UNCATEGORIZED

Le Koradior exhibition

Koradior, a high-end women’s fashion brand, made an eye-catching appearance at the Chinese Cultural Center in Paris, France, on the occasion of the Sino-french Fashion and Culture Festival, which took place during Paris Fashion Week. After taking part in several events around the world, the brand continues to spread Chinese embroidery, blending Eastern and Western arts.
Transforming garments into veritable works of art has always been La Koradior’s principle. Thanks to its meticulous craftsmanship and ongoing absorption of nutrients from traditional crafts, the company is committed to making clothing an art.
In the future, La Koradior will continue to adhere to the principle of “excellence in craftsmanship, the art of haute couture and Sino-Western aesthetics” and collaborate with craftsmen and artists from different fields to create more exquisite garments and transmit Sino-Western aesthetics to the world.

La Koradior, marque de mode féminine haut de gamme, a fait une apparition remarquée au Centre culturel de Chine à Paris, en France, à l’occasion du festival de mode et culture Sino-français, qui s’est déroulé pendant la fashion week de Paris. Après sa participation à plusieurs évènement à travers le monde, la marque poursuit la diffusion de la broderie chinoise, en entremêlant les arts orientaux et occidentaux.
Transformer les vêtements en véritables œuvres d’art a toujours été le principe de La Koradior. Grâce à son savoir-faire méticuleux et à l’absorption continue de nutriments issus de l’artisanat traditionnel, l’entreprise s’est engagée à faire de l’habillement un art. À l’avenir, La Koradior continuera d’adhérer au principe de “l’excellence du savoir-faire, de l’art de la haute couture et de l’esthétique sino-occidentale” et collaborera avec des artisans et des artistes de différents domaines pour créer des vêtements plus exquis et transmettre l’esthétique sino-occidentale au monde entier.

Lexus TX

The First-Ever 2024 Lexus TX: Three-Row Luxury Where Everyone Wins

Latest marketing campaign puts spotlight on a new modern family, that requires a new kind of vehicle

For far too long, the seat chosen in an SUV has set the tone for the journey ahead. Passengers are often left battling for the best seat, fighting for access to a USB plug in the front row or playing “Rock, Paper, Scissors” to avoid a cramped third row seat. In its new marketing campaign for the first-ever 2024 TX, Lexus embraces a new family pecking order where everyone wins. Whether a passenger prefers to sit in the front, the back, or somewhere in the middle, the TX doesn’t compromise on space, comfort, technology, or luxury.

Lexus customers have long asked for a genuine three-row SUV, and with the debut of the TX, the brand delivers more than a method of getting from point A to point B. It also ensures the journey in between is enjoyable for all.

“When headed to a sports practice with gear and kids or a long ride to a weekend getaway, the TX will satisfy and delight the diverse needs of our customers,” said Vinay Shahani, vice president, Lexus marketing. “The arrival of the TX is a pivotal moment for Lexus, and our marketing campaign showcases a new era of three-row luxury, where every seat is crafted to feel like the best seat.”

Broadcast Spots

The campaign debuts with eight broadcast spots with wide-reaching and targeted creative – each spotlighting how every seat in the TX gives your family and friends substantial space without compromising the luxurious amenities they expect.

In Team One’s spot, “Battle Out There” a family arrives back at the airport, weary from a day of travel. Memories of their bad seats quickly fade away when they are rescued by the spacious Lexus TX. Characters are further explored in three unique :15 spots, “Cargo,” “Captain’s Chair,” and “Interface” that highlight the family members’ individualized travel pain points, and the redemption they receive when entering each row of the TX.

In Walton Isaacson’s spot, “The Road Best Traveled,” a Black family thrives while doing unexpected things in unexpected ways with help from the TX. Meanwhile, in the agency’s second spot, “Cast of Characters,” a Hispanic family loves doing things together, but not in the same way. They find the TX’s ample space and innovative technology the perfect solution for allowing every passenger to shine.

