By Heather Loeb, Men's Health
Our annual statistical showdown reveals which city ranks as America's top metropolis for men. How does your hometown stack up?
The Best Cities for Men. Period This is our eighth annual ranking of the top ZIP codes for enjoying life and avoiding death, and for the second time, Madison emerged victorious.
What types of statistical touchdowns do you need to score to beat 99 other cities? Well, first we calculated critical health data, from the toll taken by heart disease to the damage done by diabetes. Then we crunched the numbers on quality-of-life variables, including crime rates, air quality, and job growth. Finally, we factored in fitness in all its forms, whether it involved barbells or basketballs. All told, we considered 30 different criteria to help us pinpoint the places where it's simply great to be a guy.
The 10 best
1. Madison, Wis.
2. St. Paul, Minn.
3. Salt Lake City
4. Seattle
5. Aurora, Colo.
6. San Jose, Calif.
7. Lincoln, Neb.
8. San Francisco
9. Boston
10. Minneapolis
Tips from Salt Lake City: Stave off a stroke
Despite the "salt" in its name, the city seems to have tamed high blood pressure and its killer consequence. The secret: Extra-strength exercise: No one spends more time working up a sweat. "Not only is exercise a proven BP-buster, but it also may help quell inflammation in your arteries," says Dan Williams, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at the University of Utah. And that's important, because blood vessels damaged by inflammation are more prone to the plaque buildup that can raise stroke risk. Too busy to hit the gym: Adopt a dog-brisk walking for 10 minutes, three times a day, may ward off a brain attack.