This city has been ranked the fittest in the US for the 8th year in a row

According to the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM) annual American Fitness Index, Arlington, Virginia, has been named the nation’s fittest city for eight consecutive years.

Actually, the top four cities out of the 100 on the list—Arlington, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Seattle; and San Francisco—did not change from the previous year.

This year’s list saw a few significant adjustments. Denver completed the top five fittest cities, moving up two spots on the index from its positions the previous year.

There was an increase in aerobic activity among the inhabitants of 94 out of 100 cities.

According to the index, Richmond, Virginia, saw the biggest gain this year in the percentage of its citizens who met aerobic and strength activity recommendations (18.8%).

The index showed the biggest gains in aerobic exercise overall in Plano, Texas, and Fort Wayne, Indiana.

In order to determine which cities are the fittest, the index compares more than 30 characteristics, such as air quality, recreational opportunities, access to nutritious meals, and personal health habits.

The index was modified to include pickleball and dual-use courts under the tennis court section, and two new indicators were added: trail miles and splashpads.

According to the list, smoking rates have decreased across cities, falling by an average of 2.6% in 74 of the cities included.

However, some of the index’s indicators—such as food insecurity, air quality, and perceptions of outstanding or very high health—moved in an undesirable direction. According to the index, droughts and wildfires are to blame for drops in air quality.