In IW Group’s spot, “VVIPs,” we’re introduced to stylish East Asian characters in an action thriller that allows them to connect in their TX. In the agency’s second spot, “Here,” we see the lively traditions and connections between a family as they prepare for a big modern Asian Indian wedding, made possible by the TX.

Media Placements

The marketing campaign aims to put the TX at the heart of cultural conversation, debuting across linear TV, streaming TV, audio, digital, programmatic, paid social, and print. Strategic partnerships will include Billboard Music Awards, 100 Thieves and NTWRK, among others. Paid social will run on TikTok, Instagram/Meta, and Pinterest.

For more information on the first-ever TX, visit www.lexus.com/tx and the Lexus Newsroom.

Understanding U.S. Immigration Laws For Children

Immigrating to the United States with children is exciting and stressful. If you’re unfamiliar with U.S. immigration laws, the process can also be frightening and frustrating. Navigating the many complexities of child immigration to the US can leave you drowning in a massive sea of neverending paperwork.

Whether you’re planning on immigrating to the US with your family or are already in the country, here’s what you need to know about the immigration process.

Which Type of Visa Should You Apply For

Before you become a U.S. citizen, this is a whole other process; you must decide on the type of visa. These visas are designed for families or children with sponsors in the United States, and there are two types to choose from.

IR-2 Child Visa

Parents of children living in another country can apply for an IR-2 child visa. The parent must be a U.S. citizen, and the child cannot currently hold a green card. The child also must be under the age of 21 and not married.

You can apply for the visa through the immigration office or at the US Embassy in the child’s country of origin. This visa also applies to U.S. parents looking to adopt a child from a foreign country.

K-2 Visa

When a U.S. citizen is engaged to someone with a child living in another country, going through the K-2 visa process may be appropriate. K-2 and K-1 visas are linked, and the same rules apply—the child cannot be over 21 years of age and must be unmarried. The primary difference between the two types of visas is the parents’ marital and legal status.

What About DACA

DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is a separate program from the visa application process. While DACA does not grant citizenship to children illegally entering the United States, it does offer some protection and benefits.

Under DACA, children who entered the United States illegally can obtain work permits, driver’s licenses, and even social security numbers. However, as of 2021, the program is no longer accepting applicants due to a ruling by the Federal courts.

A Closer Look at the Immigration Process for Families

Applying for a family visa when you’re immigrating with children is more complicated than filling out a few forms. There are some steps you must take and some specific documents you need to submit.

Proving Your Income

You don’t need to currently hold a job in either the United States or the country you’re immigrating from. However, you will need to prove you can support your family in the U.S. Typically, this falls to the sponsor in the United States.

Some of the necessary documents can include submitting tax returns and paycheck stubs. For families without a US sponsor, they may be required to submit proof of employment in the country where they currently hold citizenship. Your previous income should meet the minimum amount necessary to support your family, and the amount varies based on the size of your family and the country you’re coming from.

All Family Members are Required to Submit Documents

This part of the immigration process can be more frustrating than proving your ability to provide for your family. If you’re married and immigrating with your spouse, a copy of your marriage certificate is required. You will also need to supply birth certificates for everyone in your family, including your children.

Sometimes, finding a copy of a child’s birth certificate is next to impossible, especially in countries dealing with internal conflicts. Some poorer nations can also be more lax about keeping birth records.

Don’t worry if you cannot produce your child’s birth certificate; the parent or sponsor can still start the immigration process. If obtaining a copy of the birth certificate isn’t possible, you can also submit a baptism record, census record, or a document from your country’s government indicating your child’s birth occurred on their soil.

Getting Ready for the Medical Exam

Before you can successfully immigrate to the United States, everyone in your family must go through a standard medical exam, which includes all children, including infants and newborns.

You will see either a civil or panel surgeon for the medical exam, who performs the exam for families already in the United States. If you’re still in the country you are immigrating from, your exam is performed by a panel surgeon, who is simply a doctor in your country who’s authorized to perform exams for immigration by the U.S. State Department.

