What's Good
- Mayor Martin J. Chavez sets a positive example, exercising as much as 5 days per week.
- He also participates in more fitness-related events than most mayors.
- According to the CDC, 21 percent of residents in Albuquerque area are clinically obese. The national average is 23.17 percent.
- On any given day in Albuquerque, there's a 12 percent more than average probability of sunshine compared to other cities surveyed.
- Binge drinking is less common here than most other places. In a national survey, only 13 percent of residents said they'd had five or more drinks at a sitting over the past 30 days. The average among cities in our survey is 14.74 percent.
- Prefer to lift weights 12 ounces at a time? You'll have a harder time doing it in Albuquerque than in most places. Per capita, there are 57 percent fewer bars here than the national average in our survey.
- Residents don't have far to go to get to their local parks: Albuquerque has 361 municipal parks, among the most of any city on a per capita basis, according to our exclusive survey of municipal park departments.
- Albuquerque's park acreage per capita is 278 percent higher than average and the 2nd highest in our survey. Research has found a connection between access to parks and green space and reduced obesity rates.
- Albuquerque residents participate in sports much more than average - 8 percent more than average, in fact.
- New Mexico is one of 28 states that participates in a CDC-sponsored program to reduce obesity and other chronic diseases.
- Basketball courts are practically everywhere here, among the highest number per capita in our survey. There's a court here for every 4,353 residents; the national average is one court per 7,260 people.
- There are 46 percent more tennis courts per capita here than average among cities in our survey.
- Our survey has found 45 percent more sporting-goods stores in Albuquerque than average, a good indicator of an active populace.
- Abdominal machine use is very popular in Albuquerque. Locals are 35 percent more likely than average to use an abdominal machine - the 3rd highest rate of any city in our survey.
- Albuquerque city residents are into aerobics - they're 57 percent more likely than average to participate, the 2nd highest rate of any city in our survey.
- Three cheers for Albuquerque: It has the 3rd highest cheerleading participation rate of any city in our survey, 121 percent higher than average.
- Albuquerque residents are 309 percent more likely than average to go cross-country skiing. That's the 3rd highest rate in our survey.
- Albuquerque residents are 68 percent more likely than average to go day hiking. That's the 3rd highest participation rate in our survey.
- Albuquerque residents are fanatics about fitness swimming - they do it about 65 percent more than average, the highest overall participation rate among cities in our survey.
- Albuquerque residents are 66 percent more likely than average to go hiking. That's the 3rd highest participation rate in our survey.
- Albuquerque is the 2nd most popular place in our survey for low-impact aerobic dancing.
- Approximately 6 percent of Albuquerque residents do Pilates. That's the 3rd highest rate in our survey.
- Pluck someone off the streets in Albuquerque and there's a 46 percent chance that he or she uses a rowing machine. The city has the 3rd highest participation rate for rowing machine use among cities in our survey.
- Approximately 16.3 percent of Albuquerque residents ride stationary cycles for exercise. That's 26 percent more than average and the 3rd highest rate in our survey.
|
What Isn't
- Albuquerque residents received a bottom score in fruit and vegetable consumption, with only 14 percent eating the recommended five or more servings per day.
- Albuquerque residents rank near the bottom in cardio kickboxing, with a participation rate that's 64 percent below average for cities in our survey - the 2nd lowest participation rate.
- Just 6 percent of Albuquerque residents play golf. That's 40 percent less than average and the 2nd lowest rate in our survey.
- Freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, doggie paddle . . . Albuquerque residents are 22 percent less likely than average to participate in recreational swimming - the lowest in our survey.
- Albuquerque residents are 71 percent less likely than average to roller skate (the four-wheeled variety). That's the lowest in our survey.
- Albuquerque residents are 65 percent less likely than average to go trail-running - the lowest rate in our survey.
|
