Americans are always looking to improve their fitness. But a peek at what workouts people in each state were uniquely searching for on Google this year suggests an incredible diversity in the potential paths to better health.
The political fanatics in Washington, DC, wanted to know about the Paul Ryan workout. Ryan, the current speaker of the House, is also a fitness buff and former personal trainer who enjoys P90X: 60 to 90 minutes, six a days a week, of muscle-exhausting fun. By day 90, acolytes are promised an (unlikely) new, sculpted physique.
In nearby Maryland, people were overwhelmingly seeking out "big butt exercises." Floridians were into "exotic workouts," and Illinois wanted to know about how to bust their "muffin tops." Utah, meanwhile, favored the "Kate Hudson workout," Idaho, the "insanity workout," and lifting was the focus in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Iowa. (People in Maine and South Dakota also searched for P90X, minus the Ryan connection.)
In Vermont and Missouri, HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, was the focus. The big selling point of HIIT workouts are that they're efficient: short bursts of exhausting exercises followed by periods of rest to burn the maximum amount of calories in the minimum amount of time. While the types of exercise are different in every state, the search for a quick fitness fix seems universal.
