With the seasons changing and weather cooling down, now is a great time to consider stepping up your fitness game by joining your local fitness club! Whether you are looking for family, all age encompassing facility like the Rec Center or a more private, 24-hour club setting, New Ulm has many choices!

What many people still may not know or realize is that many companies and health insurance companies offer fitness incentives of some variety. Some companies will offer a flat dollar amount reimbursement where all you need to do is produce a paid receipt from the club and the company will reimburse a portion or all the dollars. Others offer a reimbursement through insurance where if you work out a certain number of times per month, you are reimbursed up $20 per month for your club membership. Another method we are familiar with is the program where you are offered a free membership, the club verifies your eligibility and all you have to do is show up! The club submits your workouts and they are directly paid by the insurance fitness program administrator.

These incentives have been available for the past several years and many people do not even realize they are eligible for such benefits. It is important for you to know if you are eligible and to take advantage of these win-win programs! Chances are, if you have HealthPartners®, Medica®, Preferred One®, Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN®, U-Care®, Humana®, PRIME®, South Country Health Alliance® or one of the many Medicare supplements that offer Silver Sneakers® or the Silver and Fit® programs, you are likely eligible to take advantage!

It is so easy to take advantage of these programs! Most often, they involve minor paperwork and we do the rest, so you can focus on yourself and your workout routine! If you are eligible for one of these programs, please stop by the Welcome desk at the Rec Center and we would be happy to get you started! This is a huge incentive to joining a fitness center, but it shouldn’t be the only reason to join. Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your health. Besides the endless physical benefits of exercise, it also can increase production of hormones that make you feel happier, help with relaxation and sleep better, making you feel energized, improve skin appearance, help lose weight and keep it off, decrease rink of chronic disease and pain, improve brain function while protecting memory and thinking skills, is good for muscles and bones and improve mood, resulting in a decrease in feelings of depression, anxiety and stress. The result is lower health costs, but the most important benefit is your general health and state of mind.

Other advantages of joining a fitness center is the peer support and camaraderie that comes from working out with others. This can push individuals to work harder and keep them coming back for more!