Summer is upon us, and with warm, sunny weather comes longer days, vacations, and visits from friends and family. For your older patients, keeping up with this increased activity can be a challenge. Because the heat of summer can make it difficult to continue some types of exercise programs, swimming and water-based exercises are great ways to keep active throughout the hotter months.
Healthways SilverSneakers Fitness Program offers Keystone 65 Select HMO, Keystone 65 Preferred HMO, and Personal Choice 65SM PPO members the opportunity to incorporate water-based activities into their summer routines and build the strength and endurance they?ll need to enjoy the many picnics, family outings, and social events that go hand-in-hand with summer.
SilverSneakers is a fitness benefit included with many Medicare plans, and your Independence Medicare Advantage patients may be eligible, but not yet taking advantage of their SilverSneakers benefit. SilverSneakers includes a fitness membership with access to more than 13,000 locations nationwide. Members have access to exercise equipment, swimming pools, and fitness classes* designed specifically for older adults. SilverSneakers Splash is taught by a certified teacher and designed to help members improve agility, range of movement, cardiovascular health, balance and coordination, and to build strength. This class is taught in shallow water so both swimmers and non-swimmers are able to participate.
Share the benefits of participating in water-based exercises with your Independence Medicare Advantage patients:
- It can decrease the risk of chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease.
- It helps reduce the symptoms of arthritis and osteoarthritis.
- It can lessen disabilities, relieve pain, and fight depression.1
- It?s easier on bones and joints than other forms of exercise.
- It can make them feel better, inside and out.
SilverSneakers is a great resource to help your patients keep active this summer and lead healthier lives all year round. In fact, 62 percent of SilverSneakers members in 2014 reported their health as ?excellent? or ?very good? compared to only 32 percent of older adults nationally, and 63 percent of members reported having ?a lot of energy? most or all of the time.2
So whether they splash around in the pool with their grandchildren, or during a SilverSneakers Splash class, please encourage your patients to take a swim, be active, and stay cool this summer.
Refer your patients to the Silver Sneakers website or 1-888-423-4632 (TTY: 711) for more information.
*Amenities vary by location.
1Centers for Disease Control, www.cdc.gov/healthywater/ swimming/health_benefits_water_exercise.html
2Healthways® SilverSneakers Annual Participation Survey, 2014
SilverSneakers is a registered trademark of Healthways, Inc., an independent company.