These Streets Were Made for Walking... 25 Best Walking Cities in America Named by Prevention, APMA, and Sperling`s Best Places

New for 2009: Best Walking Cities for Commuters, Families, Nature Walks and More

NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--
San Francisco`s city government devotes 12 agencies to walking issues. Boston`s
patterned intersections encourage more people to walk. New York residents log
the fewest vehicle miles, and Washington, D.C.`s extensive public transport
system makes exploring on foot a breeze. These are among the Top 25 Walking
Cities in America, according to Prevention`s annual survey with the American
Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) and Sperling`s Best Places.

Top honors were awarded to San Francisco (#1), Boston (#2), New York City (#3),
Philadelphia (#4), and Chicago (#5). New for 2009: A list of 15 "honorable
mentions" for cities that are best for families, nature walks, fitness walkers,
and walking commuters. The complete findings are available at
www.prevention.com/cities. The Top 10 Walking Cities and 15 honorable mention
cities are featured in the current (May) issue, on newsstands April 7.

"Whether you hoof it for fitness or walk to minimize your carbon footprint,
Prevention`s list will get you up off the couch to discover, or even
re-discover, what some of America`s finest cities have to offer," said
Prevention Fitness Director Michele Stanten.

Metro areas were evaluated based on 19 criteria including population density per
square mile, use of mass transit, crime rates, and square miles of local and
state parks. Prevention, APMA, and Sperling`s Best Places also consulted with a
panel of nationally recognized experts in the field of walking communities.

This year`s 25 Best Walking Cities in America, according to the
Prevention/APMA/Sperling`s Best Places study:

1 San Francisco CA
2 Boston MA
3 New York NY
4 Philadelphia PA
5 Chicago IL
6 Washington DC
7 Seattle WA
8 Honolulu HI
9 Portland OR
10 Pittsburgh PA
11 Oakland CA
12 Minneapolis MN
13 San Diego CA
14 Los Angeles CA
15 Milwaukee WI
16 Baltimore MD
17 Rochester NY
18 Santa Ana CA
19 San Jose CA
20 Denver CO
21 Columbus OH
22 New Orleans LA
23 Austin TX
24 Sacramento CA
25 Tucson AZ

Honorable Mentions:

TOP WALKING COMMUTES
New York, NY
Boston, MA
San Francisco, CA

BEST FOR FAMILIES
San Francisco, CA
Minneapolis, MN
Seattle, WA

AMAZING NATURE WALKS
San Francisco, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Santa Ana, CA

GREAT FOR FITNESS WALKERS
Boston, MA
Minneapolis, MN
Santa Ana, CA

SAFEST
Rochester, NY
Minneapolis, MN
Boston, MA

About Prevention

Prevention is the #1 healthy lifestyle magazine brand in the world and the top
online health magazine destination (www.prevention.com). Prevention publishes
branded books, most recently the top-selling Flat Belly Diet!
(www.flatbellydiet.com), special-interest publications (SIPs), bookazines, DVDs,
and 15 international editions. Team Prevention (www.prevention.com/walking) also
leads walking marathons across the country.

About APMA

Founded in 1912, the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA),
headquartered in Bethesda, MD, is the leading resource for foot and ankle health
information. Currently, the organization represents the vast majority of the
estimated 15,000 podiatrists in the country. In addition to the national
headquarters, APMA boasts 53 state component locations throughout the United
States and its territories, as well as affiliated societies. For more
information, visit www.apma.org.

About Sperling`s BestPlaces

Sperling`s BestPlaces puts facts about cities and quality of life in the hands
of the public, so they can make better decisions about best places to live,
work, retire, play, or relocate. Founder Bert Sperling has authored two
best-sellers, Cities Ranked and Rated and Best Places to Raise Your Family,
published by John Wiley. More information about Bert Sperling and Sperling`s
BestPlaces is available online at www.bestplaces.net.

For Prevention
Alison Goldstein, 646-695-7040
alison@rosengrouppr.com
or
Karen Mazzotta, 212-808-1660
karen.mazzotta@rodale.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009