Williamstown Healthy Lifestyle Partnership

This working relationship among Williamstown’s schools, city government, doctors, and organized volunteers was created in 2007 to help Williamstown area citizens of all ages voluntarily improve their access to better health … a higher level of personal physical fitness … through their pursuit of a year-‘round routine of physical exercise.

Embarking on the design of a new summertime swimming pool for all ages, and alarmed by the likelihood that the Williamstown area faces the same dangers from obesity and lack of fitness that the state and the nation are facing, Williamstown’s all-volunteer New Pool Committee and city officials considered whether the new pool could be designed and presented to the community in a way which would help citizens voluntarily regain better control of their fitness, and thereby, better control of their future health and happiness.

A quick conclusion was drawn: fighting obesity must be a year-‘round effort.  A summertime pool, while very important, could not do  the whole job.  So a Walkable Community Committee was formed to help bring more citizens voluntarily to year-‘round exercise, especially most accessible form of exercise, walking.  During 2007, the committee initiated or supported five community walks in Williamstown and hosted a community walkability evaluation.

Other healthy lifestyle achievements made in Williamstown during 2007 were: the creation of a new website, www.healthywilliamstown.org , the startup of a new summertime playground program for children K-6, the establishment of two indoor walking facilities (now available on school days), and frequent publicity releases reporting progress toward construction of the new Williamstown Healthy Lifestyle Pool.  

Education is a key tool in our fight for better fitness.  Voluntary participation and personal goal-setting are also important, as is the support of one’s trusted physician.  Williamstown’s local doctors, and the new website, www.healthywilliamstown.org, now offer new literature and tools to help local individuals set daily and monthly exercise goals.  By monitoring and meeting their personal fitness goals, individuals can create a better future for themselves.  

Be sure to look at the pictures from Williamtowns first DaVinci's Walk It Off, a way of reminding people not to over eat during the Holidays.