Survival of the Fittest

January 25, 2009 at 12:47 pm · Filed under Fitness and tagged: Charlotte, Greenway, labrador, parks

Men’s Health recently released their list of the Fittest and Fattest Cities in the U.S. for 2009.  The good news?  Out of the 50 most populated areas that were studied, we placed 9th.  The bad news?  We placed 9th on the Fattest Cities list, dropping 15 spots since last year.  OUCH.  If Darwin’s theory was correct, what does that mean for the Queen City?  Clearly, there is some work to be done here.  It is important to note, however, that Men’s Health did recognize that Charlotte ranks pretty high in the park acreage per capita department.  In fact, we placed 8th out of 50 (in a good way) in that category.  The problem is that it doesn’t appear that enough of us are actually making use of those parks. 

Ironically, the AKC just released their dog breed registration statistics for 2008, and they even broke it down by city.  Labrador retrievers took top honors in practically every city.  In Charlotte, 8 out of the top 10 breeds are medium or large dogs.  These dogs need EXERCISE.  Funny, that’s just what Charlotteans need too.  AND we have plenty of parks (visit http://maps.co.mecklenburg.nc.us/website/parklocator/ for assistance locating a nearby park, nature preserve or greenway). 

So let’s try putting these things together.  Take your dog for a walk on the greenway.  Explore some trails in the local parks.  They’re not only FREE, but can improve the health of you and your dog(s) as well as give you some quality time together.  In the end, isn’t that what it’s all about?

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