In its November 2009 issue, SELF Magazine ranked Madison among the top 10 healthiest places for women to live in the U.S.
According to the article, 85 percent of women in Madison said they exercise regularly, making it the eighth healthiest city for women in the U.S.
In addition to having the highest percentage of women who exercise in the U.S., Madison is reported to have one of the lowest body mass indexes of the areas analyzed in the study.
To rank the cities, SELF analyzed 7,700 pieces of data in almost 50 categories, and employed an ""expert panel.""
The study indicated cancer and heart disease mortality rates in Madison were approximately 15 percent lower than average.
The survey also reported women living in Madison are 250 percent more likely to bike to work than women elsewhere.
SELF also noted these exercise rates were achieved despite Madison having nearly a month fewer days of sunshine than the survey average.
