One of the easiest health risk factors to change is people's level of physical activity.
For now, at least, people can't do anything much about their ancestry. They can't do much about their place of birth, what they ate as infants, or how the motorists around them will drive.
They might have some control over their diet, but just how much is still open to debate. For some, the call of the ice cream may be more compelling than for others.
They do have control over how much they exercise. Doing pushups is free. Prisoners in cells who have nothing left but their own bodies do jumping jacks.
But people do need time exercise and some minimum level of motivation. The example the people around them are setting, the weather and the types of recreational facilities available around them all may play a role in activity levels.
Whether people exercise may affect how long they will live. It can certainly affect how much of their life they will be healthy, how many years they will have the physical ability to work, and how many years they will have the physical ability to handle the activities of daily living.
There are even some research studies out there that focus on efforts to see whether exercise might affect the risk of developing Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia.
Exercise could help reduce the risk your clients and prospects will need their health insurance benefits, disability insurance benefits, long-term care insurance benefits, life insurance benefits and even, possibly, car insurance benefits. Motorists who are in better shape could be better drivers.
Related: 9 factors that affect longevity
To gauge how active consumers in various U.S. markets are, we looked at Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System data, for 2012, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We pulled the percentage of survey participants in each market included who told survey workers that they had not engaged in physical activities or exercises in the previous month.
For the 10 markets with the highest percentage of residents who said they had not exercised, we also retrieved obesity rate figures.
For a look at those 10 markets, and a complete set of data for all of the markets included in the 2012 survey results, read on:
(Photo: iStock)
10. Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area
Share of survey participants who said they had not exercised in past month: 29.6%.
Share of survey participants who were obese: 29.9%.
(Photo: iStock)
9. Charleston, West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area
Share of survey participants who said they had not exercised in past month: 29.6%.
Share of survey participants who were obese: 31.5%.
The Fountain at Morgan Square in Spartanburg, South Carolina. (Photo: iStock)
8. Spartanburg, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area
Share of survey participants who said they had not exercised in past month: 30.3%.
Share of survey participants who were obese: 32.8%.
Related: The 10 best states to grow old
(Photo: iStock)
7. Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area
Share of survey participants who said they had not exercised in past month: 31.3%.
Share of survey participants who were obese: 32.3%.
(Photo: iStock)
6. El Paso, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area
Share of survey participants who said they had not exercised in past month: 32.0%.
Share of survey participants who were obese: 29.4%.
Construction of the Yakima-Tieton Dam, around 1905. (Photo: Bureau of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Engineering and Research Center)
5. Yakima, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area
Share of survey participants who said they had not exercised in past month: 32.0%.
Share of survey participants who were obese: 31.4%.
A music festival in Bristol, Tennesse. (Photo: iStock)
4. Kingsport-Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area
Share of survey participants who said they had not exercised in past month: 33.0%
Share of survey participants who were obese: 32.9%
Related: How to insure Santa Claus
Cabell County Courthouse in Huntington, West Virginia. (Photo: iStock)
3. Huntington-Ashland, West Virginia-Kentucky-Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area
Share of survey participants who said they had not exercised in past month: 34.2%.
Share of survey participants who were obese: 35.1%.
Related: 7 corporate fitness trends to watch
Chase Bank in McAllen, Texas. (Photo: iStock)
2. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area
Share of survey participants who said they had not exercised in past month: 36.6%.
Share of survey participants who were obese: 44.5%.
Related: 10 common summer vacation injuries
Lumberton, North Carolina. (Photo: iStock)
1. Lumberton, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area
Share of survey participants who said they had not exercised in past month: 39%.
Share of survey participants who were obese: 38.75%.
