As we age, staying active and maintaining our fitness become increasingly vital for our overall well-being.

After all, regular exercise can improve everything from balance and strength to flexibility and even mood. The good news is that if you’re an older adult, there are plenty of programs designed specifically for you—so no matter your current fitness level, there’s guaranteed to be one that fits your needs.

Bingocize

A favored pastime of many, bingo is a great way to connect with others in your community. But what if you could stay active and learn more about living a healthier lifestyle at the same time? That’s where Bingocize comes in. Started by Dr. Jason Crandall at Western Kentucky University, the program features biweekly sessions that revolve around the game, with a range of motion, balance, muscle strengthening, and endurance exercises along with health-education questions being conducted in between each number pulled. It is offered to nursing, assisted living, and independent living facilities as well as to community senior centers, and training can be done remotely or in person.

For more info, visit bingocize.com

EnhanceFitness

EnhanceFitness is an evidence-based group exercise and fall-prevention program that focuses on low-impact movements specifically designed to improve balance, strength, flexibility, and overall health. The instructor-led classes are an hour long and typically include a warm-up, an aerobic exercise, strength training, stretching, balance exercises, and a cooldown. Beyond improving physical health, a great benefit of EnhanceFitness is the social aspect. Through the program, participants experience a fun and supportive environment where they can connect with other adults and stay motivated on their fitness journeys. Find a class at a YMCA center or other community-based organization near you.

For more info, visit projectenhance.org/enhancefitness

Fit & Strong!

This eight-week program is geared toward older adults with osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis. Fit & Strong! classes are held at community organizations around the United States and focus on helping individuals strengthen and improve stiffness and pain in their lower extremities. Members attend three ninety-minute sessions each week, which consist of low-impact aerobics, exercises for flexibility, and strength training as well as health education and group problem-solving. As a bonus, each individual develops a personalized action plan throughout the program to help them stay active and continue improving their health after the sessions end.

For more info, visit fitandstrong.uic.edu

SilverSneakers

SilverSneakers is an innovative healthy-lifestyle program that has been helping adults sixty-five and older stay physically, mentally, and socially active for more than thirty years. It offers over eighty class types in nine proprietary formats, allowing members to pick from a wide range of focuses, including pickleball, balance improvement, and more. Members also have access to a network of up to 22,000 participating fitness locations nationwide, including community FLEX sites such as senior centers and local parks. SilverSneakers is available to more than nineteen million Americans through many Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and group retiree plans, so be sure to check your eligibility.

For more info, visit silversneakers.com

Walk with Ease

Developed by the Arthritis Foundation, Walk with Ease is a community-based program designed to get members moving more each week. Walking is a proven way of improving mobility, particularly for those with arthritis and other joint-related issues, so this program focuses on stretching, walking, and strengthening exercises. There are three main formats: in-person community, self-guided, and self-directed enhanced. For the first, members meet three times a week for six weeks. Each session is led by a trained supervisor, who starts by discussing a health-related topic before leading a ten-to-forty-minute walk that includes a warm-up and cooldown. The self-guided and self-directed enhanced options are also six weeks, the only difference between them being that multiple people start the enhanced version at the same time and have a designated leader who keeps up with each person’s progress.

For more info, visit arthritis.org/walkwithease

These five programs are only a small sample of options available to older adults. The most important thing is to find one that works for you and helps you stay active and develop healthier habits. Even small amounts of exercise can make a big difference in your health and happiness in your golden years.