November 20, 2009 (FinancialWire) — American Specialty Health Inc., one of the nation’s leading health and wellness organizations, announced that the Kaiser Permanente Northwest Region has selected its Silver&Fit(R) senior fitness and healthy aging program for over 50,000 individual* and group KP Senior Advantage Medicare members in 15 counties in Oregon and Washington states.

Upon enrollment to the Silver&Fit program, members receive a no-cost membership at one of more than 400 participating fitness clubs and exercise facilities. Their Silver&Fit membership includes all of the standard amenities offered by that club’s standard membership, such as access to weight equipment, cardiovascular equipment, and where available, pools, saunas, and whirlpool facilities. In some full-service fitness clubs, members may also participate in a fitness program specifically designed for older adults.

Seniors who are not able to participate at the fitness club or simply prefer to work out at home may participate instead in the Silver&Fit Home Fitness Program. Upon enrollment, seniors receive a home fitness kit that may focus on core strength, exercise, walking, aqua aerobics, Pilates, yoga, tai chi, or stress management. Each kit includes tools to help members perform exercises at home. Home Fitness Program members may receive DVDs or Internet access to a variety of fitness classes, all of which are designed specifically for seniors.

All Silver&Fit members receive The Silver Slate(R) quarterly newsletter, access to the SilverandFit.com Web site, and a toll-free hotline to provide information and answer questions about the program.

For Kaiser Permanente, access to Silver&Fit is an ideal benefit for Senior Advantage members, and they’ve responded.

“Our Medicare members have really embraced fitness, and we are delighted that by working with Silver&Fit, we are able to offer seniors even more options to build fitness into their lives,” said Kaiser’s Daelene Schwartz, director, Medicare and Special Populations.

Silver&Fit was developed to assist seniors in beginning or continuing a regular exercise program. Regular exercise has shown to be an important element in preventing some medical conditions, including high blood pressure and heart and lung disease. Cardiovascular and strength training can also help seniors improve their balance and become more flexible, preventing common slips and falls and speeding up the recovery period from such injuries. Access to the network of exercise facilities is provided through ASH subsidiary American Specialty Health Networks, Inc.

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