EXERCISE AT THE YMCA – ANYWHERE – An essential part of elder travel!

Traveling for long periods of time, or staying in one new place for a period of time, requires a routine if you are old. A necessary part of that routine is exercise. The YMCA, the club of our childhood, provides the setting.

The YMCA is available nation-wide,  is usually open for long hours, has skilled instructors, and a variety of programs. If you are old,it can be free.

The trick is to have a Silver Sneakers membership through your insurance plan. Free at home means free at most any place you travel in the US, and if you are visiting children and grandchildren, you need some place to go and something to do during the day. The Y provides that; without worrying about walking on strange and often busy streets. Exercise is the key to successful aging.

The best bet is an insurance-paid Silver Sneakers plan. This is good nation-wide at YMCAs and many health clubs. You have no excuse.

If you belong to a YMCA in your hometown, either through Silver Sneakers or with a paid membership, you can ask to have your name put on the Nationwide Membership List, which can be accessed by any YMCA in the country.

If you don’t have an insurance-paid plan, you can always pay a small fee to use the Y. It  depends on the place, but most of them seem to have fee schedules topping out at  about $75 per month. The schedules also seem to only go to age “64 and under,” so as an old person, it may be  free anyway.

We are in Florida, for a month and checked into the Clearwater, FL YMCA. We were on the Nationwide Membership list, courtesy of the Albuquerque YMCA,  which meant that we had a home YMCA and were eligible to  use other facilities; however in Clearwater, it was limited to a max of 24 days, and the Y suggested we use our Silver Sneakers membership, giving us  unlimited use of all facilities and access to all classes. 

The Clearwater Y is a new and modern facility and has every class you could imagine, including Silver Sneakers exercise, chair exercise, yoga, pilates, Tai Chi,  etc. In addition, there is a pool, a hot tub, basketball court, a complete weight room and every sort of exercise machine.

If you don’t believe me, check out the Clearwater Y.

It also provides numerous trips to local restaurants for lunch, other events, and classes on topics that should be of interest to old people.

If you want to go outdoors, there is a 1/4 mile walking/running track, but if you come from New Mexico, it is better to walk on the beach, which is also free.

Trainers are available  for a reasonable fee.

Sources:

Nationwide-membership in the YMCA

SILVER SNEAKERS

Clearwater, Florida YMCA

THINK OLD!