Why do you and your family need to undergo a medical exam? The medical exam ensures there are no underlying health conditions that can prevent the individual from legally entering the United States.

What should you expect from the exam? The physician will review your medical history and immunization records. After that, a complete physical and mental health screening is next. You should expect to be screened for alcohol and drugs; even a positive alcohol test can make you ineligible for legal entry into the United States.

You should also expect at least one x-ray, and testing for contagious and non-contagious viruses and illnesses is also part of the medical screening process.

Tips on Traveling Safely to the United States with Children

Sometimes, a situation demands a family with children to leave their country suddenly without going through the visa process. You can still immigrate legally, only you may be waiting in a facility until your visa goes through.

If you do travel into the country without visa approval, make sure to go through one of the border checkpoints. After all, you don’t want to risk the safety of children by crossing into the country illegally. Furthermore, if you do, your family may also be separated until a sponsor is found or your visa is approved.

Visa approval can take a while, but once it’s given you typically have six months to enter the United States. For additional safety tips on immigrating with children, the Department of Homeland Security has some helpful advice to help.

Immigrating To The U.S. with Children is Possible

Navigating the many complicated immigration laws for children and adults takes a lot of time and patience. Take your time, make sure you have all your paperwork in order, and be willing to answer some important questions.

As long as everything’s in order—and before you know it—you and your family will be living in the United States. We wish you all the best in your journey of pursuing the American dream.

Katya Leonovich – EVERYDAY HEROES

“Everyday Heroes,” an exhibition of new paintings and photographs by artist Katya Leonovich, will be on view at Leonovich Gallery from October 4-November 13, 2023. A catalogue with an essay by exhibition curator Kathleen Cullen will be available.

The exhibition’s theme is work by men in its many manifestations. The twenty-two portraits of cleaners, construction workers, barbers, taxi drivers, electricians, policemen, firemen and waiters, noticed by Leonovich in her New York neighborhood, are painted from photographs and successfully capture a moment in New York City urban life. In a recent article in The Atlantic, Spencer Kornblauer says there is currently a real desire for working class heroes and authenticity in art as exemplified by Oliver Anthony’s hit song “Rich Men North of Richmond.”

Through a female lens, Leonovich’s garish, bold, confrontational, confident and empathetic paintings, skillfully reveal the essential aspects of her male subjects’ humanity and diversity. While not overtly sexual, the paintings have symbolic allusions to sex and desire. “I like men, I prefer to paint them,” says Leonovich.

Leonovich is influenced by the figurative explosion of Renaissance paintings and the German Neue Sachlichkeit or New Objectivity painters and their interest for a return to daily reality within art. Her portrait painting process starts with an encounter with a prospective subject followed by photographs taken with her iPhone. With picture in hand, Leonovich gets to work. She paints very quickly, sometimes one painting a day, hands and faces are key. She found her groove after finishing the first portrait when she realized that she could make her paintings as fresh as a sketches, almost like action paintings. Leonovich uses a lot of oil paint to place light upon dark creating an otherworldly light. Tapping into the “ugly painting” conversation, Leonovich’s portraits are good examples of aesthetic provocation with her aggressive brushwork and warped figures.

Leonovich’s portraits are not satirical nor do they pass moral judgement. They are portals into the personal worlds of people we all observe but rarely get to know. They are explorations of portrait paintings’ possibilities.

THE LEGACY OF SOPHIA VARI

Two current exhibitions presented by The Nohra Haime Gallery celebrate the work of Sophia Vari (1940-2023), the Greek artist known internationally for her polychrome paintings, collages, and sculptures. Married to the Colombian artist Fernando Botero, Vari died in May 2023.

Throughout her career, Vari explored color, form, and volume, interrogating the construction of space and the relationship between object and viewer. The artist cited influences ranging from Cubism, to classical Greek sculptures, to Olmec artifacts.

