(NAPSI)—With more than 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 each day, the number of people eligible for Medicare is growing rapidly. Medicare Open Enrollment starts Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, a time when millions of people are evaluating their health plan options to ensure their coverage meets their retirement lifestyle.

When looking at Medicare plans, people check to make sure their physician is included in the plan’s network and prescriptions are covered, but it’s important to see which unique benefits and perks a plan offers to take full advantage of the program. There is much more than standard health care available.

Medicare plans can offer benefits including a free gym or fitness facility membership through programs such as SilverSneakers, the nation’s leading community fitness program designed specifically for older Americans. Exercise is key to helping people live their best lives as they age, maximizing their health and well-being to maintain an active lifestyle. No matter a person’s goal—from running a marathon for the first time to keeping up with grandkids—SilverSneakers members enjoy the many benefits of the program, including:

• Membership to more than 14,000 fitness locations: SilverSneakers members have unrestricted access and unlimited visits to every fitness and wellness facility in the national network, including each location’s basic amenities, such as weights, treadmills, pools and more.
• Specialized fitness classes: SilverSneakers offers a variety of classes in partnering locations that are designed to accommodate all fitness levels and interests. Led by certified SilverSneakers fitness instructors, classes range from SilverSneakers Classic and Splash, to SilverSneakers BOOM®, a fast-paced, higher-intensity class designed for baby boomers and active older adults.
• Friendship and community: So much more than an exercise program, SilverSneakers helps foster new friendships with a welcoming and supportive member community that becomes one of close friends.
• Quality of life: The program changes lives by engaging participants in physical activity to help them do more of what they love. In fact, 91 percent of members say SilverSneakers has improved their quality of life.

More than 14.5 million people are eligible for this program offered at no additional charge through the nation’s leading Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and group retiree plans. You can check your Medicare plan to see if you are eligible for the program and claim your free fitness membership at www.silversneakers.com.

(NAPSI) — The New Year is a wonderful time to not only evaluate your past, but also explore your goals for the year ahead. While it is common that health and fitness resolutions land at the top of people’s list, the truth is that achieving any goal in 2018 is dependent upon good health. Whether planning that bucket list vacation, trying a new hobby or spending more time outdoors, a healthy fitness routine is the backbone of making these goals achievable.

This year, create an attainable health and fitness goal to help you reach all your resolutions. SilverSneakers, the nation’s leading fitness community for older adults, offers the following tips on how to make resolutions that will help you live life well in 2018:

1. Set a SMART goal: SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Action Oriented, Realistic and Time Bound. “Losing weight” is not a specific measurable goal; instead, say you want to lose 10 pounds in three months. That way, you have something to strive toward and measure against.
2. Start small: If you only focus on an ambitious long-term goal, you may be setting yourself up for failure. It is important to set weekly milestones that allow you to see progress and achieve success early and often.
3. Bring a friend: Knowing that you promised a friend you would join her for that 6 a.m. class keeps you accountable for showing up and doing your best. Having a friend to work out with also makes the experience more enjoyable.
4. Track progress: As you work toward your goals, make sure to track your activities and the progress you make along the way. Whether it be pounds lost or miles ran, it will be encouraging to see where you started and where you are now.
5. Celebrate success: Each milestone toward the end goal should be celebrated. Completing your resolution won’t happen overnight and the journey should be an exciting time as you work toward a healthier you.

For more than 25 years, SilverSneakers has been helping older adults enjoy and get the most out of life by engaging participants in physical activity, as well as fostering new friendships with a welcoming member community. Through exercise, SilverSneakers helps people maximize their health and well-being, and maintain their active lifestyle in retirement.

To find out if you are eligible or to find a class in your area, visit www.SilverSneakers.com.

FOR YOUR HEALTH

The American Cancer Society has announced updated cancer statistics, facts and figures which show a decline in the cancer death rate in recent years.

The main takeaway is, the cancer death rate dropped 1.7 percent from 2014 to 2015, continuing a drop that began in 1991 and has reached 26 percent, resulting in nearly 2.4 million fewer cancer deaths during that time.

The data is reported in Cancer Statistics 2018, the American Cancer Society’s comprehensive annual report on cancer incidence, mortality, and survival. It is published in California: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians and is accompanied by its consumer version: Cancer Facts and Figures 2018.