A slug. (Photo: National Park Service)
The complete 2012 BRFSS no-exericse data set
| Percentage of residents who said they had not exercised in the past month, (in %) | |
| Lumberton, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area | 39.0 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area | 36.6 |
| Huntington-Ashland, West Virginia-Kentucky-Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area | 34.2 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area | 33.0 |
| Yakima, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area | 32.0 |
| El Paso, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area | 32.0 |
| Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area | 31.3 |
| Spartanburg, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area | 30.3 |
| Charleston, West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area | 29.6 |
| Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area | 29.6 |
| Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area | 29.5 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, Maryland-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area | 29.2 |
| Vineland-Bridgeton, New Jersey Metropolitan Statistical Area | 29.1 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area | 29.1 |
| Berlin, New Hampshire-Vermont Micropolitan Statistical Area | 28.9 |
| Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas Metropolitan Division | 28.8 |
| Winston-Salem, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area | 28.4 |
| Jackson, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area | 28.2 |
| Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia, Michigan Metropolitan Division | 28.2 |
| Memphis, Tennessee-Mississippi-Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area | 28.1 |
| Sayre, Pennsylvania Micropolitan Statistical Area | 27.4 |
| Greensboro-High Point, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area | 27.3 |
| Baton Rouge, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area | 27.2 |
| Montgomery, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area | 27.1 |
| Camden, New Jersey Metropolitan Division | 27.1 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area | 27.0 |
| Laconia, New Hampshire Micropolitan Statistical Area | 27.0 |
| Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area | 26.9 |
| Tulsa, OK Metropolitan Statistical Area | 26.8 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area | 26.8 |
| Norfolk, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area | 26.7 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, Arkansas Metropolitan Statistical Area | 26.6 |
| Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area | 26.4 |
| Mobile, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area | 26.4 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky-Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area | 26.3 |
| Chattanooga, Tennessee-Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area | 26.2 |
| Huntsville, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area | 26.2 |
| Las Cruces, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area | 26.2 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area | 26.2 |
| Lafayette, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area | 26.0 |
| Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area | 26.0 |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Division | 25.9 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, New Jersey Metropolitan Statistical Area | 25.9 |
| Tuscaloosa, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area | 25.9 |
| New York-Jersey City-White Plains, New York-New Jersey Metropolitan Division | 25.9 |
| Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area | 25.8 |
| Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area | 25.7 |
| Toledo, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area | 25.5 |
| Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area | 25.5 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area | 25.3 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area | 25.3 |
| Ocean City, New Jersey Metropolitan Statistical Area | 25.3 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Arkansas-Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area | 25.2 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area | 25.0 |
| Sioux City, Iowa-Nebraska-South Dakota Metropolitan Statistical Area | 25.0 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas Metropolitan Division | 24.9 |
| Dayton, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area | 24.9 |
| Newark, New Jersey-Pennsylvania Metropolitan Division | 24.9 |
| Canton-Massillon, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area | 24.6 |
| Birmingham-Hoover, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area | 24.6 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area | 24.5 |
| St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area | 24.4 |
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area | 24.4 |
| Bangor, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area | 24.4 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia-South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area | 24.2 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area | 24.1 |
| Cincinnati, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area | 24.1 |
| New Haven-Milford, Connecticut Metropolitan Statistical Area | 24.1 |
| Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area | 24.0 |
| Fayetteville, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area | 23.9 |
| Greeley, Colorado Metropolitan Statistical Area | 23.8 |
| Topeka, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area | 23.7 |
| Cleveland-Elyria, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area | 23.7 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MarylaNorth Dakota Metropolitan Statistical Area | 23.4 |
| Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area | 23.3 |
| Grand Island, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area | 23.3 |
| Wichita, Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area | 23.2 |
| Farmington, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area | 23.2 |
| Augusta-Waterville, Maine Micropolitan Statistical Area | 23.1 |
| Providence-Warwick, Rhode Island-Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area | 23.0 |
| Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area | 22.8 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona Metropolitan Statistical Area | 22.7 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area | 22.5 |
| North Platte, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area | 22.5 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area | 22.5 |
| Sioux Falls, South Dakota Metropolitan Statistical Area | 22.5 |
| Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area | 22.4 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area | 22.3 |
| Akron, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area | 22.3 |
| Norwich-New London, Connecticut Metropolitan Statistical Area | 22.2 |
| Scottsbluff, Nebraska Micropolitan Statistical Area | 22.2 |
| Wilmington, Delaware-Maryland-New Jersey Metropolitan Division | 22.0 |
| Bismarck, North Dakota Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.9 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.9 |
