Updated July 30, 2008
Prevention magazine and the American Podiatric Medical Association have named the top twelve cities that are best suited for fitness and walking. The results of the joint study will appear in the April, 2004 issue of Prevention.Obesity and inactivity are overtaking tobacco as the leading cause of death in the USA. Prevention and APMA hope to encourage Americans to incorporate walking and biking into their lives.
"Walking is just about the best health bargain around—fun, easy and absolutely free," said Dr. J.D. Ferritto, Jr., President of APMA. "Any place can be a good place to walk, but the APMA and Prevention found these twelve cities to be true urban oases, proving how easy and enjoyable walking can be."
The joint study surveyed 125 of the most populated cities and then tabulated and weighed 20 criteria of interest to pedestrians. This is double the criteria used in their 2002 study.
The 2003 study criteria:
- Use of Mass Transit per capita
- Percentage Who Walk to Work
- Minutes Walked/Exercise Session
- Population Density
- Exercise Sessions/Month
- Body Mass Index
- Urban Sprawl Index
- Percentage Who Bike to Work
- Annual Attendance at Museums/100,000
- Annual Rainfall
- Days of Precipitation/Year
- Miles Walked per Exercise Session
- Air Quality Index
- Violent Crime Incidents/100,000
- Museums/100,000
- Health & Fitness Clubs
- Historic Sites & Landmarks
- Pedestrian Fatalities in 2002/100,000
- Annual Snowfall
- No. of APMA Podiatrists
