Given the District’s never-ending political chaos and passion for bottomless brunch, your first thoughts about Washington, D.C., probably have nothing to do with how healthy Washingtonians are.
In fact, the generally older crowd of decision-makers commonly seen on Capitol Hill might make you think the opposite!
But despite that misguided impression, the District was ranked the #9 healthiest city in the nation in 2025 and now has just been noted to log the most exercise in the country according to Apple’s 2026 Heart and Movement Study.
How much exercise does Washington, D.C. do, according to Apple’s study?
There were a few particularly interesting findings from Apple’s 2026 Heart and Movement Study that Washingtonians might like to hear:
According to the study, Washington, D.C. had the highest measured mean ‘VO2 Max’ score, a metric that represents the maximum amount of oxygen your body can deliver during intense exercise.
Because the District’s mean ‘VO2 max’ was the highest in the study, it essentially means that the District has the best cardio in the nation!
Aside from its ‘VO2 Max’ score, Washington, D.C. also logged the most average exercise in the study, with an average of around 48 minutes of exercise logged daily!
While it might sound extreme, we like to imagine all the interns running around Capitol Hill really help raise the average.
Then, another particularly interesting stat from the study, particularly considering that D.C. is one of the most paranoid cities in the world, was that the average Washingtonian had one of the lowest resting heart rates in the nation.
The District’s average resting heart rate was just around 65.1 BPM, making it one of the lowest in the study and a clear sign of good cardiovascular health among the D.C. community.
What was the study’s methodology?
The 2026 Heart and Movement Study by Apple followed study participants who wore an Apple Watch to track their cardio fitness (VO2 Max), resting heart rate, heart rate during sleep, exercise, and daily activity.
By studying the data collected through its Apple Watches, Apple was able to uncover patterns that led to informative conclusions about our cardiovascular health.
For its most recent findings, the study broke down the data by state, comparing all 50 states and Washington, D.C., which could account for the District’s notable metrics.