SALT LAKE CITY- Men’s Health announced 2019’s most fit cities, and Salt Lake City made a top ten spot at number seven.
For many people, Utah recreation is a part of everyday life and career.
That runs true for Janae Baron; a mom, a cook and a runner.
Her running has taken her far and for the past nine years she's built a running empire through her blog and on Instagram.
For Baron, it's no surprise that Salt Lake was named the 7th fittest city in America, 'We live in the best place ever, we have mountains a few miles away, we have lakes, we have awesome trails everywhere.'
The Men's Health study used two factors to determine the healthiest cities: people and people. People that fill up local and national parks and elected officials actively responding to the needs of a growing active community. Officials responding can be anything from building new parks to fixing that old pothole in the bike lane. The study also brought in numbers from the CDC on overall obesity and heart health.
So, how did Salt Lake make it to the top?
The report says outside of CrossFit gyms, Utahns' access to trails and open water plays a big role.
Utah has 43 state parks and five national parks. Those parks total more than 95,000 acres of recreational land.
Much of Utah's population lives in the Salt Lake Valley along the Wasatch front where mountains are very accessible.
Because of the growing fitness industry, Baron now runs on a semi-pro team and networks with many women all over Utah. 'I've done a lot of solo running before, but it's life-changing to do it with people,' Baron said.
With all the fitness growth, Baron runs on a semi-pro team and networks with many women all over Utah.
“There are a lot of moms here that want and need something to do, and running or finding friends to exercise with can help with that.”