The 10 fittest cities in America

Millions of Americans are trying to live healthier lives, but some cities are more fitness-friendly than others, according to the ninth annual American Fitness Index compiled by the American College of Sports Medicine and the Anthem Foundation. The report ranks the 50 biggest U.S. cities on a range of factors demonstrating how well they support active, healthy lifestyles. Walkability, park access, and rates of heart disease, diabetes and smoking were among the health factors taken into account. Click onward to see if your city made the top 10...

10. San Diego, California

Beaches and sunshine make outdoor fitness a no-brainer for many San Diego residents. According to the American Fitness Index report, close to three-quarters of the city's population gets exercise in any given month, and only 11 percent smoke.

9. Hartford, Connecticut

If it's parks, baseball diamonds and swimming pools you crave, Hartford is your kind of town. Those athletic amenities helped the city rank #9. Pictured here, Hartford skyline as seen from Bushnell Park.

8. Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City residents are big fruit consumers, with a third reporting that they eat two or more fruits a day. More than 56 percent are in very good or excellent health.

7. Boston, Massachusetts

Boston, famous for its marathon and regattas, is home to many world-renowned medical schools and hospitals. The city is more walkable than many places surveyed, and has lower diabetes and cardiovascular death rates.

5. San Francisco, California

A pair of racing boats sail past San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, where 98 percent live within a 10-minute walk to a park.

6. Seattle, Washington

More than half of Seattle residents are in excellent or very good health, according to the survey. Despite its reputation as a rainy, blues-inducing climate, only 37 percent reported poor mental health in the last 30 days, about equal to folks in sunny San Diego.

4. Portland, Oregon

A sunset view of Portland, where living within walking distance to a park is common and farmer's markets abound, helping the city rank high on the American Fitness Index.

3. Denver, Colorado

More than 83 percent of Denver residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, and nearly 85 percent took part in physical activity or exercise in the past 30 days, making this one of the top 3 fittest American cities.

2. Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis garnered lots of points for parks, farmer's markets, playgrounds and ballparks. And despite the cold winters, residents are no couch potatoes -- more than 81 percent said they'd participated in physical activity in the past 30 days.

1. Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., was rated number one for fitness for the third year in a row. Cherry blossom-lined boulevards and abundant parks lure fitness-minded residents and tourists alike.