These findings come from “a review of a 1-year-old program that encourages Medicare plan members to sign up for the SilverSneakers Fitness program, a national exercise program run by Axia Health Management L.L.C., Phoenix.” Only “14 percent of eligible Highmark Medicare plan members signed up for the program.”
Those enrolled in the fitness program “used 30% fewer health care services than other Medicare plan members, and health care costs for the members who visited the fitness center the most went down.”
All of these findings don’t come as much of a surprise to me. Most people that are exposed to a structured fitness program change their exercise habits. Joining a gym is not enough but taking part in a program with others pushing you provides a better environment for taking exercise more seriously.
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