Where in America Are Women the Most Fit?

Gray skies in Oregon aren't keeping women from working out. Women in the Beaver State are more likely to work out than anywhere else in the country

By Cynthia Ramnarace - March 26, 2013

Photo Credit: iVillage

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If you live in Oregon, chances are you run, bike and hike more than women anywhere else in the country. In this Pacific Northwest state, nearly two out of three women exercise regularly. Compare that with Tennessee, where just a little more than one in three women works up a sweat on a regular basis. It’s no coincidence that Tennessee women rank among the heaviest and Oregon among the leanest. If you’re not getting at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week, than you’re falling short of what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends for all of us. People who exercise live longer, feel better, weigh less and are more likely to avoid health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.

Here are the rankings, from fittest to most couch-potato-ish. The figures below are percentages of women who said they take part in 150 minutes or more of aerobic physical activity every week. #1 is the most active while #50 is the least active.

Rank	State	%
1	Oregon	62.6
2	Colorado	61.9
3	Vermont	59.3
4	California	57.5
5	Alaska	57.4
6	New Hampshire	56.6
7	Wisconsin	56.4
8	Idaho	56.2
9	Maine	56
10	Washington	55.4
11	Utah	55
12	Hawaii	54.6
13	Massachusetts	54.3
13	Wyoming	54.3
15	Montana	54
16	Michigan	52.6
16	Minnesota	52.6
18	New Jersey	51.6
19	Illinois	51.5
20	New Mexico	51.4
21	Virginia	51.3
22	Connecticut	51.1
23	Arizona	50.7
24	Nebraska	50.6
25	Missouri	49.9
25	Nevada	49.9
27	Florida	49.8
28	Ohio	49.7
29	New York	49.4
30	South Dakota	49.3
31	North Dakota	48.8
32	Georgia	48.8
33	Rhode Island	48.3
34	Iowa	47.7
34	Pennsylvania	47.7
36	Texas	47.5
37	Maryland	47.3
37	South Carolina	47.3
39	Delaware	47
40	Kansas	46.4
41	Kentucky	45.9
42	Indiana	45.5
43	Oklahoma	44.2
44	North Carolina	43.8
45	Arkansas	43
46	Alabama	39.6
47	West Virginia	39.5
48	Louisiana	39
49	Mississippi	37.5
50	Tennessee	35.6