Cleveland's fitness ranking slips just a bit
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Cleveland is a little less fit than it was a year ago.
Driving the news: The American College of Sports Medicine and the Elevance Health Foundation have released their annual "American Fitness Index," tracking how the 100 largest cities support healthy lifestyles.
State of fitness: Cleveland ranks No. 41 on the list, down from No. 36 a year ago.
- Yes, but: It's still an improvement from 48th in 2024.
How it works: The index considers various factors, including parks and recreation infrastructure, environmental conditions, residents' health indicators and more.
What they found: There are "two types of cities," the report finds.
- "One where healthy choices are built into everyday life, and another where structural barriers continue to limit long-term health."
The big picture: Arlington, Va., Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis are America's fittest cities, while Port St. Lucie, Fla., Memphis and Oklahoma City rank at the bottom.
Zoom in: Cleveland's ranking was held back by its overall personal health rank (No. 66), but rebounded in terms of community and environment rank (No. 21).