Sophia Vari: A Retrospective showcases a collection of sculptures, watercolor paintings, and assemblages from four decades of the artist’s career. This exhibition contains works from the 1980s, including Dryades (1985), an example of how during this decade Vari mostly limited sharp angles and colors, concentrating on fluid and organic lines. The exhibition shows how she then began implementing distinct angled curving lines and later including color, adding another dimension to her works. Temps Suspendu (1999), for example, demonstrates her consideration of the harmony between the flat and voluminous.

The Fascinating Story Behind “My Wife’s Lovers”

Some paintings capture the imagination, and others garner headlines. Every once in a while, a painting manages to do both, and for the right reasons. One painting that does both is Carl Kahler’s My Wife’s Lovers.

At first glance, it’s a painting featuring a lot of cats. To be exact, there are 42 cats in the celebrated painting. So, what makes this piece of artwork so notable? We’ll take a look at the story behind the painting and the artistic techniques used in My Wife’s Lovers.

Getting to Know the Artist

My Wife’s Lovers was commissioned in 1891 by Kate Birdsall Johnson. A millionairess from San Francisco, she was an avid lover of cats. Rumors still swirl around the number of cats she supposedly owned, ranging from 50 up to 350. However, most experts agree the number is closer to 50, simply because it seems a little more manageable than owning hundreds of cats.

The painting’s artist, Carl Kahler, was primarily famous in New Zealand and Australia before eventually meeting Mrs. Johnson in 1891. His fame was primarily centered around horses and race tracks. A surprising fact is he never painted a cat before creating this painting. In fact, he spent three years following Mrs. Johnson’s cats around, creating sketches before even attempting to start the painting.

Thankfully, she had plenty of subjects for him to study and follow. After three years of studying cats, Carl Kahler created what was to become his masterpiece.

The Story of Sultan

In the painting My Wife’s Lovers, a gorgeous white Persian cat takes center stage. The cat is named Sultan, and the Persian has his own story to tell. During a vacation in Paris, Mrs. Johnson came upon the cat. She immediately fell in love with the cat’s luxurious fur and brilliant green eyes.

Unfortunately, Sultan’s owners were in no mood to sell their cat, much to the disappointment of Mrs. Johnson. Don’t worry, she didn’t catnap the feline. Instead, she made an offer the cat’s owners could not refuse. She offered three times the cat’s value in cash and returned home to San Francisco with Sultan in tow.

So, how much did she pay for Sultan? Mrs. Johnson paid $3,000. In the late 1800s, $3,000 was an exorbitant sum of money. For some, the amount is more than they make in a year.

The Painting’s Name and Composition

Where did Carl Kahler get the name for his famous painting? Actually, he is not responsible for the name. Mrs. Katie Johnson is responsible for the title. It’s thought that the painting’s name is a nod to her late husband. While he passed away before the painting’s commission, he used to refer to Katie’s cats as ‘My wife’s lovers,’ so she repurposed the name to use for the painting.

The painting’s composition is relatively simple, but it is also effective. Sultan’s the star, and his place in the center highlights Mrs. Johnson’s fondness for the Persian cat. The remaining 41 cats are arranged in either family groups or are solo. If you look closely, you can see some of the cats closely watching a moth.

Carl Kahler used oil paints to create the stunning work of art, which was a common medium in the late 1800s.

The Painting’s Survival and Travels

After the painting’s finish, it traveled to the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Yes, it was an instant hit and this helped lead to its quick sale in 1893 after Katie Johson’s death.

Ernest Harquette, also of San Francisco purchased the painting from her estate sale in 1894 where it hung in his Palace of Art Salon until the devastating earthquake of 1906. While the salon was destroyed, the painting miraculously survived.

In the 1940s, the painting went on tour across the United States. By now, Mr. and Mrs. Julian of Chicago were the proud owners. The painting even made an appearance at the 1940 Cat Show held at Madison Square Gardens. The painting was such a hit it sold 9,000 prints. Cat Magazine went on to call it the “World’s greatest painting of cats” in 1949.

