by Debra Karplus

There’s a great opportunity for older adults to stay healthy. Lace up your Silver Sneakers for this special fitness deal for those over 65!

The Silver Sneakers program, is a wonderful way for seniors to become physically fit and stay that way in a healthy, social, and fun way with some special activities and events designed exclusively for older adults. Typically, there is no cost to join a fitness center as part of the Silver Sneakers program.

Where Is the Silver Sneakers Program Offered?

If you check out the Silver Sneakers website, you’ll learn that there are over 15,000 facilities around the United States that are now part of this exercise program for seniors, and the number is ever increasing.

Whether it’s cardiovascular exercise, weight training for muscle strengthening, an exercise or lap swimming pool, group fitness classes like Pilates or yoga, you are very likely to have access to a Silver Sneakers facility close to your home.

Additionally, you can take some of these fitness classes online from the comfort of your home.

How Does a Senior Get Involved With the Silver Sneakers Program?

The first step is contact your Medicare insurance provider to make sure you are specifically covered to be in Silver Sneakers. Your policy may not mention Silver Sneakers, so you need to ask. Once you have established that you are eligible, you will want to look on the Silver Sneakers website to see which gyms have the Silver Sneakers program near you. You may be surprised at the many that do, such as the popular workout spot Curves or at some of the YMCAs.

Once you have identified places where you can exercise, you need to decide what exercise programs, facilities, and equipment appeal to you. Maybe you want a place with generous hours (early morning including Sunday or late in the evening or holidays) or a spot that caters more to seniors than to families or children. Or possibly yoga is your passion. If a whirlpool or a steam room appeals to you, then look for places that have these amenities. Do make a point of touring several facilities before you join one.

What Are Some Other Perks of the Silver Sneakers Program?

Depending on your Medicare insurance coverage and the facility that you join, you may have access to other services at a discounted rate or possibly even free. A brochure from one facility lists as some of their benefits a free orientation session with a personal trainer and discounts on subsequent sessions and also reduced prices for therapeutic massages at the facility.

Perhaps sometime in the not-so-distant future, insurance companies providing coverage to folks under 65 years old will realize the cost effectiveness of wellness plans, including exercise programs such as the Silver Sneakers program, to promote physical and emotional well-being and consequently reduce illness and frequent doctor visits. For now, older adults have a wonderful opportunity available to them to help them stay healthy.

Related Articles

• Low Cost Fitness in Retirement
• Controlling Medical Costs in Retirement
• Getting Physically and Financially Fit To Retire

Reviewed July 2023

About the Author

Debra is an occupational therapist, accountant, teacher and freelance writer. She is a writer for Advance for Occupational Therapy Practitioners. She also writes for Grand Magazine, has some items (fiction and non fiction) selling on Amazon (Kindle), has written several travel articles for the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette and several articles for freelancewriting.com and volunteers as a money mentor for the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension money mentoring program. Learn more about her at DebraKarplus.blogspot.com.