Vermont is an outdoor-lovers paradise. In the summer there is hiking, biking and kayaking, to name but a few activities, while in the winter there downhill and cross-country skiing, as well as snowboarding. And the state’s residents apparently engage in plenty of each.
The Centers for Disease Control periodically assesses how much physical activity the residents of each state get. It classifies people as 1) “Highly” Active, 2) Physically Active, and 3) Not Active at All. To be classified as “highly active” a resident must exercise five hours a week. To be classified as “physically active” it is half that amount (2.5 hours).
Only 11 states tallied more than 35 percent of their residents as “highly active,” exercising at least 5 hours a week. Colorado and Oregon tied for first place with 40.7. Vermont was third with 39.9.
When it came to the less stringent category of “physically active,” the same results emerged. Colorado (61.8) and Oregon (61.1) were numbers one and two. Vermont was third with 59.2.
At the other end of the spectrum, Tennessee was last followed by Mississippi.
Source: page 18 of http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/downloads/pa_state_indicator_report_2014.pdf
In Vermont, even the seniors are physically fit. According to an article in the Miami Herald, Vermont, which had been number one in previous years, came in second behind Massachusetts as the healthiest state for seniors in the 2016 “America’s Health Rankings Seniors Report.” The study, which was conducted by the United Health Foundation ranked states on 35 measures and found that Vermont’s seniors were among the most physically active and had very low rates of premature death.
Not surprisingly, Mississippi and Louisiana, once again, came in last with high rates of obesity and physical inactivity, along with reduced levels of state government support.
Source: Tony Pough, “Massachusetts the Best State for Senior Health, Mississippi among the Worst,” Miami Herald, May 25, 2016.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article79854227.html