This Dynamic Duo Rated #1 For Healthy Living

The new year has just about everyone looking to give their lifestyle a healthy facelift from 30-day diets to starting a workout regimen. Depending on where you live, some cities seem to naturally cater to the wellness world giving health enthusiasts access to plenty of bike trails, fitness studios, and healthy food options. Places like L.A and South Beach may be synonymous for their beach bodies, and juice bars, but for one metro area, the pursuit of wellness made it the nation’s healthiest destination according to the American Fitness Index. Welcome to the heart pumping, smoothie loving hotspot of Minneapolis–St. Paul where whether you’re a runner or yogi, healthy living is just how the folks in the Twin Cities roll.

Despite arctic winters locals don’t bat an eye. Rain or snow, getting up and heading outdoors is what people here do to take advantage of all this metro hub has to offer. Home to more than seventy parks, five pro sports teams, and the Minneapolis farmers market established in 1937, a focus on health and wellness is woven into its tapestry. Cycling is to the Twin Cities as the subway is to New York as the main mode of transportation whether commuting to the office or doing some sightseeing. Named the number one bike city by Bicycling.com with over eighty miles of bike paths, and an extensive infrastructure of bike lanes, residents in this area are logging more Fitbit steps, than putting miles on their cars.

The best part about living in the Twin City area is escaping into nature without having to go far. Hiking meccas including the Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area, and 5 mile Winchell Trail take trekkers through a wonderland of lush forests and offer spectacular river views. The Land of 10,000 Lakes is best explored by boat, or by kayak, and the iconic Mississippi River is the perfect setting to take a break from the urban hustle and soak in the city skyline. Serious recreation works up a serious appetite, and people around here have no shortage of healthy dining options to choose from. The cities cater to any diet from plant-based to paleo with a wide array of bars and grills, high-end dining, and specialty food stores.

Outstanding healthcare is the foundation for healthy living and the Minneapolis-St. Paul area is home to some of the top-rated medical facilities in the country including Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, and St. Paul’s United Hospital. The residents of this thriving metropolis are known for maintaining a healthy weight, having lower rates of preventable diseases, and eating locally. Even when it temperatures reach Siberian lows, the people in these cities are committed to getting out, and moving whether on a pair of skis or on two wheels.