American College of Sports Medicine ranks Philadelphia as 27th fittest city in U.S.

    Hey, Philly, you look good. Have you been working out? Because the American College of Sports Medicine has noticed.

    Philadelphia ranks 27th out of the 50 most populous metropolitan areas, according to the American College of Sports Medicine’s 2011 American Fitness Index data report, making it one of the healthiest and fittest places to live in the United States

    Minneapolis-St. Paul led the pack with a score of 77.2 out of a possible 100 points, while Oklahoma City finished 50th with a score of 24.6.

    Philly’s score was a solid 49.3. The city’s rank slid one spot from last year’s 26.

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    However, Philadelphia still managed to outrank cities like Chicago (28th), New York (30th), Dallas (39th) and Detroit (46th).

    According to the study, some of Philadelphia’s strengths include fewer households below the poverty level, plenty of residents biking or walking to work and lots of primary health care providers.

    Some challenges Philadelphians face are the amount of smokers in the city and the number of asthmatics, as well as a need for more parks and recreational facilities.

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal