ARLINGTON, Va. — Arlington, Virginia, has once again been named the fittest city in America by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
ACSM released its American Fitness Index rankings for 2021 on Tuesday. The Fitness Index ranks America’s 100 largest cities on a composite of health behaviors, health outcomes, community infrastructure, and local policies that support a physically active lifestyle, the school says on its website.
Arlington took the top spot with a composite score of 86.1 out of 100 this year.
"Cities with the highest scores are considered to have strong community fitness, a concept analogous to individuals having strong personal fitness. Cities that rank near the top of the Fitness Index have more strengths and resources that support healthy living and fewer challenges that hinder it," ACSM said in this year's report.
The Fitness Index report has been released every year since 2008. This is the fourth year Arlington has secured the top spot, beating out Minneapolis, Minnesota at No. 2, and Seattle, Washington, at No. 3 this year.
ACSM says the goal of the ranking is to offer "tailored guidance to local officials and community leaders that are ready to make their city one of the healthiest cities in America."
Washington, D.C. also broke the top 10 in the rankings again this year. They ranked No. 6 for the second year in a row. These rankings come even as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down gyms, forcing those who want to stay in shape to do so from home, or outdoors.
For a closer look at what makes Arlington the fittest city in America, view the full report here.
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