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Best FitnessWalking Cities Named by the American Podiatric Medical...

The American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) and Prevention magazine have teamed up once again to study the walkability of 100 of the country's8217;s most populated cities, but this year there's8217;s a new twist--fitness. Madison, WI, tops the list as the Best Fitness-Walking City in America, followed by Austin, TX, and San Francisco, CA. The Worst Fitness-Walking Cities are Newark, NJ; Laredo, TX; and Miami, FL, respectively. Researchers ranked 100 cities based on fitness-walker friendliness using comprehensive criteria, including new factors, such as walkable.org's8217;s list of walkable communities and the number of athletic shoes sold in a city, as well as the percentage of the adult population who walk for health, the accessibility of parks and more.



Top 10 Best Fitness-Walking Cities of 2007



1. Madison, WI: Adopted a walker-friendly plan 10 years ago, and it shows.

2. Austin, TX: 50 trails, from a quarter to 10 miles long.

3. San Francisco, CA: The most parks per square mile.

4. Charlotte, NC: 40% of its residents walk for exercise.

5. Seattle, WA: Gorgeous views of Puget Sound and snowcapped mountains.

6. Henderson, NV: With an average yearly rainfall of 4.5 inches, you can walk everyday.

7. San Diego, CA: A unique choice of beach, desert and mountain routes.

8. San Jose, CA: Perfect walking weather; average temp 61 degrees and low humidity.

9. Chandler, AZ: 6.5 miles of traffic-free walking on its Paseo Trail.

10. Virginia Beach, VA: A low crime rate and a boardwalk allow safe, fun strolling.



Bottom 5 Worst Fitness-Walking Cities of 2007



100. Newark, NJ: Has a high crime rate, few parks, and few people who take mass transit's8212;as well as the third smallest percentage of people who walk for exercise.

99. Laredo, TX: Poor air quality and the least amount of people taking mass transit.

98. Miami, FL: The fifth highest crime rate may explain why very few people walk for health.

97. Hialeah, FL: Very few parks and schools per square mile and had the second to lastnumber of people who walk for health.

96. Detroit, MI: With a high rate of pedestrian fatalities and high crime rates, is it anywonder Motor City had the smallest percentage of people who walk for health



The top-ten list is featured in the April issue of Prevention, the annual Walking Issue, on newsstands today. To see a full list of the city rankings and the study criteria, or to learn more about the healthy benefits of walking, go to www.apma.org/walkingcities or www.prevention.com/cities.



Founded in 1912, the American Podiatric Medical Association represents the nation's8217;s premier foot and ankle physicians. The Association has component societies in 53 locations in the US and its territories and a membership of close to 11,500 doctors of podiatric medicine. For free foot health information, visit www.apma.org.



Contact:

Amie Hornbaker, 301-581-9221

Erin Wendel, 301-581-9227

Craig Fritz, 301-581-9220

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