You might have also heard that working out and hitting the gym is only for the youth. However, this isn’t the truth.
Not only is this far from the truth but also, regular exercise is even more crucial for seniors than for young people. So, if you are an elderly person, you have to seriously consider doing regular exercise.
Through regular exercises, you can maintain your muscle strength, retain body balance, as well as keep a sound mind, along with several other benefits.
But aren’t commercial gyms too hard for senior citizens? Well, it can be, unless you go to the right place. Because there are some good gyms for older adults where you can go with all confidence.
Through this article, we will be discussing with you 5 such gyms that you can find near you. Read along!
5 Best Gyms For Seniors
Before we list out the 5 best fitness centers for seniors, let us make clear what makes them good in the first place.
First of all, as a senior citizen, you won’t be looking to lift heavy. So, what you want might be a gym where you can have a calmer, lighter workout environment. Of course, there are seniors who still lift heavy, but it is just not the general case.
Secondly, group classes will be great for you. Group classes have a rhythm, so they can just carry you with the flow. If you are only into individual weight training, there are high chances that you will lose the inspiration quickly.
Also, classes like yoga are great for seniors for the mind’s health and body’s balance.
The next factor to consider will be whether they have good trainers. Most seniors will need a guiding hand while working out.
Last but not least, comes the pricing part. When you are in the twilight of your life, spending too much money on gym memberships might not be a practical option.
Considering all these, you might want to consider fitness centers good for seniors in the pricing aspect as well. Here in this article, we will be therefore mostly listing low-mid ranged gyms. Most gyms we list here accept the Silversneaker program; which your health insurance provider already offers!
So, here are the 5 best gyms for seniors that you can find near you!
YMCA
Reiterating what we said already, your gym membership might not be only for lifting weights when you are a senior citizen. It’s equally about refreshment and socializing as much as it is about strength training if not more.
YMCA is an excellent gym for older people, as much as it is for younger people. Besides great facilities for weight training, YMCA clubs mostly come with facilities for cardio, refreshing group training and activities, but more importantly, those engaging social events.
Different YMCA clubs have their own programs and fitness activities for seniors. Contact their club near you to learn more about such group activities.
Speaking of the pricing, YMCA clubs may not always have discounts for older adults. And the membership prices there come in the range of $40 per month.
So, if you find a YMCA club near you, try reaching out to them and learn if they offer discounts on senior memberships.
Why we suggest YMCA despite them not having such discounts, is their senior citizen-friendly programs. That is, they always have group classes designed with exercises with less strain on your body, all while ensuring your body receives enough training.
Such group training programs are also helpful in socializing, which can be otherwise hard to do for some senior citizens. They also have additional facilities like swimming pools and courts, making things even better!
Also, though they don’t have usual discounts, most YMCA clubs do accept SilverSneakers, if you have health insurance. So, also ask if your nearest YMCA club accepts SilverSneakers.
Planet Fitness
How can we ever miss out on Planet fitness, when we are speaking about the best gyms for senior citizens, right? Well, Planet Fitness is an excellent choice to work out at in your older adult years.
The best thing about Planet Fitness among good gyms for the elderly is its workout culture. Perhaps no other big gym chain in the United States has a more casual and take-it-easy workout culture than Planet fitness!
PF has even banned making loud noises, showing off muscles, and other behaviors that you would see in other professional gyms. Planet Fitness is in fact more welcoming to casual gym goers.
While visiting as a senior citizen, you can always expect discounts and SilverSneakers access. But with membership plans starting for as low as $10 per month, even a normal membership at Planet Fitness is itself cheap.
So, even without availing any discount, you have a cheap gym membership option at PF.
Now, speaking about the quality of equipment, their safety, and staff behavior, there is nothing particularly negative at Planet Fitness. Of course, they may not have the best facilities like in most other professional gyms, but are just enough for casual gym goers.
Also, they have particularly trained trainers to help especially elder people to do things.
Anytime Fitness
Anytime Fitness is the next one on our list of the best gyms for seniors. They are one of the largest gym chains with around 2500 clubs in the United States and across the globe.
Although it is such a big chain, its clubs are mostly smaller in size, as well as calmer than most other hard core gyms. So, you can exercise in a more peaceful environment at Anytime Fitness.
In addition to decent quality weight training and cardio equipment (although smaller in numbers), they also offer group classes that are good for your body and mind. They conduct circuit training, group classes like yoga (which is great for building balance and calmness of mind), and many more.
Another cool thing about Anytime Fitness is that, as the name suggests, they are open 24 hours a day. So, for senior citizens with a habit of waking up early (or even that of going to bed late), Anytime Fitness is a great choice.
Now coming to the price part, they have a monthly fee of $40 and are basically a mid-range gym. But if you have the SilverSneakers membership, you can further bring down the prices!
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Snap Fitness
Snap Fitness is another gym choice for the elderly. They are present at more than 500 clubs across the United States, and are also opening hundreds of newer clubs across the globe.
What makes Snap Fitness a good gym for older adults is their group classes and cardio workouts. They do have weight training as well, but their group classes are their major highlight.
Although most Snap Fitness classes don’t have a dedicated senior citizen friendly workout program, the older adults can have a good time there through their group classes. So, if you can find one of their gym locations near you, reach out to them and learn about more details.
Coming to the pricing part, Snap Fitness has a monthly fee that comes around $40, making it basically a mid ranged gym. But if you have active health insurance, you might be able to access the SilverSneakers facility.
Onelife Fitness
Onelife Fitness is yet another gym where you can engage in less intense workout sessions. Even if you visit one of their clubs casually, you could see a number of seniors working out!
In the United States, they have just above 40 clubs, mostly located in the states of Virginia, Georgia, and Maryland. So, keep in mind that you can find a Onelife fitness club in only a few states; but if you could find one, that will be a great deal for you!
Now speaking about the workout culture, almost every Onelife Fitness club can offer you a calm workout environment. In addition to weight training and cardio facilities, you can also find pools in most of their clubs.
If you are a senior citizen, swimming is one of the best exercises you can do. Swimming is great for not only maintaining strength, but also for cardio health, bone strength, body balance, and also to have a rather light workout experience.
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Winding Up
Those were the 5 best gyms you can find near you for seniors. Most of these gyms are present in a large number of locations except for onelife fitness.
So, search which of these are present near you. Reach out to them, and learn about the exact packages they offer for seniors. Some clubs may have offers for seniors.
But in most gyms, they will be instead having the SilverSneakers program. Most likely your health insurance providers would offer this program to you. So, if you have a valid health insurance plan and your insurer offers SilverSneakers, ask the gym whether they accept it.
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