I've had the opportunity to be a part of the Destination Medical Center initiative here in Rochester, MN. In a nutshell, the vision is to make our city one of THE places to come to not only for medical care (Mayo Clinic), but be attractive to outsiders as a healthy, active hot spot with all sorts of wonderful things to do and see. I'm part of the health and wellness aspect of it all.
One of the questions we are asking ourselves is, "What makes the fittest cities in America (or the world) the fittest cities?" FYI- the "Fittest City" for the past three years in the USA was Minneapolis/St. Paul, which is just an hour north of us! If you read the lists of the top cities, there aren't any big wow factors or secrets about them. In fact, we already have a lot of the amenities that those cities do, just on a smaller scale.
For example, there are awesome bike trails in our city. Great "green spaces" and parks every few blocks. Our city is clean and attractive to be outside. There is a great farmer's market here that runs three out of the four seasons. These are all things that are listed in the "top" cities. The difference? Those cities have been more successful in getting their residents to use what they have. I think that our city needs to motivate those who live here to get out and use what we have here to get healthier and more active.
Oh sure, we could probably add more things here for excitement....to draw more crowds. One point I'd like to make as a fitness professional is that you can have all the shiny attractions in the world, but if people aren't motivated to use them, they won't make a difference in anyone's lives. What is attractive to the masses? Fun, easy, not intimidating are some things that I think of.
So, what would you like to see in your community that would inspire you to lead a healthier life? What would motivate you to use it if you had access to it?
What does your ideal FIT community look like?
