Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 7/14/2021
HAMPDEN/WILBRAHAM – Barbend, a health and fitness outlet that offers a website, newsletter and podcast on the subject, recently released a ranking of Best Cities for Fit Lifestyles. In Massachusetts, it critiqued 261 cities and towns on factors such as population, exercise opportunities, physical activity, access to healthy foods, obesity, air pollution, smoking, drinking and physical distress – defined as stress “related to reduced physical activity.”
Max Whiteside from BarBend.com stated, “As you can see, there are a variety of external factors that can have an impact on a town’s overall fitness, which can be detrimental to the population’s health, especially where some don’t have access to sufficient space for their at-home workouts.”
Many towns in Western Massachusetts ranked relatively low on the 100 point scoring system. Wilbraham came in at 138, with a score of 75.75, while Hampden was ranked 162 and scored 74.89. The surrounding towns of Longmeadow and East Longmeadow ranked 134 and 160, respectively.
Despite the ranking, Board of Health Agent Lorri McCool, who serves the towns of Hampden and Wilbraham, defended the towns.
“I think we’re healthy communities,” McCool said. She added that there are different ways to look at health.
Some of the positive health opportunities that McCool pointed to in Hampden include the hiking trails that snake over Minnechaug Mountain and the Goat Rock Trail that connects Hampden’s Memorial Park and Gerrish Park. The Scantic Valley YMCA branch resides in Wilbraham, as does the Spec Pond Recreation area, both of which offer exercise opportunities.
McCool said healthy food opportunities abound in the two towns. In addition to grocery stores, local organizations offer community gardens and regular farmer’s markets.
“This past year has put a lot of things on hold. We couldn’t get together to exercise because of [COVID-19],” McCool said, but added, “I’ll tell you there were more people out walking than ever.”
While the towns’ boards of health may not offer many health initiatives or programs directly, McCool said the schools, senior centers and parks and recreation departments offer everything from smoking cessation to community sports programs. She noted that communities that have fully staffed and funded health departments may have more resources to offer health and fitness programs.
Hampden and Wilbraham are in the final stages of joining a multi-town partnership to share health services with Monson and Longmeadow, which would be the lead community. The four towns would share a health agent, a board of health director and public health nurse. The state grant-funded inter-municipal agreement is designed to save on administrative costs while offering residents more robust health services.
To see where other towns rank, visit https://barbend.com/fit-cities-massachusetts.