In its 11th annual survery, Men's Fitness Magazine has named Salt Lake City, Colorado Springs, and Denver among the nation's fittest cities.
Not making the fittest list the prior year, SLC has been pushed to the top due to its sprawling park spaces and athletically motivated residents. According to Mayor Ralph Becker, "Outdoor recreation is simply a part of the lives of those who call Salt Lake City home. We have immediate access to the Wasatch Mountains, which offer some of the finest year-round recreations anywhere."
An avid workout enthusiast, Becker bikes or walks the mile distance each morning to his office, hikes, or skis on the weekends, and takes advantage of every square acre of Utah's vast backcountry. Joining him is over half of the Salt Lake population who, according to reports, works out on average at least a half-hour a day.
Colorado Springs chimes in on the list at a resounding second (down from the first place spot in 2007), and Denver places 4th, closely behind Minneapolis in the number 3 spot.
On the opposite end of the nation, the song doesn't remain the same. Miami, who ranked #7 on the Fittest Cities list last year now leads the pack in the nation's fattest cities.
Complete list:
Nation's Fittest Cities
1. Salt Lake City, UT
2. Colorado Springs, CO
3. Minneapolis, MN
4. Denver, CO
5. Albuquerque, NM
6. Portland, OR
7. Honolulu, HI
8. Seattle, WA
9. Omaha, NE
10. Virginia Beach, VA
Nation's Fattest Cities
1. Miami, FL
2. Oklahoma City, OK
3. San Antonio, TX
4. Las Vegas, NV
5. New York, NY
6. Houston, TX
7. El Paso, TX
8. Jacksonville, FL
9. Charlotte, NC
10. Louisville-Jefferson, KY
Source: Men's Fitness Magazine