The Size, Weight, and Staggering Auction Price

By 2015, My Wife’s Lovers made it to Sotheby’s auction house. The artwork’s large size and impressive weight forced the auction house to erect a special wall for the painting. So how big is My Wife’s Lovers? The oil on canvas painting measures 70 by 101 3/4 inches and with the gilt frame, weighs 227 pounds, meaning it’s not a painting you can easily move around.

The painting’s value is estimated between $200,000 and $300,000. For a painting with cats as the subject, the value is already making headlines—however, media attention on the painting skyrocketed after a bidding war broke out. My Wife’s Lovers eventually ultimately sold for a staggering $826,000 by an anonymous collector based in California.

The buyer purchased the painting in remembrance of their mother and is quoted saying “I bought a print of it for her, and it hung in her living room until she passed away at 91. Its California history made it all the better,”

The stunning price also makes My Wife’s Lovers one of the most expensive paintings of cats. Something artist Carl Kahler probably did not expect when he was commissioned to paint cats.

A Painting That is a Testament to a Women’s Love of Cats

Mrs. Johnson’s love of cats is well documented, along with her patronage of the arts. Throughout her life, she typically kept around 50 cats on her 3,000-acre San Francisco property. While she adored all cats, she had her favorite breeds. All of her cats were either Persians or Angoras, as these two breeds were popular in American and European society circles.

After her death, she didn’t leave her estate to her cats—instead, she left an adequate sum to look out for their care and well-being. The majority of her estate was bequeathed to establishing a hospital for less fortunate women and children in San Francisco. At the end of the day, My Wife’s Lovers is a deep, touching testament to one woman’s love of cats.

How Did Ray-Ban Sunglasses Become Iconic Fashion Pieces?

Whether you’re a connoisseur or just someone casually into fashion, chances are you’ve heard of the brand Ray-Ban. After all, it’s one of the top manufacturers in the global eyewear market, reported by GlobeNewswire to be worth $157.51 billion in 2021 alone. Together with two other eyewear manufacturers, Ray-Ban sales account for almost 50% of the total market share. But before Ray-Ban became a staple in popular culture and the fashion industry, it underwent a long history of growth and transformation. Let’s take a closer look at how Ray-Bans went from being protective eyewear to the iconic fashion pieces we know today.

1930s – 1940s: Military roots

Founded in 1937 by the Bausch & Lomb Company in New York, Ray-Ban is an eyewear brand that introduced itself to the world through a new type of sunglasses known as Aviators. As stated in a Back Then History article on the Ray-Ban Aviators, these were originally designed to “ban rays” from the eyes of pilots and provide greater visibility during flights. Although Aviators first featured a plastic frame with green lenses in a shape mimicking pilot goggles, they were eventually upgraded to an all-metal frame with gradient lenses for greater eye protection. Since then, Aviators have been popularized among the military for effective glare control when battling the harsh elements of the outdoors.

1950s – 1980s: From cinema to everyday life

Ray-Ban Aviators expanded their reach in the 1940s, owing to the fact that civilians wanted to emulate the military style and fashion at the time. But it was only in the 1950s that a different style emerged with the debut of the Wayfarers. Rather than being purely functional like the Aviators were, the Wayfarers were seen as unisex fashion accessories worn by cinematic icons like James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause and Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. As Wayfarers continued to skyrocket in fame through the silver screen, Ray-Ban sunglasses started offering this best-selling design for both sunglasses and eyeglasses, with greater color and material options than ever before. To this day, this means men and women can rock a pair not just for special occasions but also to look stylish and sophisticated in everyday life.

1990s – 2000s: Acquisition and collaborations

While the brand has been steadily growing for almost six decades, the nineties marked a new chapter for Ray-Ban. Its founder, Bausch & Lomb, stepped back to make way for the acquisition by international eyewear conglomerate, Luxxotica. As Luxxotica is also known for handling other fashionable eyewear brands under its umbrella, it was able to maximize Ray-Ban’s full potential and usher in a more developed identity. Rather than solely relying on the vintage charm of Ray-Bans, the company grew its influence through a wider catalog for sunglasses and prescription lenses, as well as limited-edition collaborations with musical acts like The Smiths and The Kills.

