Joining The SilverSneakers Program

Turning 65 this year has been nothing but positive! It does feel like the number snuck up on me fast, but you’re only as old as you feel. Being 65 has brought a lot of great things into my life, not the least of which is medicare and all the benefits associated with it, including the SilverSneakersĀ® program.

senior couple sitting on bench

This post is sponsored by Tivity Health who is focused on empowering active aging!Ā  All opinions are my own.

We all know how important it is to stay physically active as we age. Along with keeping our bodies strong, it can help us maintain our balance which prevents falls, improves our flexibility, boosts our mood, and keeps us on top of our game! Tivity Health has a program called SilverSneakers that can help us do just that which I’m excited to share with you today.

woman walking a track in silversneakers program

What is SilverSneakers?

It’s the leading community fitness program designed specifically for seniors with a network of fitness facilities and social opportunities at up to 22,000 thousand locations. It’s available at no cost for 65+ through select Medicare plans. It includes access to thousands of gyms with amenities like weight machines, treadmills, ellipticals, pools, walking tracks, and group exercise classes as well as an on-demand video library of workout classes. You can check out the full program here.

row of machines for silver sneakers program for seniors

We found out about it a few years ago when my husband turned 65. We’d been paying his monthly dues to belong to a local gym and were delighted to learn that his membership costs would now be covered by the Medicare Advantage Plan he’d just chosen! We hadn’t even known that was possible. With his retirement and change to a fixed income, it couldn’t have come at a better time.

lap lanes in swimming pool for seniors

We were mostly using the machines and he was swimming laps daily for exercise, but when the program director suggested we try the Zumba Gold classes for SilverSneakers members, we gave it a shot. I still chuckle at the memory.

Zumba Gold is a lower-intensity version of the typical Zumba class with the same great Latin styles of music and dance. The class was packed so we slipped into a spot at the back of the class. I can still remember how hard we laughed as we tried to keep up with people that were 15+ years older than we were! Obviously, they had been at this steadily and it showed in their energy and coordination:)

senior woman using machine in gym

Having fun while you get your exercise is the best way I can think of to motivate you to continue. An active, healthy lifestyle helps prevent and/or control chronic conditions like hypertension, or diabetes, and boosts our mood so we have a better overall feeling of wellbeing.

woman tying laces on sneakers

They also have a fitness app called SilverSneakers GO for your mobile device which gives you access to fitness programs on the go, allows you to track your activities, and even find local SilverSneakers locations. Yoga, Zumba Gold, and walking are the most popular virtual classes so you can get and stay active when and where you want at any activity level.

woman in gym as part of silversneakers program

As a member of the SilverSneakers program, you have access to more than 13,000 live, instructor-led classes each month plus their on-demand library which features a wide variety of videos specifically designed for people ages 65 and up. Whether you’re interested in classes for flexibility/mobility, balance, cardio, or strength, there’s something for everybody, regardless of your abilities or interests.

woman using nu step machne at gym

Who qualifies for the SilverSneakers program? People who are 65 or older, or eligible for Medicare because of a disability that is living in the U.S. and enrolled in a private Medicare plan that offers the SilverSneakers benefit. You can check your eligibility here.

Open enrollment for Medicare Advantage Plans is on from now until December 7, so I encourage you to see if the plan you’re considering offers SilverSneakers and if it doesn’t, look for one that does!

Thanks for reading ladies and supporting the brands that support AWSL.

 

28 Comments

  1. HA! I just turned 65 in March and was so excited to find out that I could sign up for Medicare while still working full time. I thought I had to be retired. Retirement ain’t happening anytime soon for this girl, unfortunately, but at least I don’t have to pay for health care.

    AND, with my Medicare Advantage plan, I too have a Silver Sneakers membership. I just became eligible June 1, so I have yet to sign up, but I am so looking forward to taking advantage of all the things that are available to me in this age bracket. Might as well embrace it, right? It also makes me a better spokesperson to my patients (I’m a NP) as I help them navigate through the 65+ age bracket.

    You’re right, Jennifer, it did sneak up on us fast. It’s so weird, I honestly feel like I was just 50 and then…poof.

    Thanks always for the great posts.

  2. Rosemarie says:

    What a great program to have for FREE! We don’t have that here on our (Canadian) provincial medical plan or on the private plan I also have.
    There are of course specialized programs at various centres for seniors available at a cost. Prices also vary from centre to centre.
    During major COVID times one of the centres had offered free ZOOM chair yoga classes for seniors and they did get a grant to continue one of them for free so I have continued to participate. It’s nice not having to drive across town.
    It’s so important to continue to be flexible and mobile as we age. Also to continue to have a zest for life!

  3. Katherine says:

    Hi Jennifer,
    It’s great to see you taking care of yourself, you Go Girl, silver sneakers is a great program that Medicare offers.
    I wanted to share with you I have discovered HOKA sneakers and they are my new life saver for my RA feet. I purchased the “BONDI 7 (they have the best support). I wear a size 8 in a street shoe but had to go with a size 9 1/2 Wide. I use the insert 10 Seconds Insoles Cushion that I talked to you about as the in soles.
    I was visiting our family and my Jennifer ordered them on line and loves hers too, says they are so soft and extremely comfortable. When you are out and about I encourage you to try them on. I am living in them. My husband now has two pairs, and he loves them too.

    1. Thanks so much for the recommendation, Katherine. They sound fabulous and I need to try them. Comfortable footwear is always a challenge for me.

