HELENA — Staying active as we age can be a challenge, but one program is helping older adults stay healthy, social, and strong.
SilverSneakers is a fitness program designed specifically for seniors, and although it has been removed from some Helena gyms, it still remains an important resource.
“It has been a real lifesaver for me,” Wendy Nelson said.
(WATCH: SilverSneakers plays a crucial role in senior health)
Nelson relies on SilverSneakers to stay healthy and recently had to change gyms because Capital City Health Club is discontinuing the program at the end of the year.
They released a statement that said SilverSneakers was no longer sustainable due to program usage and the insurance partnership, but they will provide discounts for those over age 65.
Nelson said, “If it weren’t for a program like this, I wouldn’t have a membership at a health club to go work out because I cannot afford it. I am on a fixed income.”
SilverSneakers provides free gym memberships as part of certain insurance plans for those over the age of 65.
“What it allows people to do is if you don’t have the means to pay for certain things, it opens up that resource,” Whitney Taylor, the assistant general manager at Crossroads Sports and Fitness, said.
Crossroads is taking on new SilverSneakers users from places that are no longer providing the resource.
Taylor said, “Our senior programs are the most attended.”
Currently, Crossroads has 500 silver sneaker members, with around 200 that utilize the program regularly.
“They come in smiling, and when they leave, they are smiling even bigger,” Taylor said.
For many users, it’s more than just health; it’s about socializing.
“It is like a family,” Wendy Ackerman said. “It is an uplifting thing, and I don’t know what I would do without it.”
You can visit this link to find gyms near you that still accept SilverSneakers.
