2020 ACSM/Anthem Fitness Index

The American College of Sports Medicine and Anthem Foundation partner each year to release a comprehensive report and rankings of the most fit cities in America, and once again Asher Agency is humbled to help promote these definitive, science-based findings.

The 2020 ACSM/Anthem Fitness Index evaluated America’s 100 largest cities using 33 health behaviors, chronic diseases and community infrastructure indicators. For the third consecutive year, Arlington, Va. was number one. Seattle, Wash.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Madison, Wis.; San Francisco, Calif.; Washington, D.C.; Irvine, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Boise, Idaho; and Boston, Mass., round out the top 10 fittest cities. Boston makes its first appearance in the Top 10 this year.

One can access the full rankings and scores, summary report, city comparison tool and other insights on the American Fitness Index website.

The information-rich ACSM/Anthem Fitness Index offers considerable data about each community and serves as a meaningful guide to city leaders in making budget and policy decisions to encourage its citizens to be more physically active, promote safety and improve infrastructure.

Insightful findings from the 2020 Fitness Index rankings include:

• Across all 100 cities, indicators improved for the rate of residents exercising; fewer people smoking; parks within a 10-minute walk, and Bike Score, as compared to 2019.
• Buffalo, N.Y., Toledo, Ohio, and Anchorage, Ala., rankings improved by at least 15 spots from 2019.
• Only 22% of adults in the 100 largest cities met the guidelines for both aerobic and strength activities. Adults need 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity activity, or roughly 22 minutes per day, for substantial health benefits.
• Across all 100 cities, only 4.5% of residents walk or bike to work and only 7% use public transportation. Boston, Mass., Jersey City, N.J., New York, N.Y., San Francisco, Calif., and Washington, D.C., reported the largest percentages.
• Neighborhoods connected by sidewalks, protected bike lanes, lighting and benches reduce pedestrian fatalities. Safety features can impact how often residents choose to walk or bike. The 10 deadliest cities for pedestrians (four are in Florida) averaged 5.5 pedestrian deaths per 100 residents, while the 10 safest cities averaged 0.6 fatalities per 100,000 residents.
• Cities that experience weather extremes made it into the top 10 – Minneapolis, Minn. (#3), Madison, Wis. (#4) and Denver, Colo. (#8), showing that local leaders can make it easier for residents to stay physically active year-round.

Gold medals go to ACSM and Anthem Foundation for providing this meaningful data as well as finding yet another way to make fitness fun. Please share this information on social media using the hashtag #FitCities2020.