Exercise and sleep: Why some states are better than others

People are wandering through parkland in the UK. Image by Tim Sandle.

There is a connection between outdoor exercise and improved sleep quality. There are other physical and mental benefits associated with this type of physical exercise. Essentially, physical activity and time spent outdoors may be important non-pharmacological approaches to improve sleep quality and duration (or sleep patterns).

To examine this further, in the context of the U.S., the non-profit organization SmileHub has released new reports on the Best Charities for Sports & Recreation and the Best States for Outdoor Enthusiasts in 2024.

The aim is to help people find the best organisations and locations for their well-being.

To highlight the best states for outdoor enthusiasts, SmileHub compared each of the 50 states based on 18 key metrics. The data set ranges from national parks per capita to the share of adults reporting no physical activity in their free time to the economic impact of outdoor recreation.

The best states were revealed to be:

1. Montana

2. Alaska

3. Colorado

4. South Dakota

5. Utah

6. Vermont

7. Washington

8. Wyoming

9. Maine

10. Oregon

In contrast, the worst states were identified as:

41. Delaware

42. Rhode Island

43. Kansas

44. Illinois

45. Alabama

46. Nevada

47. Arkansas

48. Kentucky

49. Oklahoma

50. Mississippi

Within the rankings there are some patterns of interest. For example, Maine has the most camping spots per capita – 10.8 times more than in Maryland, which has the fewest camping spots.

On another measure, pollution, Hawaii has the least air pollution – 3.3 times less than California, which has the most air pollution.

With the rate of physical exercise overall, Colorado has the lowest share of adults reporting no leisure-time physical activity – 1.9 times lower than in Mississippi, which has the highest share.