The report estimates that there will be 1,735,350 new cancer cases and 609,640 cancer deaths in the United States in 2018*. The cancer death rate dropped 26 percent from its peak of 215.1 per 100,000 population in 1991 to 158.6 per 100,000 in 2015. A significant proportion of the drop is due to steady reductions in smoking and advances in early detection and treatment. The overall decline is driven by decreasing death rates for the four major cancer sites: Lung (declined 45 percent from 1990 to 2015 among men and 19 percent from 2002 to 2015 among women); female breast (down 39 percent from 1989 to 2015), prostate (down 52 percent from 1993 to 2015), and colorectal (down 52 percent from 1970 to 2015).

While the new report also finds that death rates were not statistically significantly different between whites and blacks in 13 states, a lack of racial disparity is not always indicative of progress. For example, cancer death rates in Kentucky and West Virginia were not statistically different by race, but are the highest of all states for whites.
Prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers account for 42 percent of all cases in men, with prostate cancer alone accounting for almost one in five new diagnoses.

For women, the three most common cancers are breast, lung, and colorectal, which collectively represent one-half of all cases; breast cancer alone accounts for 30 percent all new cancer diagnoses in women.

The lifetime probability of being diagnosed with cancer is slightly higher for men (39.7 percent) than for women (37.6 percent). Adult height has been estimated to account for one-third of the difference.

Liver cancer incidence continues to increase rapidly in women, but appears to be plateauing in men. The long-term, rapid rise in melanoma incidence appears to be slowing, particularly among younger age groups. Incidence rates for thyroid cancer also may have begun to stabilize in recent years, particularly among whites, in the wake of changes in clinical practice guidelines.

The decline in cancer mortality, which is larger in men (32 percent since 1990) than in women (23 percent since 1991), translates to approximately 2,378,600 fewer cancer deaths (1,639,100 in men and 739,500 in women) than what would have occurred if peak rates had persisted.

“This new report reiterates where cancer control efforts have worked, particularly the impact of tobacco control,” said Otis W. Brawley, M.D., chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society. “A decline in consumption of cigarettes is credited with being the most important factor in the drop in cancer death rates. Strikingly though, tobacco remains by far the leading cause of cancer deaths today, responsible for nearly three in ten cancer deaths.”

*Estimated cases and deaths should not be compared year-to-year identify trends.

FOR YOUR HEALTH

(NAPSI) — While visions of sugarplums may be dancing in your head, don’t let your fitness and diet goals get pushed to the side during the holidays.

For many, it is the season of overindulgence—from holiday parties complete with decadent sweets and cocktails, to unexpected dinners out with friends and family. However, treats should be balanced with nutritious options and a healthy fitness routine. Don’t let short-term temptation derail you from achieving your long-term health goals in 2018.

Recruit a workout buddy. It’s much harder to skip a workout when you have a friend who is relying on you to participate.

Sims Corbett, certified national trainer with SilverSneakers, the nation’s leading fitness community for older adults, offers the following tips to enjoy yourself this holiday season while keeping your fitness goals top of mind:

1. Make treats exactly that, a treat: Avoid hovering by the dessert table all night. Allow yourself one treat per holiday party and then seek out healthy options, such as a veggie tray. Or, better yet, split desserts with friends so that you can enjoy all the flavors while staying on track with calories.
2. Make time for exercise: While the holidays are a busy time, set time aside each week to exercise. If you have family in town, gather the group together and go for walks each morning. You can catch up with each other as you get your steps in, and set an example for your youngest family members.
3. Don’t skip meals: Don’t starve yourself in preparation for the big holiday dinner. Breakfast is an important part of your day to kick-start metabolism. Further, eat healthy snacks throughout the day to boost your metabolism.
4. Try a new exercise class: The excitement of trying something new can spark even more motivation to work out. Make the holiday season the time to try a class you’ve been thinking about.
5. Recruit a workout buddy: It’s much harder to skip a workout when you have a friend who is relying on you to participate. Find a friend who can share your fitness routine during the holiday season and keep you accountable to your goals.

For more than 25 years, SilverSneakers has been helping older adults reach their fitness goals, maximize their health, maintain their lifestyle and improve overall well-being.

To see if you are eligible or to find a class in your area, visit www.SilverSneakers.com.

For Your Health