SilverSneakers For Seniors

July 8, 2011

Since having heart bypass surgery in December, Thomas Daughtry of Selma has adopted a healthful lifestyle that includes regular trips to the gym.

 He and his wife, Joanne, use the pool, take aerobic and stretch classes, and occasionally kick back in the sauna. It's all part of their membership in the SilverSneakers Fitness Program now available at HealthQuest Wellness Center in Smithfield.

 The cost of the program is covered under the couple's Medicare supplemental insurance. It includes full access to the wellness center as well as an orientation session and an aerobics class tailored to the needs of aging adults.

 The membership is also good at other gyms and wellness centers participating in the SilverSneakers program. "It's a great deal," says Daughtry, who is 71. "I can't believe it's free."

 Ashley Scott, director of the wellness center, points out that exercise keeps the heart healthy and the joints and muscles strong. It also improves balance, flexibility and endurance.

 "It's important for older adults to exercise on a regular basis. The healthier you are as you age, the more likely you are to recover from illness and injury," she says.

 Daughtry knows that first hand. Following his heart surgery, he enrolled in the three-month-long cardiac rehab program at HealthQuest. With exercise, he felt stronger and happier. But after the program ended, he gave up the regimen and began losing the health benefits he had worked so hard to achieve.

 Now he's glad to be back at the wellness center and thankful that his insurance pays for the exercise program. A membership to HealthQuest would have cost $65 a month for the couple. "It would have been more than I could afford," he says.

 Scott encourages SilverSneakers members to visit the wellness center at least two to three times a week to see results. And they may bring with them another Medicare-eligible guest for one free visit, she says.

 In addition, HealthQuest has put together a personal training program for aging adults. The class, called Senior Fit, meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The fee for HealthQuest members is $60 a month.

 For more information about SilverSneakers, call the wellness center at 938-7581.