Do you talk regularly with your Independence Medicare Advantage patients about the importance of physical activity? Since many patients may be reluctant to discuss exercise or bring up the topic, you?ll usually need to initiate the conversation. The SilverSneakers^® fitness program by Tivity Health, an independent company, has tips to help you work the topic of exercise into your discussions. Also noted is the approximate time to allow for each point.

Use the following tips — the 5 As — to talk with your Independence Medicare Advantage patients about the importance of physical activity and how SilverSneakers can help them get and stay active:

1. Ask (1 minute). Ask your patient about the frequency of exercise. Is he or she getting 150 minutes a week of aerobic activity and doing strength activities two days per week?
2. Advise (1 minute). Provide clear advice to encourage each patient to begin or increase exercise. Point out that regular activity can help him or her to maintain a healthy weight and improve balance and stability.
3. Assess (1 minute). Assess the willingness of the patient to take action in the next 30 days. Ask if he or she is ready to commit to being active for 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
4. Assist (3+ minutes). Suggest problem-solving methods to overcome any barriers to exercise. For example, if the cost of a fitness membership is a concern, remind the patient there?s no cost to use the SilverSneakers benefit. If your patient has never been to a gym or fitness center, say that nearly half of SilverSneakers members were new to fitness before they joined the program. If your patient thinks getting started will be too involved, walk him or her through the steps listed below.
5. Arrange (1 minute). Periodically assess each patient?s frequency of exercise and provide encouragement. You might ask at each visit if he or she is still getting 150 minutes a week of aerobic activity and doing strength activities two days a week; and if he or she is still using the SilverSneakers benefit.

SilverSneakers is available at no additional cost to Keystone 65 Select HMO, Keystone 65 Preferred HMO, Keystone 65 Focus Rx HMO, and Personal Choice 65^SM PPO members. Remind your patients that enrollment is simple. Advise them to follow these steps:

• Go to silversneakers.com.
• Click Find Fitness Locations and enter their ZIP code to find a SilverSneakers location close to their home.
• Next, click Get Your Card to get their unique SilverSneakers member ID number to take to the location of their choice to get started.
• Get active. Start working out with support from friendly staff, certified instructors, and other SilverSneakers members.

For more information about SilverSneakers, visit silversneakers.com or call 1-888-423-4632 (TTY:711).

Tivity Health and SilverSneakers are registered trademarks or trademarks of Tivity Health, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. ? 2017 Tivity Health, Inc. All rights reserved.