Study: Denver Ranks 6th Fittest Metro Area In U.S.
DENVER (CBS4)- People who live in the Denver metro area have a greater walking access to parks than much of the nation. That helped make it the sixth fittest metro area in the U.S. according to one study.
The American Fitness Index from the American College of Sports Medicine and the Anthem Foundation takes into account several factors, including outdoor exercise options, rates of smoking, obesity and diabetes, public health spending and requirements for school physical education.
Denver ranks sixth with an overall score of 71.1. The region meets or exceeds many goals, including how many people have access to a 10-minute walk to a park and a ratio of parks and swimming pools to the population. The area also has a higher rate of farmer's markets per neighborhoods overall and a higher rate of people walking or bicycling to work.
Areas of improvement for the Denver metro area include a high population of smokers, those with poor mental health and an increase of asthma sufferers.
The areas included in the study are: Denver, Aurora, Broomfield, Adams County, Arapahoe County, Broomfield County, Clear Creek County, Douglas County, Elbert County, Gilpin County, Jefferson County and Park County.
Other cities in the top five are Washington, DC, Minneapolis-St. Paul, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento.