How These 6 Cities Stay in Good Health
From the trails to the beach, these six cities across the country are promoting health and wellness from the outside in.
The sunny states have it, according to the Mindbody + ClassPass listing of America’s healthiest big cities.
Those in California, Florida and the Southwest claim seven of the top 10 spots in the ranking of how much residents exercise, eat nutritious food, follow spiritual beliefs and value one another. San Francisco, where residents really enjoy yoga, don’t scrimp on spending for beauty and wellness and prizes a good night’s sleep, ranked number 1. Miami and San Diego followed.
But, even with their built-in advantages — outdoor pilates year-round and a population that loves a good community sound bath or gut-health lecture — these warm-weather U.S. cities keep coming up with ways to help people get and stay healthy. And plenty of our large urban centers with long, cold winters are doing impressive things on the wellness front.
Here’s a look at some:
In This Article
Tampa, FL (#10)
With its laid-back beach lifestyle and urban vibe, Tampa takes pride in its diversity, pro sports — baseball, football and hockey — and cultural offerings. The city has earned a national profile for its high-caliber cafes, roasters and restaurants of every stripe. And while there’s every reason to enjoy a classic Cuban sandwich, fresh seafood is standard fare, as are healthy-option food trucks and fresh markets.
Vacationers also join locals who revere the Village Health Market for its hard-to-find supplements, salads, smoothies, and vegan, keto and paleo dishes.
Even as the sprawling city continues growing, Tampa remains anchored by beaches, trails, parks and boat launches, many along Tampa Bay. Yoga and other fitness options abound, along with offerings for those with disabilities and older adults.
Check out Walk with the Doc outings and the annual Tampa Bay Active Life Games for those 50 and over.
Minneapolis, MN (#17)
The Upper Midwest city has worked hard to get people on bicycles, lowering speed limits, redesigning streets and beefing up access. PeopleforBikes now awards Minneapolis a #1 ranking for 2023. A centerpiece is the 51-mile Grand Rounds Scenic byway — among the nation’s largest — connecting parks and showcasing the Mississippi River and other scenic sites. Minneapolis bike routes are cleared in winter to accommodate the heartiest commuters.
Cycling enthusiasts also enjoy an indoor season. Spin parties may have a raucous edge, like the 80s vs. 90s music face-off at The Firm gym. Or, a mellower vibe, like at the YWCA’s Cycle Circle classes, featuring discussions on surviving Minnesota winter and other topics.
Minneapolitans (yes, really) greet frigid weather head-on with polar plunges and ice-themed carnivals. They revel in their Scandinavian sauna culture. Studios offer infrared saunas that promote weight loss, emotional equilibrium and, well, not being cold. There are wood-burning saunas, combined with cold dips, in public spaces for a more communal approach. Rather stay put? There’s an impressively large selection of mobile saunas for rent. (They deliver.)
Raleigh, NC (#14)
With its location in the prestigious Research Triangle, hopping food and arts scene and pro sports, North Carolina’s capital city checks off many boxes for health enthusiasts. Home prices haven’t jumped as much as elsewhere, enabling a more diverse population to get a foothold, says Money magazine. The Black-owned Juiced juice bar is among businesses building a healthful culture in Raleigh’s lower-income neighborhoods. Well-known for its high-end fare, there is plenty of Southern cooking with a nutritional twist, including at the Element Gastropub, which serves plant-based North Carolina “BBQ” and “Fried Chik’n” sandwiches.
And there are thousands of acres of green space to work off the food and drink. Miles of paved trails connect nature to schools and neighborhoods. The Capital Area Greenway is the backdrop for organized hikes, bike rides, nature walks, birdwatching and moonlight strolls. The city takes away a lot of excuses for not getting out there: the recreation calendar includes excursions for children, new backpackers and active adults.
Colorado Springs, CO (#34)
More than 6,000 feet above sea level, with generous views of Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs defines a region with boundless four-season offerings ranging from new-agey springs and meditation retreats to extreme, habit-forming challenges. Less than three hours from gold-standard Rocky Mountain skiing, the city enjoys sunshine and temperate climates much of the year.
More affordable than many other large cities, Colorado Springs has a stable employment base and walkable neighborhoods. The robust wellness sector includes coaches specializing in women, body acceptance and other niches, and practices that meld traditional and alternative medicine. And you can get there without growing your carbon footprint, thanks to the urban commuter trail system, featuring detailed maps, bike lockers and a bus and bike option.
