If you have a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plan you might qualify for a free or nearly free membership to a gym or fitness center.
Two nationwide companies – Silver and Fit and Silver Sneakers – partner with health insurers and fitness centers to provide discounted memberships for senior adults. If you have an AARP Medicare Plan from United Healthcare, you have access to a similar program, Renew Active.
Fitness centers often covered in one of the programs include the YMCA, Life Time, O2 Fitness and Planet Fitness. Prices for an annual discounted fitness center membership can be as low as $50 per year or even free.
Many health insurers offer one or more of these programs as a part of their Medicare Advantage or Supplement plans. If you do have one of these Medicare add-ons, here’s how to find out more about how to get a discounted fitness center membership:
- If you already know what fitness center you want – for example, if you have friends who are members – the easiest thing to do is to contact the fitness center directly. Ask if they offer discounted memberships through your plan.
- If you haven’t selected a fitness center, search for one that will best serve your needs based on location, programs offered, and facilities like a pool. You can get a list of fitness centers near you that are covered by each plan by entering your zip code at the links below. You can also select filters to find gyms / fitness centers that have amenities you want, such as a pool.
- Browse the lists and decide which fitness center looks best for you. If the fitness center you want is not listed in the search above, it might still be covered. You should contact the fitness center you want to double-check if it is covered in your Medicare plan.
- Find out if you qualify for the plan that covers that fitness center (Silver and Fit, Silver Sneakers, or Renew Active). You can call your health insurance company, or you can fill out a form and check your eligibility online. You can check your eligibility online at:
- Contact the fitness center you’ve selected just to double-check that they offer discounted memberships through your plan.
- Enroll in the program.
You can also start by contacting your health plan insurer to find out which plans you qualify for. You can also browse the list of participating health plans at:
- Silver and Fit Participating Health Plans
- Silver Sneakers Participating Health Plans
- Renew Active Participating Health Plans
Free Home Exercise Programs
Silver and Fit, Silver Sneakers, and Renew Active also offer free home exercise programs, including live online classes and dozens of videos on demand.
Read more at:
AARP Exercises
AARP offers free exercise videos to members and non-members at:
