Glasgow offers Scotland’s most healthy and happy lifestyle

Glasgow is the UK’s 13th best city to live a healthy and happy lifestyle – beating Edinburgh to a close 14th and Aberdeen in 15th.

Health and fitness is a big part of many peoples lives, and with such a vast range in activities, classes and sports in our day and age, there is something for everyone to get their teeth into.

But how much does the city you are living in impact your health, your lifestyle and what is readily available to you?

Being healthy is more than just what you eat, it is a lifestyle change that affects both your mind and your body in a positive way.

Protectivity Insurance has analysed the facilities of 30 cities across the UK, taking into account gyms and fitness centres, green space, spas and vegan restaurants, to show which cities are the best to live in for leading a healthy lifestyle.

Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh

When looking at the best cities across the UK for health and wellness it is far more than just accounting for the number of gyms or spas they have, there are many factors we should consider when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle. Green space for some fresh air and quality ‘me time’, healthy food shops, museums to stimulate our brains and someone to talk to when things get a little tough are all of equal importance when considering our well-being.

Glasgow came 14th on the list, with 50 spas, 5 gyms and fitness centres, 5 yoga and pilates studios, 27 health food stores, 504 vegan option restaurants, 79 therapists, 21 parks and 56 museums.

The survey said Edinburgh has 77 spas, 9 gyms and fitness centres, 12 yoga and pilates studios, 28 health food stores, 656 vegan option restaurants, 69 therapists, 10 parks and 93 museums.

And they listed Aberdeen with 21 spas, 2 gyms and fitness centres, 0 yoga and pilates studios, 1 health food store, 125 vegan option restaurants, 12 therapists, 10 parks and 23 museums.

Health and fitness is a popular topic in the UK, with sales of fitness tech soaring over the last few years and mental well-being being a more prominent topic than ever. In fact, Brits purchased over four million fitness bands and smartwatches in 2017 alone.

Aberdeen came 15th on the list

The chart was topped by, surprisingly, Portsmouth.

The density of this port city means that Portsmouth has the most to give to its residents when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. With 4 gyms, 3 yoga studios, 5 health food shops and a staggering 134 vegan option restaurants across its small area, there really is a lot to offer when it comes to food and fitness. Additionally, when it comes to looking after our minds Portsmouth has 56 professional therapists to confide in, 21 museums to dabble in some culture and 6 parks across the city for some time to yourself and fresh air, and with this city being right by the sea, the fresh air doesn’t get much better than that.

The top 10 UK cities are: 1, Portsmouth; 2, Norwich; 3, Nottingham; 4, Oxford; 5, Southampton; 6, Leicester; 7, Manchester; 8, London; 9, Liverpool; 10, Plymouth.

Sean Walsh, marketing manager from Protectivity Insurance, said: ‘It’s fantastic to see some of the UK’s smaller cities topping the chart. Now, more than ever people are getting on board with being fit and healthy and also trying to remove any stigma surrounding mental health, so it’s great to see these cities are doing all they can to help their residents live the healthiest lifestyle possible, both mentally and physically.’

For more information on The Best UK Cities For A Healthy Lifestyle, click HERE.