Economist's Notebook: Exercise and Climate

From The Economist a little blurb on some CDC data abut exercise and climate showing people in colder climates exercise more.  The Economist seems to find this a surprising correlation wondering why don't people in warmer climates get outside and exercise more.

One explanation is that in colder climates it is harder to be outside and idle, you need to be active to stay warm, and that warmer climates in the US are very very warm and often quite humid, making exerting yourself quite difficult.  Another is that these colder climates also are disproportionately places where there is magnificent natural wilderness and recreational opportunities.  A third is that people choose to live where they do for a reason and a lot of people who live in the west and in states in the north like Vermont and Maine do so to take advantage of the outdoor recreational opportunities.

Thats is all to say I don't find it that surprising.