Study Ranks Two Oregon Cities “Most Fitness-Friendly” in U.S.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Briauna Skye McKizzie, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Although Portland failed to make the cut, Bend came in as the sixth most fitness-friendly city while Corvallis ranked at number ten.

The Huffington Post recently posted a SmartAsset study ranking two Oregon cities in the top “most fitness-friendly” cities in the U.S.

Although Portland failed to make the cut, Bend came in as the sixth most fitness-friendly city while Corvallis ranked at number ten.

Making sure you’re in the right environment to facilitate a change is the first step in making any major life changes.

Knowing this, SmartAsset, collected data to find out which cities are the best to be in for those trying to live a healthier lifestyle. The data they used to find this information was based off of people, places, and the amount of fast food places in the area. The data was collected from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and The U.S. Census Bureau Data.

People are important because it’s beneficial to be surrounded by trainers, recreational therapists, dietitians, athletes and dancers when trying to become healthier. Next, the study took into account how many locations like fitness and recreational centers were provided in cities.

Finally, the researchers calculated the ratio of fast food restaurants to employers in cities. Taking all these aspects into account, SmartAsset ranked which cities scored the highest in each area.

Click here for SmartAsset’s full list of the most fitness-friendly states.

Related Slideshow: The 7 Best Health and Fitness Apps

Here is a list of some of the most obsession worthy health apps.

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MapMyRun

MapMyRun is the number one selling running app for a reason: it is easy to use, offers community support if you want it, and tracks and stores your exact routes for you. If you are training for a race or a serious runner, users say that the extra perks in the upgraded paid version are well worth it.

Made for iPhone, Android and Blackberry

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MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal seems to be the clear favorite amongst everyone polled. It is helpful not only for the fitness tracking aspect, but everyone polled mentioned how much they loved the food/diet aspect as well. From carb counting for diabetics to recipe ideas to complement your fitness goals, users love this app.

Made for iPhone and Android

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JeFit

JeFit is another fitness app that has rave reviews. It not only tracks progress for you, but offers a huge database of workouts. While many apps offer community support, JeFit allows you to sync workouts with friends who use the app, offering a (real) virtual buddy system.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Strava

Strava gets the highest mark of all the cycling apps. While it is also great for runners, the cyclers seem particularly inclined towards the fierce competition that can be ignited by this app. You can track all of your rides via GPS, then you can compare your efforts to those logged by others in the community on the same stretch of road. You can also join ongoing challenges that can net you great prizes (in addition to bragging rights).

Made for iPhone and Android

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YogaStudio

YogaStudio gets the top vote for Yoga apps. It has a lengthy collection of full class-length videos available at your fingertips. Unlike many other apps, this one also allows you to customize your own video yoga class. All of the poses are done by qualified yoga instructors, and you can find classes suitable for all levels of yogis.

Made for iPhone only

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SimplyBeing

SimplyBeing meditation app offers the best of both worlds. You can choose to run this app as a background for your meditation with soothing music or natural sounds that run for a set amount of time. Conversely, for those of you who have trouble focusing during meditation, you can choose a soothing voice-guided meditation.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Fooducate

Fooducate is an app all about educating people so that they make healthier food choices. Although not perfect, this app is easy to use (you can even take pictures of bar codes to instantly find foods in their database). It gives food a letter grade, tells you the pluses and minuses, and gives you better ranked alternatives. You can also use it as a weight loss tool by tracking your daily calories.

Made for iPhone and Android