  4. Great info ! Do you have links to these workout clothes – I feel more motivated when I feel I look good and I really like your outfits!!

    1. I’m sorry, these are old and sold out but I could not agree more. When I feel I look good, I’m more motivated and confident to work out.

  5. Silver Sneakers is fabulous. It paid the membership at our gym but during the pandemic the online courses were wonderful. The tai chi and circuit classes kept me busy enough that I almost didnā€™t miss my in person classes. Plus the instructors are top notch and make it fun.

    1. I need to try tai chi. I see people doing it in the local grass area in our neighborhood and it looks fascinating.

  6. Helen Rounce says:

    Hi Jennifer,
    I love my silver sneakers at my Crunch Gym. However, I am on a leave for 3 months since I had a knee replacement and miss it a lot.
    BTW what brand are your black sneakers in some of the pictures?
    Thanks,
    Helen

    1. I bet you do miss it. Sending healing thoughts for your full recovery, Helen! The sneakers are Adidas

  7. CathšŸ‡ØšŸ‡¦ says:

    Isnā€™t it great to have the time and some perks, as we age, to maintain our health with exercise!
    Here on Vancouver Island, when it is NOT rainingā€¦been especially bad these past weeksā€¦ I am outside walking , or biking to a local beach or when warmer, further along pathways to a local town. I look for some hills for the walks and long slopes if biking, to get the heart and lungs working harder. The air is fresh and invigorating.
    If it is bad weather, I stay in, adding some WaterRower work with a view of my garden while I ā€˜rowā€™. Tunes are on so the time goes quickly.
    I began one-on- one Pilates this past summer and love it. I feel tighter and stronger, and go twice a week now.
    I checked out my local pool, and now that itā€™s open as per usual, I am there for my deep water workout , followed by swimming some lengths, once a week.
    Apart from the indulgence of Pilates classes, and very reasonable seniors rates at the pool, everything else is free to do.
    My hope is that over the next few months, there will also be the added bonus of feeling more confident in my swimsuit while swimming and snorkeling in the Lesser Antilles coming up late February.
    I have always set exercise goals since I was in my twenties , and although some are more difficult as I age to attain , I do always try. Being sedentary is so bad for the body and mind.

    1. Good for you Cath!! Thatā€™s fabulous. I do want to get back to the Pilates reformer. Thereā€™s nothing quite like it.

      1. Would Pilates be covered on your Medicare plan as well?
        When I began the sessions, I looked at the cost and compared it to the amount of
        monthly rent my husband pays (5+years now) for the sizeable workshop where he
        works on his vintage cars and motorbikes. Just about the same, and we both are doing something we love.

      2. That’s a great comparison tool, plus you deserve it:) I don’t know but I will be checking.

  8. Our Advantage Plan does not cover Silver Sneaker but it did pay for my full Planet Fitness plan for many years.
    So now I use my elliptical bike at least 3 to 4 times a week (sometimes 5 times)
    It is great because I donā€™t have to leave the house and I can exercise in my P Jā€™s
    Works for me, but I wish I had the option of a Silver Sneakers program.

    1. It can be hard to get motivated to exercise at home, bravo, Lin!

      1. Thanks Jennifer. I try.

  9. Thanks for the info Jennifer! Iā€™ve been paying for barre classes at a local studio, and Iā€™m definitely going to look into this as a way to save the cost. I did barre all the way through the pandemic till shoulder surgery a few weeks ago, and this could be an alternative to in studio classes when Iā€™m reay to resume more activity.

    1. I hope your recovery goes smoothly, Diane. Surgery is so stressful at our and any age. Exercising at home is my preferred way to do it.

  10. Hi Jennifer, Welcome to Medicare! I joined Silver Sneakers almost three years ago, yes almost 68. I attend a Senior Bootcamp three days a week and Golden Zumba once a week. I agree, exercising with others is a blast! Love my Advantage plan, so many perks, even includes six massages per calendar year at a cost of $20 per massage.
    I didnā€™t know of the app, thank you.
    Thanks and have a great day!

    1. Massages?!?! I had no idea. Iā€™m checking mine our further. I may need to swap plans:) Thanks Mary Ann.

  11. Paulette Levy says:

    Wonderful programs at SilverSneakers- yes! And welcome to Medicare, which is the best thing for us as Seniors…really the best! I feel better now in my 70s and feel safe and secure knowing I can stay with my current doctors and specialists. You look sensational! Stay well, Jennufer!

    1. A Medicare Supplement plan (rather than an an Advantage plan) is a better fit for my husband and me, so we are not eligible for SilverSneakers. My yoga class has not resumed in-person sessions yet, so I am exercising with videos and starting an online weight lifting program to address my low bone density; less expensive than going to a gym, but I admit being around others in a class is motivating!

    2. Thank you Paulette. Iā€™m so happy with Medicare and our plan! It really is the best.

  12. Diane Vermeil says:

    I’m curious. Are you being paid to promote Medicare Advantage Plans?

    1. No, I am being compensated to let people know about the Silver Sneakers program so they can compare their Medicare Advantage Plans and opt for one that has it if they choose. I always state clearly when a post is compensated.

  13. Silver sneakers has great exercise programs that we used earlier this year during lockdown, right in our den. It does work great for traveling too, we have used a gym when we visit our kids that accepts SilverSneakers.

    1. When we traveled to Palm Springs we were able to find a participating gym to use also! It was great!

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