If you live in Oregon, chances are you run, bike and hike more than women anywhere else in the country. In this Pacific Northwest state, nearly two out of three women exercise regularly. Compare that with Tennessee, where just a little more than one in three women works up a sweat on a regular basis. It’s no coincidence that Tennessee women rank among the heaviest and Oregon among the leanest. If you’re not getting at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week, than you’re falling short of what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends for all of us. People who exercise live longer, feel better, weigh less and are more likely to avoid health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.
Here are the rankings, from fittest to most couch-potato-ish. The figures below are percentages of women who said they take part in 150 minutes or more of aerobic physical activity every week. #1 is the most active while #50 is the least active.
| Rank | State | % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | 62.6 |
| 2 | Colorado | 61.9 |
| 3 | Vermont | 59.3 |
| 4 | California | 57.5 |
| 5 | Alaska | 57.4 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 56.6 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 56.4 |
| 8 | Idaho | 56.2 |
| 9 | Maine | 56 |
| 10 | Washington | 55.4 |
| 11 | Utah | 55 |
| 12 | Hawaii | 54.6 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 54.3 |
| 13 | Wyoming | 54.3 |
| 15 | Montana | 54 |
| 16 | Michigan | 52.6 |
| 16 | Minnesota | 52.6 |
| 18 | New Jersey | 51.6 |
| 19 | Illinois | 51.5 |
| 20 | New Mexico | 51.4 |
| 21 | Virginia | 51.3 |
| 22 | Connecticut | 51.1 |
| 23 | Arizona | 50.7 |
| 24 | Nebraska | 50.6 |
| 25 | Missouri | 49.9 |
| 25 | Nevada | 49.9 |
| 27 | Florida | 49.8 |
| 28 | Ohio | 49.7 |
| 29 | New York | 49.4 |
| 30 | South Dakota | 49.3 |
| 31 | North Dakota | 48.8 |
| 32 | Georgia | 48.8 |
| 33 | Rhode Island | 48.3 |
| 34 | Iowa | 47.7 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | 47.7 |
| 36 | Texas | 47.5 |
| 37 | Maryland | 47.3 |
| 37 | South Carolina | 47.3 |
| 39 | Delaware | 47 |
| 40 | Kansas | 46.4 |
| 41 | Kentucky | 45.9 |
| 42 | Indiana | 45.5 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | 44.2 |
| 44 | North Carolina | 43.8 |
| 45 | Arkansas | 43 |
| 46 | Alabama | 39.6 |
| 47 | West Virginia | 39.5 |
| 48 | Louisiana | 39 |
| 49 | Mississippi | 37.5 |
| 50 | Tennessee | 35.6 |
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011
See the State of Women methodology and sources.
A version of this story originally appeared on iVillage.