SilverSneakers keeps older adults healthy and active

By Leah Grout Garris, for The Gazette

Len Petska, an 88-year-old Cedar Rapids resident, calls the SilverSneakers class he attends his “can-do class.”

“Because of this class, I can do things I never used to be able to do,” he says. Petska has struggled with shoulder problems for 30 years. After participating in the SilverSneakers Fitness Program for six years, he has better range of motion and less pain.

“I can even reach up and hold a nail to hang a picture,” he says. “I couldn't do that before.”

The SilverSneakers Fitness Program was founded in 1992 on the premise that, in order for health care to be viable in the long run, cost-effective, preventive benefits need be incorporated into the entire care continuum to reach people of all ages, explains Lindsay Montague, a SilverSneakers instructor at Rockwell Collins Rec Center in Cedar Rapids. Health plans around the country offer the program to people who are eligible for Medicare or to group retirees.

SilverSneakers participants receive a basic fitness center membership at a participating fitness center, gym, or YMCA; access to a trained adviser; admission to any SilverSneakers class; health education seminars; and a SilverSneakers Online program to track health progress.

“The classes help seniors get through everyday activities, like getting in and out of a chair or stepping side to side,” Montague says. “The exercises lead to more independence and improve quality of life.”

Petska says his class, which is held three times a week, incorporates exercise for all fitness levels.

“Some of us come in with walkers and wheelchairs. Some of us are very mobile,” he says. Participants are encouraged to work at levels they're comfortable with, he adds.

SilverSneakers also provides the opportunity for socialization.

“We provide monthly events that each senior can participate in if they choose,” Montague says. In March, for example, the program hosted a dietitian who spoke about heart health.

“We also set up tours and bus trips around Iowa to add to the social aspect,” Montague says. “It provides them with motivation to get involved and stay active.”

A group of participants from Petska's class often gathers after class for coffee and a chance to catch up. Some bring baked goods to celebrate birthdays or other life events.

“The advice I'd give to other seniors thinking about joining is, ‘Don't worry about not being able to keep up!'” Petska says. “Both my wife and I come out of each class saying, ‘I didn't feel like going today, but I feel a lot better than I did when I came in.'”