WASHINGTON — Washington, D.C., may also be the physical fitness capital of the nation.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released its annual state-by-state report on physical activity, and it found that Americans are a sedentary bunch.
The CDC says one in four people — 25.4 percent — admits to not doing exercise at all in available free time.
But D.C. is bucking the trend. It leads the nation (along with Colorado and Alaska) in the percentage of residents who meet the federal exercise guidelines of 150 minutes of aerobic activity and at least two sessions of strength-training each week. All three jurisdictions report that more than 25 percent of their residents meet the guidelines.
Also, the CDC gauged the percentage of people who bike or walk to work. D.C. stands alone at the top at 14.8 percent. No. 2 is Alaska at 8.9 percent.
Maryland and Virginia both ranked in the middle of the pack, far behind D.C.
Among those with the highest percentage of inactivity: Mississippi, at 36 percent; and Tennessee and West Virginia, both with 35.1 percent.
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