2010s – Today: New technologies and a brighter future

Ray-Ban’s growth and success have shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon as the brand continues to innovate with new technologies. For one, Ray-Ban now offers top-of-the-line designs integrated with cutting-edge science. To illustrate, they now carry Chromance lenses that are specifically developed for outdoor athletics in terms of their polar filters, multi-layer coating, and anti-reflection features. With the recent rise of the metaverse, Ray-Ban has even partnered with Meta to develop smart glasses with technical features. Although this pair looks like any conventional glasses suitable for everyday use, it has built-in camera sensors, microphones, and speakers to capture rich and detailed images and sounds for Facebook Stories and calls. These smart glasses are branded as the Ray-Ban Stories and are available in the Wayfarer, Round, and Meteor Styles.

It’s clearly evident that Ray-Ban knows how to strike a balance between embracing its original charm and tapping into technological advancements for constant innovation. This results in a timeless brand that will continue to grow and make a mark for years to come.

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like our piece looking at the Prive Revaux sunglasses.

New Spidey Suits

The highly-anticipated Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 launches on October 20, and Marvel’s Spider-Man comics are joining the excitement with new MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN 2 VARIANT COVERS! Showcasing designs of the new suits that will be available in the game, these previously unannounced covers will adorn various Spider-Man titles starting in November, including upcoming issues of Amazing Spider-Man and Miles Morales: Spider-Man.

The latest installment in the critically acclaimed Marvel’s Spider-Man series will allow players to web-swing through the New York skies as both Peter Parker and Miles Morales. The 10 covers spotlight 5 new unlockable costumes for both heroes. Brought to you by artists across comics, films, and PlayStation Studios, each of these designs put a unique and bold spin on the iconic Spidey suit:

Miles Morales Suits
Encoded Suit design by Kris Anka
Biomechanical Suit design by

The highly-anticipated Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 launches on October 20, and Marvel’s Spider-Man comics are joining the excitement with new MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN 2 VARIANT COVERS! Showcasing designs of the new suits that will be available in the game, these previously unannounced covers will adorn various Spider-Man titles starting in November, including upcoming issues of Amazing Spider-Man and Miles Morales: Spider-Man.

The latest installment in the critically acclaimed Marvel’s Spider-Man series will allow players to web-swing through the New York skies as both Peter Parker and Miles Morales. The 10 covers spotlight 5 new unlockable costumes for both heroes. Brought to you by artists across comics, films, and PlayStation Studios, each of these designs put a unique and bold spin on the iconic Spidey suit:

Miles Morales Suits

Encoded Suit design by Kris Anka

Biomechanical Suit design by Jerad Marantz

Tokusatsu Suit design by Julia Blattman

Agimat Suit design by Anthony Francisco

Red Spectre Suit design by Sweeney Boo

Peter Parker Suits
Aurantia Suit design by Raf Grassetti

Apunkalyptic Suit design by Jerad Marantz

Tactical Suit design by Joel Mandish

Stone Monkey design by Victoria Ying

25^th Century Suit design by Anthony Francisco

Check out all 10 MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN 2 VARIANT COVERS now and ask your local comic shop about availability and preordering! For more information, visit Marvel.com.

Jerad Marantz
Tokusatsu Suit design by Julia Blattman
Agimat Suit design by Anthony Francisco
Red Spectre Suit design by Sweeney Boo

Peter Parker Suits
Aurantia Suit design by Raf Grassetti
Apunkalyptic Suit design by Jerad Marantz
Tactical Suit design by Joel Mandish
Stone Monkey design by Victoria Ying
25th Century Suit design by Anthony Francisco

Check out all 10 MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN 2 VARIANT COVERS now and ask your local comic shop about availability and preordering! For more information, visit Marvel.com.

