effective strategies for an active community,” Sami Yli-Piipari, PhD, co-director of the Sport Instruction Research Laboratory at the University of Georgia in Athens, said in a statement that accompanied the study findings.
An Abundance of Playgrounds Was a Hallmark of a Healthy City
Some previous research suggests that something as seemingly simple as having a grocery store within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from home can make it much easier for city residents to lead healthier lives, Dr. Yli-Piipari said. Another advantage in many top-ranked cities is their abundance of playgrounds so children can learn to be active from a young age.
“It is a common misconception that young children learn positive exercise habits from ‘adult’ activities,” Yli-Piipari said. “Instead, children learn to be active when they experience and associate physical activity and exercise with positive experiences, such as being together, feeling better, and having fun.”
Playgrounds are one thing that helped put New York near the top of the list. New York had the most playgrounds per capita, with 14 times more than the city with the fewest playgrounds, Gilbert, Arizona.
New York also had the most basketball hoops per capita, with 34 times more courts than there were in Gilbert. And, New York also ranked fourth for the most tennis courts per capita.
There was one area where Gilbert shined, earning the top spot for the most golf courses, a category where New York ranked 99 out of 100, ahead of only Laredo, Texas. New York also came in dead last in the number of fitness centers, a category led by Scottsdale, Arizona.
Walkability Matters When It Comes to Healthy City Living
One of the biggest factors that can help people get in shape and maintain a healthy lifestyle in an urban setting — or anywhere — is having lots of easily accessible ways to get moving. One recent study, for example, found that people had trimmer waistlines and weighed less when they lived close to parks, playgrounds, gyms, pools, and other places to exercise.
Walkability also matters to healthy living, with the WalletHub analysis including a “walk score” for each city. Other studies have found that walkable urban neighborhoods and good public transit help people stay active.