Fitness Lineup: States With the Healthiest Habits — and Not So Much

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Most people know that a healthy diet and regular exercise are the pillars of healthy living.

MyFitnessPal’s Healthy Habit Index found that residents of some states are much better than others at embracing healthy habits.

The Healthy Habit Index, which is based on 2014 data from tens of millions of users of fitness apps MyFitnessPal and MapMyFitness, examined the diet, physical activity and sleeping habits of residents from the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

After the number crunching was complete, these 10 states received the highest rankings for their healthy habits:

  1. California.
  2. Arizona.
  3. Colorado.
  4. Washington.
  5. Oregon.
  6. Texas.
  7. New Mexico.
  8. Connecticut.
  9. Massachusetts.
  10. Utah.

According to the Healthy Habit Index, these states have the unhealthiest habits:

  1. Wyoming.
  2. North Dakota.
  3. South Dakota.
  4. Washington, D.C.
  5. Delaware.
  6. South Carolina.
  7. West Virginia.
  8. Hawaii.
  9. Maine.
  10. Rhode Island.

Interesting findings of the Healthy Habit Index include:

  • Workouts: California residents logged the longest average workout at 87 minutes, nearly twice the length of North Dakota, which had the lowest average workout time at 46 minutes. (Californians worked out 1.71 times per week, on average; North Dakotans worked out 1.13 times per week, on average.)
  • The West is moving: Seven of the top 10 most active states on the index were Western states.
  • Sleep: New Yorkers sleep the least, while Montana gets the most zzz’s.
  • Calorie counters: MyFitnessPal noted that the states that were most likely to monitor and stick to their calorie goals were some of the most obese from a statistical standpoint. West Virginia, the most obese state in the nation, also ranked first on the Healthy Habits Index for sticking to calorie goals.

Find out how your state’s healthy habits rank by clicking here.

Check out “7 Fitness Apps That Save You Time and Money.”

How did your state rank on the Healthy Habit Index? Share your thoughts in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

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