[Serious Conversation]

I was in Tampa/St. Petersburg/Sarasota about a month ago and was quite surprised at the amount engaging in outdoor exercise, whether it was jogging, people canoeing in parks, biking, etc. Here in Indiana, outdoor activity has been pretty much a no-go since November and will likely be very limited until April. It's either too cold, too soggy, or too snowy to do much of anything outside. There was more activity going on in FL during the winter than IN in the summer!

Today it's in the single digits and windy and will remain that way for the rest of the week. When it's that cold, I am not keen on even getting out of the warm car to go to the gym. I pretty much go to work, go home, and repeat. The weather here really limits physical activity of any kind.

Even in the summer, you can swim in FL and do about everything you do in the cooler months, but you have to be somewhat more careful not to overexert yourself and to stay hydrated. It's not like you're outright prohibited from engaging in many outdoor activities like you'd be up north during the cold months.

Do you think the weather in FL is more conducive to staying healthy and physically active?

[AES328]

yes

[snowtired14]

I think that is absolutely the case, the weather lets you enjoy the outdoors, especially in the winter. We will be moving down in another 2-3 years and living outdoors is our main motivation. Right now we live in New England and from about December until about April, you can't do anything, sidewalks and roads are too icy or blocked to bike, walk or jog, although some do its always putting your life on the line or getting flipped off by angry motorists. We've visited FLA in winter, summer, and fall and always see people out jogging, walking, boating, fishing, they are there for the weather and I think many people take full advantage of it. I know we will. That's why when I tell friends we're moving to FLA, a lot of times they roll their eyes and you get the, "going to live with the old people?", I've found older people far more energetic and involved down there than up here.

[kyle19125]

While the weather is more conducive in Florida one could not say Floridians are more active, since it's quite the contrary in reality. Of the ten most active states, nine are not warm weather states. Florida ranks 37th out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

States with the Highest Rates of Physical Inactivity: The State of Obesity
Florida State Obesity Data, Rates and Trends: The State of Obesity

[BucFan]

absolutely, being in a nice climate equate to better phyical fitness for me at least - but I also feel that the sun, heat can prematurely age folks who spend countless hours under the baking sun......but I know I get more exercise in during the entire year than I ever did when living in cold, dreary Europe.....

[Momma_bear]

The seasons that you can be active outdoors are reversed from up north. While we are more active outdoors in the winter months we stay indoors more in the summer.

[kyle19125]

I don't think it comes down to weather necessarily as much as it does for urban infrastructure. People who live in places where the automobile isn't overwhelmingly the primary mode of transportation tend to be more active and healthy.

[Stone1]

We lived in Florida for a year when we were younger and I would say we were more active however when we were younger in WI we also stayed somewhat active with snowmobiling, as we grew older the cold winters in WI, are far less appealing, -2 at noon today. I'm semi retired in my mid 50s and tend to stay more active, even if it means using the boring treadmill but, my wife tends to "hibernate" from October until May. We are waiting until or youngest son finishes college this May and then are looking at moving back south with the likely spots being TN or FL.

[macrodome2]

Main reason we bought the house down here. Could spend a week not going out in the winter up north. Even though the summers in FL are hot, you can at least get out and go to the beach or pool in the summer.

[UKWildcat1981]

Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin are some of the healthiest states in the country and they are all in super cold climates, I don't think its the state its more the individual person and their age/in they choose to stay fit.