Chandigarh, also known as the city beautiful is yet again in news and this time it’s not about cleanliness but about physical activity.
According to the data compiled on ‘physical activity levels of Indians’, by HealthifyMe, one of India’s largest health and fitness app from over 1 million users, reveals that Chandigarh is amongst the least fittest cities in the country, along with Jaipur and Ahmedabad.
People in Chandigarh have burnt only 371.7 calories/day as compared to Bangalore that is burning upwards of 420 calories daily. The city has taken only 4546 steps on an average in 2018 as compared to Gurugram that has taken close to 5000 steps.
According to the study, compared to 2017, Indian men burnt an average of 19% more calories and walked 15% more steps daily in 2018. Similarly, Indian women burnt 19% more calories and walked 13% more daily, than 2017.
Bangalore and Gurgaon continue to be the most fitness conscious
Bangalore has taken the pole position this time burning upwards of 420 calories/day compared to 322 calories/day in 2017, an improvement of 30%. It is followed by Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad that continue to steal a march over other regions, again making it to the list of fittest cities. Their neighbour Delhi however continues to be amongst the least fit cities, with an average calorie burn of 380 per day.
Interestingly, Pune has shown the greatest improvement (33% increase in daily burn from 2017) from being one of least fit cities to becoming one of the fittest. Lucknow, on the other hand has witnessed a decline in its position, getting relegated to the bottom of the list, despite burning 23% more calories than 2017. This is owing to every other city stepping up their game.
Tier 1 cities more active than Tier 2
Also, Tier 1 cities are more active than Tier 2 cities, burning 407 calories in a day vs. 371 in Tier 2. Moreover compared to 2017, Tier 1 cities have shown an overall increase of 12% in daily calorie burn as compared to an increase of only 5% shown by Tier 2 cities. The increased calorie burn of Tier 1 cities is also reflected by the fact that on an average, people in Tier 1 cities take almost 600 steps more per day than those in Tier 2.
North vs. South
In the battle of North vs. South, the South of India marginally trumped the North with a 6% higher average calorie burn per day. South Indians burnt 408 calories (29% higher 2017) on an average daily and North Indians burnt around 382 calories (24% more than 2017) daily.
The fact that South Indians are more active is also reflected in the number of steps taken by both. South Indians took more than 4300 steps on an average day which is slightly higher than the 4200 taken by North Indians on an average.
Walking and running continue to be the exercises of choice across the length and breadth of the country.
Tushar Vashisht, Co-founder & CEO, HealthifyMe said, “It is a matter of grave concern that Tier 2 cities are least active as compared to Tier I cities when it comes to fitness. Almost half of all Indians are inactive and burn less than even 50% of their calorie budget. Inactivity and unhealthy food habits can lead to several lifestyle diseases like obesity, hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol. From our experience, we are already witnessing an increase of such cases amongst people as early as in their 30s. Everyday physical activity and good eating habits can play a crucial role in avoiding and even reversing such diseases. It is time that we start taking ‘working out’ more seriously.”
