Active transportation has important environmental, health and economic benefits. Promoting active modes of transportation including walking, cycling and wheelchair or stroller rolling, can increase physical activity, benefit both individuals and communities economically and play a role reducing air pollution. In some areas, active transportation can replace motor vehicle use entirely. More commonly, though, physical activity …
Over the last century, the human lifespan has undergone dramatic changes. At the start of the 20th century, the average lifespan at birth for women and men in the United States was 50 years. In 2021, the average life expectancy is around 77 years (1). This increasing lifespan trend is expected to continue rising to …
February is American Heart Month, and there is no better time to appreciate the benefits of cardiovascular fitness and a strong heart! Heart disease is the leading chronic disease cause of mortality in the U.S., accounting for one in every four deaths1. Cardiovascular fitness plays an important role in reducing not only deaths from heart …
The coronavirus pandemic has had a large impact on our daily life activities including our work, how we move from point A to point B, the time we spend in our homes and what we do recreationally. Physical activity is classified into four major domains: occupation, transportation, household and leisure-time; and all of these domains …
The year 2020 has been a challenge for all of us. Schools, colleges, universities and businesses went virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Commercial health clubs, corporate wellness programs, community-based fitness programs and medical fitness centers have closed their doors in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus. But those dedicated to fitness …
Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of the holiday season? You are not alone. This winter will layer pandemic anxiety on top of holiday tension and cold weather challenges, all of which can lead to negative physical and mental health outcomes. Unchecked stress can contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease as well as increased …
Only 20 minutes after your last cigarette, your heart rate and blood pressure begin to drop. Within a few days, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to a normal rate. After a few weeks your circulation and lung function improve, and after a year your risk of heart attack drops significantly. These are …
The release of the 2020 American Fitness Index saw the average pedestrian fatality rate across the U.S.’s 100 largest cities grow from 2.2 deaths per 100,000 residents to 2.6. That represents approximately 1,680 lives lost, an increase of 261 deaths from the previous report. Neighborhoods connected by sidewalks, protected bike lanes, lighting and benches are …
As fires plague the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, residents in the area must be particularly cautious when spending time outdoors due to poor air quality. As Dr. Liz Joy points out in a previous Fitness Index blog post: There is incontrovertible evidence linking poor air quality to adverse health outcomes. This is …
The ACSM American Fitness Index, supported by the Anthem Foundation, ranks the 100 largest cities in America on a variety of personal and community health indicators, including number of farmers markets and fruit & vegetable consumption. The 2020 rankings revealed that these cities average 18.7 farmers markets per 1,000,000 residents, with Washington, D.C., topping the …
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