Health and fitness is a big part of many peoples lives, and with a new year upon us, even more, are jumping on board to try and stick to their new year’s resolutions and get fit and healthy for 2019. But how much does the city you are living in impact your health and your lifestyle? Being healthy is more than just what you eat, it is a lifestyle change that affects both your mind and your body in a positive way. Protectivity has analysed the facilities of 30 cities across the UK, taking into account gyms and fitness centres*, green space, spas and vegan restaurants, to show which cities are the best to live in for leading a healthy lifestyle. You can view the piece here.
Health and fitness is a popular topic in the UK, with sales of fitness tech soaring over the last few years and mental well-being being a more prominent topic than ever. In fact, Brits purchased over four million fitness bands and smartwatches in 2017 alone. But as our spending on fitness tech increases, are our lifestyles any healthier and where in the UK is the best place to live to help you live the healthiest lifestyle possible? Protectivity Insurance has analysed the best cities across the UK for health and wellness.
When looking at the best cities across the UK for health and wellness it is far more than just accounting for the number of gyms or spas they have, there are many factors we should consider when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle. Green space for some fresh air and quality ‘me time’, healthy food shops, museums to stimulate our brains and someone to talk to when things get a little tough are all of equal importance when considering our well-being.
Although Portsmouth may be smaller in size compared to other cities across the UK, at only 40km2, it is exactly this that sees this seaside city top the chart as the number one city for health and wellness. The density of this port city means that Portsmouth has the most to give to its residents when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. With 4 gyms, 3 yoga studios, 5 health food shops and a staggering 134 vegan option restaurants across its small area, there really is a lot to offer when it comes to food and fitness. Additionally, when it comes to looking after our minds Portsmouth has 56 professional therapists to confide in, 21 museums to dabble in some culture and 6 parks across the city for some time to yourself and fresh air, and with this city being right by the sea, the fresh air doesn’t get much better than that.
Norwich and Oxford are another example of smaller cities that despite their size are delivering the goods when it comes to health and wellness. Norwich comes in at second place with 17 spas for some well deserved relaxation time and 14 beautiful parks to stretch your legs. Oxford, the beautiful city which revolves around its prestigious university, follows closely behind in fourth place. This smaller city really packs a punch when it comes to what they have to offer with 190 vegan option restaurants to get your teeth into and 20 museums to get your dose of culture.
Manchester was voted as the best city to live in by the Global Livability Index in 2018, but where does it rank when it comes to health and wellness specifically? Well, Manchester has made it into the top ten at a very respectable seventh, as one of the bigger cities out of the 30 analysed this is an impressive result. The city hosts a wealth of spas, 41 to be exact, alongside a staggering 434 vegan options restaurants.
Our capital city, London, the biggest of the cities analysed, has made it into the top ten at number eight. With the entirety of London spanning across a vast 1,572 km2 it may come as no surprise that it hosts a huge number of facilities for health and wellness with 669 spas, 81 gyms, 57 yoga and pilates studios, 1678 therapists and 401 museums.
The UK’s top ten cities for health and wellness can be found below:
|
Rank |
City |
Overall score (out of 100) |
|
1 |
Portsmouth |
71 |
|
2 |
Norwich |
56 |
|
3 |
Nottingham |
52 |
|
4 |
Oxford |
50 |
|
5 |
Southampton |
50 |
|
6 |
Leicester |
48 |
|
7 |
Manchester |
48 |
|
8 |
London |
47 |
|
9 |
Liverpool |
43 |
|
10 |
Plymouth |
43 |
Sean Walsh, Marketing Manager from Protectivity Insurance comments:
“It’s great to see that our capital city has made it into the top ten of the best UK cities for health and wellness, but it’s equally fantastic to see some of the UK’s smaller cities topping the chart. Now, more than ever people are getting on board with being fit and healthy and also trying to remove any stigma surrounding mental health, so it’s great to see these cities are doing all they can to help their residents live the healthiest lifestyle possible, both mentally and physically.”
For more information on The Best UK Cities For A Healthy Lifestyle, you can take a look here:
