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This Is The #1 Most Exercise-Obsessed State In The U.S.

... And find out which state ranks last.

Many Americans love to exercise. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 53.3% of adults who are 18 years of age and older meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for aerobic physical activity. When it comes to aerobic and muscle-strengthening, 23.2% of adults 18 years of age and older are right on task.

Many parts of the country have an outstanding reputation for a population that likes to get active—so much so that there is a recent study that ranks the states in America that are the most exercised-obsessed. If you are a health-conscious fitness enthusiast, you'll want to listen up. Read on to see where your state ranks on this list, and next, check out The 6 Best Exercises for Strong and Toned Arms in 2022, Trainer Says.

Here's how the research was conducted for this ranking

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This recent research was conducted by BarBend, a company that provides fitness info on strength sports. The data gathered is based on specifics and statistics from CDC.gov (2022), Exercise.com, County Health Rankings (2021), Statista (for health club information), in addition to trending info from Google. Fitness professionals at BarBend compiled and analyzed scores and rankings using a 10-point scale, then published the highest exercise-obsessed states in America. Let's see what BarBend came up with.

Minnesota is the #1 most exercise-obsessed state in the U.S.

downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota
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The study reveals that "the most exercise-obsessed state in America" is—drumroll, please!—Minnesota. Yes, Minnesota takes the number 1 slot, with an impressive 10 gyms per 100,000 people (a total of 571 gyms in the state). That's in addition to 15 health clubs per 100,000 people. Although 21% of  Minnesotans don't exercise, a whopping 87% have "access to exercise opportunities," the study notes.

Colorado takes the #2 slot, followed by Connecticut, then Washington

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Number 2 on the list for the most exercise-obsessed state is Colorado, although they are the most active in the U.S. This state is found to have the lowest percentage of physically inactive individuals in the country. (Only 17.7% of the state's population is listed under "physical inactivity prevalence.") Colorado ranks within the top 10 states as far as gyms per capita, with a total of 7 per every 100,000 people (394 gyms throughout the state). Additionally, they have 16 health clubs per 100,000 individuals.

Connecticut ranks #3 as the most exercise-obsessed, and Washington is #4. Massachusetts claims the #5 slot, followed by Oregon, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Virginia, and California in spots 6 through 10, respectively.

Related: The Best Cities in America for Runners, According to New Data

West Virginia ranks the lowest in this study

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The state that came in lowest as far as exercise-obsessed is concerned is West Virginia, which also ranked second to last in the "access to exercise opportunities" category, with just 59% of the state's population having fitness opportunities readily available. (Mississippi came in last for "access to exercise opportunities" at 54%).

You can see where your home ranks on BarBend's ranking below:

  1. Minnesota
  2. Colorado
  3. Connecticut
  4. Washington
  5. Massachusetts
  6. Oregon
  7. New Hampshire
  8. Wisconsin
  9. Virginia
  10. California
  11. District of Columbia
  12. Utah
  13. Kansas
  14. Maryland
  15. Nebraska
  16. Arizona
  17. Iowa
  18. Rhode Island
  19. Alaska
  20. Pennsylvania
  21. Montana
  22. North Carolina
  23. Hawaii
  24. Louisiana
  25. Illinois
  26. New Mexico
  27. Georgia
  28. Florida
  29. Michigan
  30. Nevada
  31. Texas
  32. Vermont
  33. Delaware
  34. Idaho
  35. Indiana
  36. Ohio
  37. South Carolina
  38. North Dakota
  39. New York
  40. Wyoming
  41. Missouri
  42. South Dakota
  43. Alabama
  44. Oklahoma
  45. Maine
  46. Tennessee
  47. New Jersey
  48. Kentucky
  49. Arkansas
  50. Mississippi
  51. West Virginia

For more…

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For more fitness news, check out 5 Most Effective Exercises To Get Toned For Beach Season, Trainer Says and The Most Effective Exercises To Get Rid Of Your Sagging Arm Skin, Trainer Says next.

Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Deputy Editor of Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and delivering compelling fitness, wellness, and self-care topics to readers. Read more about Alexa
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