The Huffington Post's
"Live Well, On Location" series, which explores how people pursue health and happiness in cities and countries around the world, recently lauded the Twin Cities for a number of reasons.
In the article "What the Twin Cities Can Teach Us About Healthy Living," one of the reasons is that we're "the most active metropolitan area in the country," because "nearly 83 percent of residents were active every single day" in Minneapolis. Second, we have the "best parks in the country." The article goes on to say, "In June 2013, the Trust for Public Land ranked Minneapolis' parks as the very best in the country, beating out New York, Chicago, and San Francisco for acreage, access and, let's face it, sheer beauty."
The state's 10,000 lakes get a shout out. "'Technically the slogan is 'land of 10,000 lakes,' but everyone from Minnesota knows it's closer to 12,000,' says
HuffPost editor and native Minnesotan, Jordan Turgeon. We're not just taking her word for it -- an official government survey put the number of lakes at 11,842 statewide." The Twin Cities area specifically, the article clarifies, "boasts 22 distinct lakes and the Chain of Lakes park that covers 13.3 miles of water."
And how do all those lakes make us healthier? The article states that, "While the health benefits of green space get more attention, there's evidence that blue space -- lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans -- can also have a positive influence over health and wellbeing, reported
The Guardian."
Our "high wages, low rent" and leading the way in smoke-free environments are among the additional kudos. Low unemployment and being bookworms counts for a lot, as well, the article states.
Source:
The Huffington Post