Exercise Your Options: Free Fitness Programs for Seniors

By Kaki Zell

​As they grow older and retire, many seniors find themselves living on a more limited income, and they cut costs by eliminating “extra” items such as gym memberships. However, if you’re a senior who has health insurance (whether that’s through Medicaid or another program), the chances are good that you’ll qualify for one of these two free fitness programs: SilverSneakers and Silver&Fit.
 
Below, we explain how these programs work and the benefits they offer seniors and then cover fitness tips for exercising safely as an aging adult.

SilverSneakers

SilverSneakers is the premier free fitness program for older adults and has been helping seniors stay fit and healthy for 27 years. The program partners with more than 60 Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement insurance (Medigap) plans to provide unlimited access to more than 14,000 fitness locations nationwide, at no cost to its senior members.
 
The gym access is free to those with the specified insurance plans and covers everything included in a regular gym membership: treadmills, ellipticals, weight machines, classes, pools, saunas, etc. The location may even offer exclusive classes specific to the program, such as SilverSneakers Yoga or SilverSneakers Splash. However, extras that you would pay for on top of the memberships—such as massages or personal training sessions—aren’t covered by SilverSneakers.
 
You’re not confined to the gym with SilverSneakers. The program also includes SilverSneakers FLEX® classes, which are taught by certified instructors and take place in locations such as parks and community centers. More than 70 types of classes, ranging from tai chi to boot camp to yoga, are offered.
 
Once you sign up, you’ll also get access to social events in your community and online resources with nutrition and fitness tips. SilverSneakers also offers an at-home kit for seniors who want to start working out at home or who can’t get to a fitness location due to injury, illness or being homebound. If this describes you, you’ll need to call customer service to get the at-home kit.

​Silver&Fit

Offered by American Specialty Health, Silver&Fit is also available at free or low cost to seniors on participating medical insurance plans, such as Kaiser Permanente’s Senior Advantage. Silver&Fit members get access to four different types of facilities across the nation:
 

• Full Coed Fitness Centers–includes Silver&Fit-endorsed exercise classes as well as a standard membership with cardiovascular and resistance training equipment
• Basic Coed Fitness Centers–includes a standard membership with cardiovascular and resistance training equipment
• Gender-Specific Fitness Centers–includes a standard membership but members work out with others of the same gender
• Exercise Centers–such as community pools, recreation centers, yoga and Pilates studios

 
If you prefer to work out at home, Silver&Fit also offers an at-home option, where members can receive two at-home fitness kits per benefit year.
 
Silver&Fit is quite interactive and digitally advanced, and it offers fitness challenges for members (both group and individual) as well as a digital resource library that includes online classes, healthy aging videos, articles and The Silver Slate® newsletter. The initiative has also created the Silver&Fit Connected! App, which allows you to sync and track your activity from approved wearable fitness devices and apps, if you own those already. Your fitness activities will then be converted into points that can be redeemed for rewards such as hats and collector pins.

​Tips for Exercising

SilverSneakers and Silver&Fit are two excellent ways to start working out or taking exercise classes for free. No matter how old you are, it’s never too late to start exercising. However, seniors do need to keep their age and abilities in mind whenever they start up a new fitness program, regardless of how experienced they are. Here are our top tips for working out as a senior:
 
Discuss it with your doctor. Your doctor will be able to advise you on the most beneficial exercises for your body, as well as any cautions you should be aware of (such as movements to avoid if you’re recovering from a fall).
 
Do a variety of workouts. Seniors should engage in four main types of workouts: endurance/aerobic exercises, strength exercises, balance exercises and flexibility exercises. Performing all four types of workouts will result in the most benefits and help keep you healthy for years to come. Shaking up your workout routine also keeps you from getting bored and makes it more likely that you’ll stick with your new lifestyle.
 
Follow exercise guidelines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults who are 65 and older, are generally fit and have no limiting health conditions should perform muscle-strengthening activities that target all major muscle groups at least two days a week. In addition, seniors should also get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., brisk walking) or 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., jogging or running) every week. If this sounds like a lot, starting with even just 10 minutes of activity a day will help lay a great foundation.
 
Get the right gear. It’s very important to wear supportive tennis shoes with non-skid soles when you work out, especially if you already have foot problems. Make sure your clothing is breathable and gives you plenty of mobility without posing a tripping hazard (you don’t want excess fabric to catch in a weight machine, for example). If your joints bother you, ask your doctor if wearing an ankle support or knee brace while you work out can help stabilize them and minimize pain.
 
Even if you’re having to keep a careful eye on your budget in retirement, SilverSneakers and Silver&Fit can help you create or maintain your fitness routine at no extra cost. Check with your health insurance provider to see if you’re eligible for one of these programs.

Author Bio

​Kaki Zell is the Vice President and co-owner of Ames Walker.  After graduating from Virginia Tech she went on to work for Pepsi for several years before joining the family business.  When she is not working she enjoys running, hiking, traveling, Virginia Tech football & spending time with family & friends.