Philly Ranks 20th on American College of Sports Medicine’s Fitness Index


Philadelphia Marathon | Photo by M. Edlow for VISIT PHILADELPHIA

Photo by M. Edlow for VISIT PHILADELPHIA

Way to go Philly! The American College of Sports Medicine just released its annual American Fitness Index (AFI), ranking the fitness of 50 metropolitan areas, and we made it at number 20. Because I know you’re keeping score, that’s five spots toward the top from our #25 spot last year.

The Philly metropolitan area, covering everything from Philadelphia to Camden to Wilmington (I know: huh? But we’ll let it slide.), outranked cities like New York (#24), Tampa (#31), and Memphis (#50).

The rankings are based on an analysis of each area’s preventative health behaviors, levels of chronic disease and community resources that support physical activity. We were given a solid score of 52.9 out of 100. At the top of the list is Washington, DC, with a score of 77.3. All across the country, areas were monitored and scored for overall health and fitness, everywhere from Memphis (24.8) to San Fran (71.0) to Buffalo (47.2).

The AFI index contains a full breakdown of how each city was scored, including things that are great (and not-so-great) about each one. Some of Philly’s strengths include our local farmer’s markets, cyclists, recreational areas, and healthcare providers.

Like what you’re reading? Stay in touch with Be Well Philly—here’s how: