As a chiropractor, Dr. Stuart Weitzman’s application of spinal adjustments imply a commitment to taking part in the wellness of many individuals. But his reach extends beyond his office walls, so that building community becomes a backbone that he is also trying to strengthen with his dedication. Whether it’s participating in a senior fair or sponsoring a 5K run, he says, “It’s getting involved in things that just seem like the right the to do.”
Opening his Bedford Hills office in 2000, the commitment to both individual and community first merged as a chance meeting that brought him back to the injury that limited him as a high school lacrosse player and the chiropractic care that put his abilities back in line. At a local gym, his lacrosse t-shirt initiated a conversation and an invite to a practice at John Jay. Nine years later, he still volunteers coaching time at practices and makes as many games as possible.
Of course, physically active school athletes have a leg up on wellness but what of the students not affiliated with any team. “If you have kids creating habits when they are young, it’s going to make life easier,” he says when elevated cholesterol counts and such demand a more healthy lifestyle. As a result, he’s there every year at Fox Lane’s Wellness Fair to help educate kids on establishing a wellness mindset that could make a difference later on.
Today, later on means now as the numerous road races he sponsors provides the community the chance to let wellness intersect along social and business lines. Facilitating connections through active participation in the Mt. Kisco, Katonah and Bedford Chamber’s of Commerce, runners win by making themselves and their businesses more visible to their community – all while setting goals towards personal health.
In turn, their fuel helps keep his fires lit towards the commitment to his own health and thus provide an example instead of just a prescription. “You’ve got to walk the walk,” he says, “and I believe I do that.”
And on the right path, it allows others to more easily find him when an important cause arises, such as Bedford’s town initiative to reduce its carbon footprint. “The town supervisor knew I was really involved in the community, and so she asked me to be on the panel,” he says.
Finally, a walk into his office around the holidays might seem a little cluttered, but that’s with purpose. “The front of my office is mobbed with food,” he says of his annual food drive, “because I want to remind people there are people in need,” he concludes.
Rich Monetti interview of Stuart Weitzman.
