Almost all Medicare Advantage members (98 percent) were in plans that covered some fitness benefits in 2022, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study. These benefits take several forms, including membership in the popular SilverSneakers program for people 65 and older or its competitors Renew Active and Silver&Fit.

SilverSneakers provides access to more than 15,000 fitness locations across the country; online dance, exercise, meditation, stretch and yoga classes; and an on-demand video library of prerecorded workouts. A free SilverSneakers GO fitness app for Apple and Android phones is also available. Other Medicare Advantage plans also offer free gym memberships with access to a nationwide network of health clubs and exercise locations, personalized fitness plans and on-demand workout videos.

In addition to gym access, many plans provide incentives to stay active, such as a free fitness tracker every two years, discounts on a smartwatch or exercise equipment if you meet activity goals, or gift cards if you take certain healthy actions, such as exercising or getting a flu shot.

How do I find Advantage plans with fitness benefits?

To find Medicare Advantage plans with fitness benefits in your area, go to the Medicare Plan Finder, type in your zip code and choose Medicare Advantage Plan for the search. It will prompt you to put in your medications, but you can bypass that.

Next, you’ll see a list of Medicare Advantage plans available in your area. The Plan Benefits summary for each option will have a green check mark if the plan has vision, dental, hearing, transportation to and from a medical appointment, or fitness benefits. Click on the Plan Details button and scroll down to Extra Benefits for a summary of fitness benefits available. To learn more details beyond “Not covered” or “Some coverage,” you can contact the plan at the phone number at the top of the Plan Details web page or read plan documents on the insurer’s website, linked at the top of the page.

Do Medigap plans offer fitness benefits?

Even though Medicare supplemental plans, also known as Medigap, don’t include fitness benefits as part of their standard coverage, you may find they include gym membership as well as discounts for dental, hearing, and vision services at no additional cost. Some plans offer low-cost packages to add these benefits.

Here, too, you can use Medicare’s Plan Finder tool to learn more about Medigap plans in your area.

How to stay active and motivated during quarantine

When your daily routines are disrupted, finding the motivation to exercise can be a challenge. The key is to build a new structure that works for you. Schedule your workouts as you would any important appointment to create commitment and turn intention into action.

Focus on consistency rather than intensity, especially when adapting to a new environment. Setting small, achievable goals—like a 20-minute walk or a short bodyweight circuit—can build momentum. Remember that any movement is better than none, and establishing a regular habit is the most important first step.

At-home and outdoor exercise ideas

You don’t need a fully equipped gym to maintain your fitness. Many effective workouts can be done with minimal or no equipment, either in your home or safely outdoors.

• Bodyweight training: Exercises like squats, push-ups, lunges, and planks are foundational movements that build strength using your own body as resistance.
• Yoga and mobility: Focusing on flexibility and movement quality can reduce stress and improve recovery. Many free resources are available for guided yoga flows and mobility routines.
• Outdoor cardio: If you can do so safely, activities like walking, running, or cycling are excellent for cardiovascular health and provide a much-needed change of scenery.

The most popular quarantine exercises, according to WHOOP data

A recent study examined data from 50,000 WHOOP members between January 1 and May 15, including over 4.9 million workouts. This comparison captured exercise behaviors before and during social distancing, using March 9 as the cutoff—the week the World Health Organization classified COVID-19 as a pandemic and the US declared a national state of emergency.

The study tracked the six most popular exercises: running, functional fitness, weightlifting, cycling, swimming, and walking. It measured the relative frequency of each activity on a daily basis. As you can see in the graphic below, there was a significant uptick in running, cycling, and walking once social distancing began.

QUARANTINE EXERCISE MODALITIES WITH BIGGEST INCREASE

Walking took the biggest jump, followed by running and cycling. The spikes on the graph show increased participation in all three activities on weekends, which continued during quarantine. However, with running in particular, the frequency of weekday and weekend participation became more similar—a lack of commuting gave runners more opportunity to get outside during the week.

The quarantine workouts that decreased

The three activities people started doing more of are all individual forms of exercise that happen outdoors—a needed break from being stuck inside. Functional fitness, which for many members was already a solo at-home workout, saw little change. Weightlifting and swimming saw significant decreases, coinciding with the closures of gyms and athletic facilities.

Other trends in quarantine exercise: Increased frequency and intensity

The sample of 50,000 WHOOP members exercised 1.1% more often once quarantine began. With many social activities unavailable, people turned to working out to pass the time. Exercise modalities like running and cycling require a high cardiovascular load, and members spent 1.8% more time working out in their three highest heart rate zones during quarantine.

The study also discovered improvements in several key physiological markers that WHOOP tracks, including sleep, resting heart rate, and heart rate variability.

Understand your body’s response to new routines

Adapting your fitness routine is the first step. Understanding how your body responds to those changes is the next. Are your new workouts building fitness without compromising recovery, and are you getting enough sleep to support your efforts?

WHOOP quantifies the impact of your daily behaviors on your body. By monitoring your Sleep, daily Strain, and Recovery, you get personalized insights to help you train smarter, recover faster, and build healthier habits.

Frequently asked questions

Does exercise help fight a virus?

Regular, moderate exercise can support your immune system. Physical activity helps promote good circulation, which allows the cells and substances of the immune system to move through the body freely and do their job efficiently. However, it’s important to balance activity with recovery, as overtraining can place stress on the body.

Does exercise speed up COVID-19 recovery?

The relationship between exercise and COVID-19 recovery is complex and depends on the individual. Some research suggests that light physical activity during and after the illness may help with certain symptoms, particularly mental and neurological ones. It is critical to listen to your body, avoid strenuous activity while sick, and consult with a healthcare professional before resuming exercise after an infection.

How does WHOOP measure the intensity of a workout?

WHOOP measures the intensity of your activities by analyzing your heart rate. The Strain score quantifies the total cardiovascular load you experience throughout the day, whether from a specific workout or other daily stressors. By tracking how much time you spend in elevated heart rate zones, WHOOP gives you a clear picture of how hard your body is working.

Lou Mudge is a Health Writer at Future Plc, working across Fit&Well and Coach. She previously worked for Live Science, and regularly writes for Space.com and Pet’s Radar. Based in Bath, UK, she has a passion for food, nutrition and health and is eager to demystify diet culture in order to make health and fitness accessible to everybody.

Multiple diagnoses in her early twenties sparked an interest in the gut-brain axis and the impact that diet and exercise can have on both physical and mental health. She was put on the FODMAP elimination diet during this time and learned to adapt recipes to fit these parameters, while retaining core flavors and textures, and now enjoys cooking for gut health.