The Healthways Silver Sneakers fitness program will be discontinued at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA, starting on Jan. 1 of next year.
Silver Sneakers is a national exercise program for active older adults available through certain insurance plans. With more than 13,000 partner locations at gyms, recreation centers and YMCAs across the country, Silver Sneakers is an option for seniors who wish to maintain an active lifestyle and build community with other members.
Chapel Hill YMCA branch was not the only center to discontinue Silver Sneakers — there have been many YMCAs across the country that have discontinued their relationship with Healthways, said Kim Grooms, branch executive director for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA.
“The Y continuously evaluates its program offerings and third-party agreements, and when the Healthways agreement was approaching renewal, we wanted to negotiate,” Grooms said. “After many attempts, we could not reach an amicable agreement.”
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA has about 500 Silver Sneakers members in their system, 280 of which are active users who utilize the program six times a month or more, Grooms said.
The YMCA does not differentiate between Silver Sneakers members and non-members, although certain classes are catered to seniors.
After the Silver Sneakers discontinuation, all fitness classes and instructors will remain the same, although the classes with the “Silver Sneakers “ trademark will be renamed. In order for the participants to continue taking part in the classes, they will have to get a YMCA membership.
Roger Hayes is a Silver Sneakers member at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA. He was informed by letter of the program’s discontinuation and also received a follow-up email.
Hayes said he and his wife, Carol, have used the YMCA facility approximately 26 times this year.
