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Unless you live in Burlington, Vt., the nation's healthiest city, where 92 percent of residents report good health, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you may need a reason to get moving in the new year.
The national initiative known as Healthy People 2010 established goals for physical activity, among other health behaviors. Nationwide, 49 percent of adults met its physical activity criteria in 2007, the latest year for which data are available. Recently updated, the initiative now calls for adults to get 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least five times per week or at least 75 minutes of vigorous activity (running as opposed to speed walking, for example) per week. That means the majority of Americans aren't being as active as they should be.
Here's a list of cities where most people are already meeting the 2010 goals—and another of metro areas where most people need to do more training in the coming year.
| Fittest Cities | % Exercising Regularly* | % Getting Vigorous Regular Exercise** |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Boulder, Colo. | 67.1 percent | 43.4 percent |
| 2. Provo-Orem, Utah | 64.0 percent | 44.1 percent |
| 3. Anchorage | 62.6 percent | 41.5 percent |
| 4. Barnstable Town, Mass. | 60.1 percent | 34.5 percent |
| 5. Lincoln, Neb. | 59.9 percent | 40.0 percent |
| 6. Portland, Maine | 58.1 percent | 35.1 percent |
| 7. Fort Collins, Colo. | 57.8 percent | 32.3 percent |
| 8. Grand Rapids, Mich. | 57.4 percent | 33.4 percent |
| 9. Albuquerque, N.M. | 57.2 percent | 32.4 percent |
| 9. Casper, Wyo. | 57.2 percent | 31.6 percent |
| Least Fit Cities | % Exercising Regularly* | % Getting Vigorous Regular Exercise** |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chattanooga, Tenn. | 37.3 percent | 17.9 percent |
| 2. New Orleans | 37.9 percent | 21.9 percent |
| 3. Baton Rouge, La. | 38.0 percent | 20.8 percent |
| 3. Lake Charles, La. | 38.0 percent | 20.1 percent |
| 5. Hickory, N.C. | 39.1 percent | 22.0 percent |
| 6. Birmingham, Ala. | 39.5 percent | 20.5 percent |
| 7. Mobile, Ala. | 39.6 percent | 22.3 percent |
| 8. Tuscaloosa, Ala. | 39.8 percent | 19.3 percent |
| 9. Jackson, Miss. | 40.3 percent | 20.1 percent |
| 10. Fort Smith, Ark. | 40.6 percent | 21.9 percent |
| 10. Memphis | 40.6 percent | 19.3 percent |
*Adults getting 30-plus minutes of moderate physical activity on five or more days per week OR vigorous physical activity for 20-plus minutes on three or more days per week
**Adults getting vigorous physical activity for 20-plus minutes on three or more days per week. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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