Florida Cities Could Be Healthier
June 1st, 2016 by flanewsThink you’re pretty healthy? Well how about your city overall? As Matt Galka tells us, a new nationwide survey didn’t give high marks for fitness to many of the state’s most populous places.
At Big Hits Performance, fitness is the name of the game. Former NFL first round pick and Florida State standout Ernie Sims opened the gym to try and better people’s lives.
“Being healthy, it’s a mindset that helps them in life and in general,” he said.
His client today was a little camera shy. But says she already has seen improvements in just a couple months.
Elite athletes like Sims don’t need to be told the benefits of exercise. Apparently it’s the rest of us that need some motivation. A new study from American Fitness Index surveyed the 50 largest metro areas in the country…and not one Florida city cracked the top half for fittest cities.
“I will say that it’s kind of disappointing because health and fitness is extremely important, and you can tell the way this industry is growing. But sadly enough, the way the report came out, there is no Florida city that is really *that* healthy,” said Sims.
Sims says you don’t have to be an NFL player to start improving…just get moving.
Obesity is expected to cost Florida $34 billion dollars in the next 20 years by contributing to various health conditions…but we can all help to change that.
Tampa ranked just outside the top 25 in the survey coming in at 26. Jacksonville and Miami were 31 and 32. And Orlando was close to the bottom at 43. The American Fitness Index report used factors like smoking, fruit and vegetable consumption, and activity level. It also took into account how many parks and playgrounds a city has, as well as how schools implement physical education. Washington, DC was number 1.
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