The ACSM American Fitness Index (Fitness Index) is an initiative of the
American College of Sports Medicine
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a sports medicine and exercise science membership organization. Founded in 1954, ACSM holds conferences, publishes books and journals, and offers certifi ...
that aims to quantitatively measure the overall health and fitness level of the 100 largest cities by population in American. The measure is a composite of indicators for personal health and community resources available for physical activity. The first report, completed in May 2008, ranked the 15 most populous metropolitan areas in the nation, along with
Greater Indianapolis (where the ACSM is based).
Today, the 100 most populous cities are ranked annually. As of 2022,
Arlington, VA
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...
was ranked as the fittest city in America;
Oklahoma City, OK
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
ranked as the least fit city, both for the fifth year in a row.
The Fitness Index's goal is to provide local policy-makers with the information necessary to improve the health, fitness, and quality of life of community residents by promoting healthier lifestyles and physical activity.
Methodology
Ranks and scores are assigned by weighing various indicators and rewarding or penalizing the city as appropriate. These indicators are classified into two broad categories: ''Personal Health'', which measures the health habits and outcomes for city residents, including their physical activity, diet, and chronic health problems, and ''Community and Environment'', which includes scores to measure the walkability, bikeability, availability and convenience of local parks, community recreation facilities like pools, tennis courts, and baseball diamonds, and presence of local policies like Complete Streets and physical education requirements in schools.
References
External links
2022 American Fitness Index Rankings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Acsm American Fitness Index
Physical exercise