But the city is defined by the towering mountains that surround it. Imagine knocking off work to scale the nearby Garden of the Gods Park cliffs. Permitted climbers can ascend 300-foot-tall red-and-white formations, and everyone else gets to watch. There is plenty of hiking and walking past these sand castle-like structures. The park is generous with watercolor-painting classes, yoga sessions and eco tours for school groups. Try Garden of the Gods Resort & Club, which uses the landscape to inspire self-care for a dose of spa culture.
Nearby, quaint Manitou Springs is known for its mineral waters and healing arts. It is also known for the not-mellow Manitou Incline, a 2,744-step staircase into the sky. A grueling, boast-worthy tourist attraction, the Incline is also a workout venue for locals who do it often (in any weather, with or without shoes, and sometimes backward). The region’s most famous treasure, Pikes Peak, is perhaps more user-friendly. Twelve miles from Colorado Springs, the peak is rich in hiking, bicycling and opportunities for wildlife photography. Like the Incline, it has inspired a community of enthusiasts and events. One is the annual Pikes Peak Challenge, a fundraising hike that invites participants to train by bicycling, hiking and even pushing their kids in a stroller.
Baltimore, MD (#26)
Baltimore, which prizes its industrial history, cultural mix, row houses and food straight from Chesapeake Bay, is capitalizing on these traditions to promote wellness on its waterfront, in its neighborhoods and in green spaces. Six public markets, drawing over 4 million customers annually, increasingly sell fresh and organic foods and hold healthy cooking workshops, fitness classes, readings and other gatherings. The port city’s reputation as crab central still leaves room for a distinct vegan niche. Favorites include Land of Kush, vegetarian soul food, which even earns praise from meat lovers.
The commitment to urban nature has evolved into a full-fledged movement. Baltimore Green Space preserves dozens of natural areas and spreads the wealth by hosting workshops on tree identification and the importance of small forest patches.
Baltimore rocks its early springs and long summers with a catalog of outdoor exercise programs. Bmore Running is led by cardio coaches, and FIT4MOM Baltimore invites parents to bring their babies to help build stroller strength. Visitors who flock to Baltimore’s famous Inner Harbor for the National Aquarium or live music may also attend a free fitness class before choosing a restaurant or heading to Camden Yards to catch the Orioles.
How about holding a tree pose on a stand-up paddleboard? B’more Sup, Baltimore’s floating fitness studio, combines exploration of the Inner Harbor, Sparrows Point and other waterways with workouts. Classes incorporate yoga, pilates, flow and meditation on SUPS. (Or, simply rent the SUP and remain on your two feet.)
Oakland, CA (#9)
Homey and packed with nature and sports (don’t forget those baseball A’s,) Oakland is shaking off its image as not — San Francisco, that city across the bay. It’s easy to see why Oakland gets points for its fit-minded citizens. Unquestionably urban, it also has a lake in the middle and its own redwood forest.
Lake Merritt, a tidal lagoon and the nation’s first official wildlife refuge, is a literal centerpiece of recreation and apres-recreation. Recently restored to favor pedestrians and wildlife over speeding cars, the lake is ringed with grassy shores and dotted with islands built as bird sanctuaries. Kayak rentals are available, and runners enjoy the lake’s flat periphery before peeling off for trails that really climb.
After the workout, there are a lot of restaurants close to the lake serving dishes from around the world, including vegan fare. Arizmendi Lakeshore Pizza is known for making one vegetarian pizza daily, using local vegetables, and doing it really well.
Just beyond downtown, Temescal Regional Recreation Area is popular for swimming, fishing and its highly-rated bike trails. Oakland, of course, is a gateway to the famous parks with really tall trees. But only some know it has one of its own. The Aurelia Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park, just 15 minutes from downtown, has 1,800 acres of redwoods, evergreens, golden eagles and other rare species.
Wellness here means inclusion. The Black Cultural Zone sponsors skate parties and other programs for people of color. As part of its mission, The Diamano Couro West African Dance Company, an Oakland fixture, offers a steady stream of dance classes and workshops reflecting cultures from around the world.
Another note: Oakland has a lot of gyms; among them, The Queer Gym is getting national buzz as the first facility to provide a comfortable, supportive experience specifically for those in the LGBTQ+ community. (“Without the ‘bro vibe,” the website promises.)