| Trenton, New Jersey Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.9 |
| Fort Wayne, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.9 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.7 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.6 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, California Metropolitan Division | 21.6 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs, Nebraska-Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.5 |
| Richmond, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.5 |
| Nassau County-Suffolk County, New York Metropolitan Division | 21.4 |
| Torrington, Connecticut Micropolitan Statistical Area | 21.4 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, North Carolina-South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.4 |
| Billings, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.4 |
| Asheville, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.3 |
| Kennewick-Richland, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.3 |
| Cedar Rapids, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.2 |
| Cheyenne, Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.2 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.2 |
| Rapid City, South Dakota Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.1 |
| Manchester-Nashua, New Hampshire Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.1 |
| Rutland, Vermont Micropolitan Statistical Area | 21.1 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pennsylvania-New Jersey Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.0 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Connecticut Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.0 |
| Tucson, Arizona Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.0 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area | 21.0 |
| Idaho Falls, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area | 20.9 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area | 20.9 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California Metropolitan Statistical Area | 20.8 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, Virginia-North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area | 20.7 |
| Hilo, Hawaii Micropolitan Statistical Area | 20.5 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area | 20.5 |
| Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas Metropolitan Statistical Area | 20.5 |
| Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, Michigan Metropolitan Division | 20.5 |
| Worcester, Massachusetts-Connecticut Metropolitan Statistical Area | 20.3 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area | 20.1 |
| Boston, Massachusetts Metropolitan Division | 19.9 |
| Austin-Round Rock, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area | 19.8 |
| Raleigh, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area | 19.8 |
| Casper, Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area | 19.5 |
| Rockingham County-Strafford County, New Hampshire Metropolitan Division | 19.3 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, District of Columbia-Maryland-Virginia-West Virginia Metropolitan Division | 19.2 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area | 19.2 |
| Claremont-Lebanon, New Hampshire-Vermont Micropolitan Statistical Area | 19.1 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area | 19.0 |
| Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area | 18.9 |
| Albuquerque, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area | 18.9 |
| Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, Hawaii Metropolitan Statistical Area | 18.9 |
| Olympia-Tumwater, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area | 18.9 |
| Cambridge-Newton-Framingham, Massachusetts Metropolitan Division | 18.8 |
| Urban Honolulu, Hawaii Metropolitan Statistical Area | 18.6 |
| Fargo, North Dakota-Minnesota Metropolitan Statistical Area | 18.5 |
| Jacksonville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area | 18.5 |
| Boise City, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area | 18.5 |
| Montgomery County-Bucks County-Chester County, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Division | 18.3 |
| Bellingham, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area | 18.2 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area | 17.9 |
| Tacoma-Lakewood, Washington Metropolitan Division | 17.8 |
| Silver Spring-Frederick-Rockville, MarylaNorth Dakota Metropolitan Division | 17.7 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area | 17.7 |
| Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area | 17.7 |
| Reno, Nevada Metropolitan Statistical Area | 17.5 |
| San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, California Metropolitan Division | 17.5 |
| Concord, New Hampshire Micropolitan Statistical Area | 17.3 |
| Barnstable Town, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area | 17.3 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, California Metropolitan Statistical Area | 17.1 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colorado Metropolitan Statistical Area | 17.1 |
| Keene, New Hampshire Micropolitan Statistical Area | 17.1 |
| Missoula, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area | 16.8 |
| Colorado Springs, Colorado Metropolitan Statistical Area | 16.6 |
| Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area | 16.6 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minnesota-Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area | 16.6 |
| Portland-South Portland, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area | 16.5 |
| Ogden-Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area | 16.5 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California Metropolitan Statistical Area | 16.4 |
| Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, California Metropolitan Division | 16.2 |
| Duluth, Minnesota-Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area | 15.9 |
| Lincoln, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area | 15.9 |
| Kalispell, Montana Micropolitan Statistical Area | 15.8 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, California Metropolitan Division | 15.7 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, California Metropolitan Statistical Area | 15.6 |
| Santa Fe, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area | 15.6 |
| Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Washington Metropolitan Division | 15.5 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Oregon-Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area | 15.5 |
| Kapaa, Hawaii Micropolitan Statistical Area | 14.9 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont Metropolitan Statistical Area | 14.9 |
| Provo-Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area | 14.5 |
| Eugene, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area | 14.4 |
| Logan, Utah-Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area | 13.3 |
| Fort Collins, Colorado Metropolitan Statistical Area | 12.4 |
| Barre, Vermont Micropolitan Statistical Area | 12.3 |
| Heber, Utah Micropolitan Statistical Area | 11.0 |
| Boulder, Colorado Metropolitan Statistical Area | 9.2 |
| Source: CDC/Behavioral Risk Factors: Selected Metropolitan Area Risk Trends (SMART) MMSA Prevalence Data (2011-2012) | |
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