It can be climate, cultural, or anything else, but the best we can do is speak to (our) communities.Residents are given full access to the superb amenities and services offered by Montage, a Forbes. “Miami has a great situation, but barriers are different everywhere. Kirk-Sanchez, the chair of the UM’s Department of Physical Therapy, agrees. But if the government helps with accessibility, there can be some change,” said Hartley. “There are other places throughout the state and country that are impoverished and cannot afford Medicare Advantage. He believes that more people around the country need access to preventative programs. “Miami is definitely a place to study in terms of what got (the city) to be so healthy,” Hartley said. Whatever their reason for getting fit, Miami seniors are ahead of much of the country in terms of health. “If I hadn’t been exercising, I could’ve had a heart attack, and I could’ve died,” he said. It turned out that there was a problem in the left ventricle of his heart (called the widow maker). While exercising a few years ago, he felt strange and went to the doctor. Juan Suarez Rivas working out at the University of Miami’s Wellness Center. Rivas said he has exercised his whole life and thinks it saved his life. Juan Suarez Rivas, a 75-year-old Cuban, works out at the University of Miami’s wellness center, where, as an alumnus, he receives a substantial discount. Chester can now lift more than five pounds, and Maria is strong enough to swim again. Maria Isabel Garcia, 59, originally from Nicaragua, started exercising with her husband Chester after she was diagnosed with skin cancer and he was diagnosed with a tumor.īecause of their proactive actions and changes in their diet, the couple have become healthier overall. Instead of using Silver Sneakers, some Miami seniors pay for preventative health measures out of their own wallets. “Medicare Advantage programs that do provide Silver Sneakers and other benefits tend to be much more expensive than basic Medicare, and there needs to be more accessibility for some incremental effect to happen,” said Neva Kirk-Sanchez, an associate professor in the Miller School. The Silver Sneakers program does encourage elderly people to exercise, but seniors who are not enrolled in Medicare Advantage don’t have access to the program. “What’s so great about the medicare advantage plans for the elderly is that they are proactive instead of reactive, and that, in the long run, allows seniors to not have to go to the hospital and have to pay for reactive treatment,” said Greg Hartley, president of the Academy of Geriatric Physical Therapy and assistant professor of clinical physical therapy in the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Physical Therapy. The program has helped me physically, mentally and emotionally,” said 73-year-old Luisa Gralv, a participant in the Silver Sneakers Program. “The main benefit is the gyms are free, and that motivated me to go work out. Many senior citizens believe the program contributes to all elements of their wellness. “Exercise assists in keeping bones, muscles and heart strong, and with older people exercising more, complications such as arthritis, diabetes and other medical problems can easily be reduced,” he said.
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The Silver Sneakers Program helps senior citizens exercise, socialize, and improve their lifestyles.Īlex Guzman said activity can stave off all manner of health problems.Īlex Guzman, inside the gym.
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Miami has 228 Silver Sneakers partner gyms, almost as many as New York City, which has double the population of senior citizens. The Silver Sneakers Program is an initiative created in 1992 to encourage elderly people to exercise by allowing free memberships to partnered gyms through Medicare Advantage plans, a gap insurance policy with a focus on preventative wellness. One contributing factor may be government programs, such as Silver Sneakers, along with other factors, such as culture and climate. But Miami’s obesity rate is significantly lower, with only 15.1 percent of seniors being considered overweight. Miami has become a city where seniors stay fit and healthy. Nationally, 38.9 percent of people over the age of 65 are obese. “There are currently more seniors in the facility than the youth, and the high number of older people give this LA Fitness significantly more traffic,” said Alex Guzman, a personal trainer at LA Fitness. Alex Guzman, outside the LA Fitness where he works as a personal trainer.