Johnson County residents are Iowa's most physically active

IOWA CITY - Johnson County residents are the most physically active in the state, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Eastern Iowa's Scott County came in second.

A new report from the CDC measured adults' leisure-time physical activity for every county in the United States from 2004 to 2008.

In Johnson County, more than 81 percent of adults reported spending non-work time on physical activities or exercise. In Scott County, the number was 79 percent.

“The residents of Johnson County place a high value on health and the environment, so it's no surprise that they spend more time being active,” county Public Health Director Douglas Beardsley said. “We hope to expand the adoption of active lifestyles across the entire spectrum of those living here.”

Sarah Taylor Watts with the state health department said Johnson and Scott counties encourage vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians to share the roadways - which means residents likely find that “it is easier to be physically active because of their supportive environment.”

Elsewhere in Iowa, the report said, most counties' activity levels were around 75 percent. Tama, Clayton, Clinton, Woodbury, Crawford, Kossuth and Webster counties fell below 75 percent, but no Iowa counties came in below 70 percent.

The CDC said 74.6 percent of people nationally reported taking part in physical activity during their leisure time.