We all know that improving your lifestyle is not just about moving to the healthiest country, state, or city in the world, it is about committing yourself to eat healthy, live happily, and be active.
But can your surroundings, including your hometown, help you stay healthy? We think it can. UsingMiles.com is based in Denver, Colorado, which is the #1 least obese state in the country. And it’s quite obvious why. The culture in Colorado embraces work/life balance and the people who live here thrive on being outdoors and getting fit.
UsingMiles tries to foster fitness and heath in our company. Being employed at our company includes access to a gym and we encourage our employees to take time during the day to work out. We organize mountain bike rides on sunny summer afternoons to get our team out together doing something healthy and fun (and yes, all of us somehow have a mountain bike).
Does your company and community foster exercise, health and fitness? If it doesn’t, maybe you should move!
Here are some lists of the top healthiest countries and cities, as well as a list of the least obese states in the U.S.
Top 10 Healthiest Countries in the world:
- Japan, Sweden, Iceland, Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, Denmark, Austria, Australia
Top 7 Healthiest Cities in the World:
- Reykjavik, Iceland – less pollution, low disease rate, highest density of physcians, swimming has been included in the school curriculum for 60+ years.
- Vienna, Austria – low infant mortality rate, people are covered under government insurance once employed or in university studies, many recreational activities (e.g. skiing, hockey)
- Sydney, Australia – has one of the world’s best health care systems, all policy holders are charged equal premiums, low air pollution, 5 national parks that allow residents to enjoy the outdoors
- Zurich, Switzerland – spends 11% of GDP on universal health care, parks and gardens, sporting facilities
- Helsinki, Finland – one of the lowest pollution rates in the world, low infant mortality rate, lower number of cars per resident than other cities of similar size
- Calgary, Alberta Canada – one of the world’s cleanest cities, attractive to sports enthusiasts because it is close to the Canadian Rocky Mtns, great universal health care system
- Portland, Oregon, US – 277 miles of bike paths, 146 miles of forested hiking trails
Top 10 Least Obese States in the United States:
- Colorado (yay!)
- Conneticut
- Massachusetts
- Hawaii
- Washington DC
- Utah
- Vermont
- Montana
- New Jersey
- Rhode Island
