Q: A recent article the AJC had a comment by a woman whose children survived a car crash by being in booster seats. The quote said, “When it comes to car crashes, there are no mulligans.” What is a mulligan?
—Jean Buik, Duluth
A: A mulligan is a golfing term for a do-over. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a mulligan as "a free shot sometimes given a golfer in informal play when the previous shot was poorly played."
Q: What is the SilverSneakers program that gyms seem to accept? Is this a federal government program?
—Eddie Webster, Douglasville
A: According to its website, SilverSneakers is a fitness program designed specifically for senior citizens, for which more than 14.5 million people are eligible at no cost through Medicare Advantage health plans, Medicare Supplement carriers and group retiree plans. It "helps older adults take greater control of their health by engaging participants in more frequent exercise, strength training, aerobics and flexibility training."
SilverSneakers says more than 13,000 fitness and wellness facilities are in its network. The program was founded in 1992 and is managed by Tivity Health, a fitness and health improvement programs provider that is focused on targeted population health for those 50 years and older.
For more information on eligibility, participating health plans or locations of participating fitness centers, visit www.silversneakers.com.
Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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