SARATOGA SPRINGS – Saratoga Springs has picked up a number of mottos and monikers that appeal to the variety of people that traverse through town, live and or study here: health, history and horses being the staying identity and promotion of the city through the years.
History and horses aside, health will get a renewed undertaking as Saratoga County Chamber is looking into measures to make the Spa City queen again in health and wellness.
The rejuvenated focus on health on the part of the chamber and local businesses would be to ultimately attract talent to the community to bolster the area’s workforce, The Saratoga County Chamber president Todd Shimkus said. “It’s important to attract the talent companies are looking for. It (the task force) showed that there is real opportunity in terms of talent attraction and quality of life if we can legitimately say this is one of the healthiest places in the world to live.”
Last year, the chamber developed a research and development task force to look at the programs of over 60 other chambers around the country.
“In that research, the volunteers of the task force identified that there are some chambers out there doing some great work around health and wellness,” Shimkus said and added that given the city’s history with the baths, the springs; with the health, history and horses, that maybe it is an area for the chamber to explore.
One of the next steps is to locate an organization or publication that has an awards program that names the healthiest communities and find out their criteria. “Then we will be able to figure out how do we get ourselves on that list, and that would be unbelievable branding for us,” Shimkus said.
Many publications conduct ratings of the nation’s or world’s healthiest cities such as American business magazine Forbes, the Economist, the British National Daily The Guardian and the American basic cable and satellite television channel Travel Channel. The top cities that are included on such lists usually sport efficient mass transit, the availability of excellent healthcare and as well as proving a commitment to improving access to green spaces, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation’s online publication on the topic.
Paul Arciero, professor of health and exercise sciences at Skidmore College and board member of the American Heart Association, said that enhancing and maintaining accessible, safe routes into and around the city would be the first place to start if the city of Saratoga Springs is to be noticed.
“I think we need to do a little bit better job with the built environment (human-made surroundings)”, Arciero said. “In order for Saratoga to be considered even in those categories of most healthy destinations, we need to greatly enhance the built environment communities with sidewalks and accessible bike paths in order for people to be able to get out and enjoy the safe built environment.”
Saratoga does a good job of encouraging people to go out and provides the outdoor space, he said, however, access to those places is lacking.
“Then I think another reason why these cities are awarded as healthy destinations is because much of the commerce in the area supports a healthy lifestyle by having wellness workplace environments and support,” Arciero said. “They have structure within the business to help support active lifestyles, so we have to continue to encourage that among our businesses.”
The starting point for the chamber has been to gain insight from the Saratoga Springs community, drawing on local expertise. The chamber’s Health and Wellness Task Force earlier this month attracted upward of 40 people for a movie screening and brainstorm session regarding the creation of a healthier Saratoga and workplace. There were nearly as many ideas offered as there were attendees for helping make this goal a reality. There were examples of exercise and health programs in the workplace as well as improved access to fresh food markets.
Other ideas came from practices already in use at area businesses.
Quad/Graphics Inc. has in-house personal training, programs, wellness and nutrition education, a fitness center and annual “Biggest Loser” competitions, during which last year 26 participants lost 327 pounds collectively. These services are included as part of the corporate program and is offered to employees and their families as part of the QuadMed health insurance package.
“If you’re employees are happy and healthy, you’re going to be producing the best product,” Sarah Currier, Quad/Graphic’s fitness coordinator, said.
Getting the queen of the spas back her crown as a health destination is a project that will be pieced together bit by bit. In the meantime, there is SPAC’s fifth annual “Rock and Run” on May 18, a wealth of practitioners to revive and give guidance through the trials of getting fit, and the Saratoga Farmers’ Market and Healthy Living are there for support as well as other local businesses.
“What we are finding is that we have some resources here that are on the leading edge, and we’ve got a wealth of practitioners,” Shimkus said. “I think the biggest accomplishment is that we’ve tried to be inclusive in this process. We did not walk into this with a plan other than to listen, and after listening we will be able to sit back and determine what we are capable of getting done.”
