WASHINGTON- Leading wellness industry scheduling platform Mindbody has released its annual list of the Top Ten Healthiest Cities in America, of which Washington, D.C. is now ranked fifth.
Many of the same cities led the top ten as last year, demonstrating that consumers in these metropolitan areas maintained their commitment to fitness and wellness even amidst the challenges of a pandemic.
The Mindbody Wellness Index evaluates metropolitan areas’ overall health using seven criteria: physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, environmental, social, and occupational, as well as surveying their preferred workouts, self-care routines, and wellness spending. The study evaluated the 50 largest cities in the US by population and ranked them from most healthy to least. For the second year in a row, Miami, Florida topped the list, followed by Atlanta and San Francisco, which also maintained their same rank as last year.
“Even in a pandemic environment, we found several cities in the top ten hailing from states that had or continue to have some of the nation’s most severe restrictions on business activity,” said Josh McCarter, CEO of Mindbody. “…The study reassures our belief that once the pandemic is behind us – we are poised to see a resurgence of consumer demand for wellness services.”
Miami maintained its top position by performing extremely well in a variety of wellness dimensions, particularly social connection, and spending at gyms, fitness studios, salons, and spas. Since the pandemic started, over three-quarters of its residents say they’re more focused on their health and wellness – more than any other US city.
Nimble technological adaptation helped Miami retain the top ranking, as it was the fastest to adopt virtual workouts, with 75 percent of residents joining live stream or on-demand workouts at least once a week.
Atlanta ranks highest in spiritual fulfillment and community
The runner-up city, Atlanta, scored highest in the nation for both spiritual fulfillment and community connection, reminding us that “wellness” is a far more holistic concept than just regular gym attendance and that social support structures, as well as individual self-discipline, are essential.
California managed to land four cities in the top ten
These include San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, and San Diego, even though the Golden State continues to face strict lockdowns. With some areas that had previously eased restrictions re-imposing them due to an uptick in COVID cases in November. All four cities rank high on the weekly frequency of workouts and utilization of live stream or on-demand fitness classes.
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New York City, the nation’s largest metro, proved resilient against some of the nation’s strictest lockdown orders. It ranked third in happiness, spiritual fulfillment, strong ties to neighborhood and community, and fifth in close relationships with family and friends. Other key findings include New York City climbing eleven points in happiness over a year ago, the largest such jump in all the cities analyzed.
Even with lengthy lockdown orders, 75 percent of New Yorkers are exercising at least once a week and embracing virtual fitness, with 65 percent engaging in live stream or on-demand workouts on a weekly basis.
Washington D.C. climbs two spots to #5 of healthiest cities
Washington, DC climbed to #5 on Mindbody’s list, up from #7 last year. Contrary to the stereotype of DC as being full of sleep-deprived workaholics, the study found that the city is one of the nation’s most well-rested, with 65% of residents reporting that they get a full 7-8 hours of sleep a night. DC also shone when it came to connectedness with family, friends, neighborhoods, and communities, as well as dedication to regular workouts: 79% of DC residents work out at least once a week.
Last year’s list also revealed interesting pieces of trivia about DC residents’ favorite forms of fitness: 16% of residents took martial arts classes at least weekly, according to that survey.
2021 Mindbody Wellness Index Top 10 Healthiest Cities in America
1. Miami, FL 2. Atlanta, GA 3. San Francisco, CA 4. New York, NY 5. Washington, DC 6. San Jose, CA 7. Los Angeles, CA 8. San Diego, CA 9. Houston, TX 10. Seattle, WA 11. Oakland, Ca 12. Chicago, Il 13. Tampa, Fl. 14. Austin, Tx. 1 15. Charlotte, Nc. 16. Dallas, Tx. 17. Long Beach, Ca. 18. Denver, Co. 19. Boston Ma. 20. Nashville, Tn. 21. Columbus, Oh 22. Fort Worth, TX 23. Minneapolis, MN 24. Memphis, TN. 25. Tucson, AZ. 26. Virginia Beach, VA. 27. Philadelphia, PA. 28. Raleigh, NC 29. Phoenix. AZ. 30. Sacramento, CA. 31. Portland, OR. 32. Jacksonville, FL 33. Louisville, KY. 34. San Antonio TX. 35. Las Vegas, NV. 36. Arlington, TX. 37. Baltimore, MD. 38. Kansas City, MO. 39. New Orleans, LA. 40. Colorado Springs, Co 41. Albuquerque, NM 42. El Paso, TX 43. Detroit, MI 44. Fresno, CA. 45. Milwaukee, WI 46. Indianapolis, IN 47. Omaha, NE. 48. Mesa, AZ. 49. Tulsa, OK 50. Oklahoma City, OK.
