Fitness Fail

How unfit is San Antonio? You might run from the answer

fat couple trying to exercise with balls

Good intentions don't count when it comes to exercise.

If one of your New Year's resolutions was to get in shape, you might have a tougher time doing it in Texas.

WalletHub looked at the 100 most populated cities across the U.S. to determine which promote a healthy and active lifestyle, and we certainly didn't come out on top. In fact, we're at the bottom. San Antonio ranks a depressing No. 89. Out of 100.

The 24 metrics WalletHub used to rank the cities were grouped into two categories. A budget and participation score includes data on monthly fitness club fees, percentage of people who regularly engage in physical activity, and more. The sports facilities and outdoor environment score comprises data about the number of fitness centers, parks and playgrounds, swimming pools, and tennis courts per capita, among other metrics.

San Antonio ranks a mediocre No. 56 in the budget/participation category and a poor No. 96 in the sports/outdoor category. But Alamo City isn't the worst overall offender from the Lone Star State. Fort Worth (No. 94), Irving (No. 99), and Laredo (No. 100) rank among the 10 worst cities for an active lifestyle. Houston (No. 82) and Dallas (No. 84) fare slightly better, and Austin ranks best (No. 54) among the state's big cities.

So where should you live if you can't sit still? Scottsdale, Arizona takes the overall lead, with Orlando, Florida; Tampa, Florida; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania rounding out the top five. The folks who engage in the most physical activity all reside on the West Coast, in Portland, Seattle, and several California cities.

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share the road

Texas is one of the worst places in the nation to ride a bike

Photo by Danist Soh on Unsplash

If you've ridden your bicycle in San Antonio, you already know how true this is.

In what will come as no surprise to cyclists around San Antonio, the state of Texas is not a good place for bicycle riding. According to a new report of the "Most Cycling-Friendly States in the U.S.," Texas comes in at No. 47 — meaning that only three other states are worse.

The report, from Philadelphia personal injury law firm KaplunMarx, examines all 50 states based on six metrics: Air quality index, the number of cyclist deaths per one million residents, bike routes per square mile, local government actions supporting cycling, federal funding for cycling projects, and bicycle laws.

Texas musters a mere 31 points out of 100 for its "cycling friendly score."

The most cycling friendly state in the U.S.: Minnesota, which earned 84 points to claim the title.

According to the report's findings, there have been 15 local government actions per capita in Texas that integrate pedestrians and cyclists in transportation projects. Texas has a 41 air quality index value, and there are approximately 1.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles in the state.

On cyclist deaths, Texas does a little better, with three cyclist deaths per one million residents in Texas — about nine percent lower than the national average.

According to KaplunMarx founding partner Ted Kaplun, there is an average of 857 cyclist fatalities in the U.S. every year. He adds that every measure or community effort to improve cyclist-friendliness is beneficial for all Americans.

"It's crucial for all states to continually assess and enhance their cycling provisions, learning from both high-ranking peers and their own experiences," he says.

Top-ranking Minnesota has only one cyclist death per one million state residents. It also has about 27.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles.

After Minnesota, the remaining top five best states for cyclists are Massachusetts (No. 2), Rhode Island (No. 3), Washington (No. 4), and Iowa (No. 5).

At the bottom of the list are Nevada (No. 48), Arizona (No. 49), and Utah (No. 50) — all of which performed far worse than Texas to be declared the three least cycling-friendly states.

The entire country still has areas for improvement when it comes to creating a safer environment for cyclists, regardless of where each state landed on the list, according to Kaplun.

"With over 53 million Americans riding bicycles regularly, the importance of cycling-friendly infrastructure and safety measures cannot be overstated," said Kaplun in the report. "This isn't just about rankings – it's about enhancing the quality of life, promoting sustainable transportation, and most crucially, saving lives."

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