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Culture

The Fittest States in the U.S., Ranked From Worst to First

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The U.S. is at once known for its supersize meals and for being the epicenter of the fitness craze. While some people are obsessed with CrossFit and clean eating, others simply don’t see what all the fuzz is about.

So, which states take fitness seriously and which ones, well, simply don’t seem to care? Here are all 50 states (plus Washington, D.C.), ranked in terms of fitness — and how to keep active in each.

51. West Virginia

WV
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Population: 1.79 million

Top Workouts: Barre, Strength Training, CrossFit

Top Diet: Paleo

*Rankings are based on Garage Gym Reviews’ “The Fittest States in America 2023” report.

Keeping Fit in West Virginia

Rafting
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With the second-highest obesity rate in the country, West Virginia doesn’t fare well on this list. 

Those who want to get active can go white water rafting. Maybe some don’t think of rafting as exercise, but anyone who has ever shot down the Gauley, New, Cheat, Tygart, Shenandoah or Potomac Rivers will tell you otherwise.

The high-adrenaline adventures found in the valleys of West Virginia include Class V rapids that require lots of muscle to paddle, steer and maintain balance in the raft or kayak.

50. Alabama

Alabama
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Population: 5.02 million

Top Workouts: Barre, Strength Training, CrossFit 24

Top Diet: Paleo

Keeping Fit in Alabama

Nascar
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Alabama isn’t known for being fit. Maybe it’s because the folks of Alabama are spending too much time watching and not enough doing? The obesity rate is 39 percent, the third-highest in the U.S.

The activity of choice in Alabama is NASCAR. (Don’t tell the people of Alabama that NASCAR racing isn’t a sport!) A lot of adrenaline goes into every race, including those who watch. You can catch races at Talladega Superspeedway to see for yourself how cool it is to feel the rumble of the race cars speeding past.