F I TNESS Malena Cutler teaches the SilverSneakers exercise class at Fitness Inc. Photos by Doug Lindley
GRANDMAS AT T HE GY M Pocatello’s SilverSneakers program is designed with seniors in mind. And whatever they’re doing must be working, because people keep coming back for more, year after year
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• By Eniko Jordan for Flourish •
hese days Grandma and Grandpa may have a brand new gig, and it’s not baking cookies or going fishing. With the growing fitness trend emphasizing senior fitness, Grandma and Grandpa may just as likely be found working out at the gym. And one of the most popular ways for seniors to get the exercise they need is by participating in the SilverSneakers program. SilverSneakers offers a menu of choices designed to help keep seniors active and fit. The motto for the program is “fitness, fun and friends” and combines fitness classes with opportunities to socialize with other participants. In Pocatello, the Fitness Inc. health club has the largest SilverSneakers program in Idaho. Since Humana health-insurance
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company provides free health-club memberships to senior clients under its Medicare Advantage program, there are plenty of seniors taking advantage of the opportunity to get fit, have fun and make friends. Seventy-six-year-old Bette Lochridge goes to SilverSneakers classes and other fitness classes five days a week for cardio strengthening and yoga stretching. She started by taking her mother to SilverSneakers. “I thought it would be a good
“This keeps me moving and helps with my balance. You can get a total workout, and there are lots of friendly people here.” -SilverSneakers participant Bette Lochridge