Keeping Each Other on the Path of Wellness

There’s an old adage, “good food, good friends, good times.” Watertown Area YMCA member, Pam Sterling, along with her tribe of fellow fitness comrades live out this expression well.

For the past 15+ years, the group of 5 women from the Watertown community have been dedicated on a regular basis to work out, fellowship and travel together, something they describe as keeping each other on the path of wellness.

It all started back in 2006, as Pam and one good friend were meeting every Saturday morning for coffee and a fitness class at the Watertown Area YMCA (formerly HAWC.) Over the years, as they continued to try new Y classes being offered, they met new women, finding camaraderie and adding to their group of steadfast workout enthusiasts, who also just happened to love a good cup of java.

“We think our early morning group gets along so well because we have a positive outlook on life. We encourage each other to try new classes and we challenge each other to keep growing,” says Pam.

From Cycling to Body Pump to Flow to Combat, no matter what the class was being offered, this group of women always found something to better their overall health.

This continued pattern of fellowship and fitness at the Y grew a tight knit bond between the five friends, eventually leading to taking vacations together to Northern Wisconsin. Exploring the Northwoods, hiking or biking, eating good food and enjoying each other’s company with time away has strengthened their relationships even deeper.

Pam says the accountability built from this strong bond is really what fuels the group to stay active together. “We all attribute our exercise habit as one reason why we feel good and are generally pretty healthy. We’ve learned about clean eating and healthy snacking from our Y teachers. But we’ve also learned about how important social connections are to our health,” says Sterling.

Even during the height of the pandemic, this commitment stayed stable, with the friends continuing to meet, socially distanced, to walk. They would bundle up and walk a good 3 miles around town, then have coffee together at home via Zoom.

Through the Watertown Area YMCA, this special group of women have found connection, support, encouragement and wellness.

Sterling adds, “As much as we like each other, we really feel like we’re part of the larger Y family. We also feel their support and encouragement to build our healthy spirits, minds and bodies!”