Silver Sneakers & Medicare – What’s The Deal?

SilverSneakers provides older adults with affordable access to gyms and fitness centers so that they can stay in shape and continue to lead healthy, productive lives. The program is a benefit offered with many Medicare health insurance plans, and older adults living in both Virginia and Missouri can reap the benefits of this program.

What Exactly is Included in SilverSneakers?

With SilverSneakers benefits, older adults can join a gym free of cost and enjoy the facility and fitness equipment, which often includes cardio machines like the elliptical as well as resistance training equipment, such as free weights and weight benches. They also have access to amenities, such as swimming pools, walking tracks, saunas, and locker rooms.

Some gyms also provide group exercise classes, such as yoga, Pilates, and cycling, that SilverSneakers members can attend to maintain their fitness as they age. At some fitness centers, members can take exclusive SilverSneakers classes, where participants use free weights, resistance bands, and medicine balls to strengthen the muscles and improve their range of motion. Trained group exercise instructors and fitness trainers lead SilverSneakers program members through these classes. Fortunately, exercise routines included in these classes can be adapted to suit older adults with various ability levels.

Exercise classes are an obvious advantage of the SilverSneakers program, and another significant benefit is that it allows members to use the facilities at more than one gym or fitness center. For instance, a member may use a different gym when traveling or may attend exercise classes at various locations. SilverSneakers members simply must locate a gym that participates in the program, and they are eligible to exercise and take advantage of the amenities at that location. The SilverSneakers program website offers a tool where members can locate participating gyms and fitness centers in Virginia and Missouri.

Am I Eligible?

SilverSneakers was designed for adults aged 65 and older, and many people who are enrolled in a Medicare Plan are eligible to participate. Even if you are under the age of 65, you may be eligible for SilverSneakers as a part of your Medicare insurance plan, as there is no official age requirement for program participation.

For anyone who is unsure if they are eligible for SilverSneakers, the program website provides an eligibility tool that allows searchers to determine if they qualify to participate in the SilverSneakers program. For those in Virginia and Missouri looking to enroll in a Medicare Plan that includes SilverSneakers, the website also offers a plan search tool that provides a list of insurance companies, by state, that offer the SilverSneakers benefit.