SAG AFTRA AI PANEL

SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland Joins AI Panel at New York Comic Con

SAG-AFTRA announced today that its National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, will be joining the AI in Entertainment: The Performer’s Perspective panel at New York Comic Con on October 14 from 4:45-5:45 p.m. ET.

The panel will cover how existing legal structures can be used in some areas and how new standards need to be built for performers and producers to collaborate while still protecting individual rights to performance and publicity. Crabtree-Ireland will discuss how the union is approaching the issue, the laws surrounding this technology, and its role in the current strike and recent strike authorization vote on the Interactive Media Agreement that covers members’ work on video games.

Also appearing on the panel will be Cissy Jones (The Owl House, Transformers Earthrise), Courtenay Taylor (Mass Effect series, Resident Evil series), Tim Friedlander (Record of Ragnarok, president/founder of NAVA) and Andi Norris (Resident Evil 8: Village, Star Wars Vader Immortal). Linsay Rousseau (Transformers: War for Cybertron, God of War Ragnarok) will moderate.

Visit sagaftra.org online or find us on social (Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter).

Does Medicare Cover a Gym Membership?

Medical experts around the world agree that a sedentary lifestyle with low levels of activity and exercise is dangerous to human health. Regular exercise offers tremendous physical and emotional health benefits. A workout can help a person increase their critical oxygen intake, maintain their body’s cardiovascular system, improve their flexibility, stamina and strength, correct posture problems, support spine and joint health and improve overall mood. If a person needs rehabilitation after an injury or illness, a physical therapy treatment plan that includes cross-fitness and targeted exercises can help heal and strengthen a broken bone, reverse muscle wasting, and improve mobility after a fall or sprain.

Yet, many people need access to specific types of equipment and a professional trainer. With the price of fitness center and gym memberships at an all-time high, it’s wise to explore every possible option.

Medicare Gym Membership Coverage

According to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services at Medicare.gov, people 65 years of age and older and younger people with disabilities who are covered by Original Medicare (Parts A and B) must pay for the membership because a fitness center or gym is considered an “out-of-pocket” expense. That said, several Medicare extra coverage and supplemental plans offer this benefit because fitness-related memberships fall under the umbrella of “preventative care” services.

Medicare Part C and Medigap Coverage

Many private insurers offer alternative plans to traditional Medicare, such as Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Medical Supplement Insurance (Medigap) plans. These options might cover fitness center and gym memberships. The type and amount of coverage depend on a variety of factors.

Medicare Part C might offer membership coverage to plan participants at retirement age (65+) but not to younger people with disabilities, you can learn more about Medicare Part C on this website. These flexible coverage options for seniors include Renew Active, Silver&Fit and SilverSneakers. Standard Medigap might not offer this benefit, but a person might find out that they can pay an extra fee for the coverage at a price that’s lower than the membership fee.

Since many insurers have restrictions and permit memberships with only certain companies, MA participants need to check with their private insurance companies. With these programs, participants might also receive other benefits, such as discounts on services not covered by the membership or even home exercise equipment.

Related Services Covered by Parts A and B

It’s important to note that Original Medicare does cover medically necessary fitness-related services. A plan participant can usually receive coverage for nutrition and weight-loss services if prescribed and supplied by licensed physicians. If someone has an illness that makes nutrition management, exercise or weight loss difficult, they might receive membership or related services if a medical necessity exists and the support can help prevent debilitation or death.

If a participant can’t afford or receive coverage for a gym membership after a serious illness or injury, they can usually at least receive coverage for diagnosis and treatment appointments with a certified physical therapist. A knowledgeable and experienced P.T. can teach them how to perform each of the exercises they need to improve their health and provide them with a plan and schedule that they can follow at home.

Alternative Ways to Stay Fit and Healthy

Plenty of people acquire low-cost or free fitness center and gym memberships without their health insurance. Some people work for companies that offer membership as a wellness-program benefit or provide an on-site employees-only gym. Many fitness centers and gyms offer discounts to certain groups of people, such as AAA, AARP and USAA members, senior citizens, current and former service men and women, college and professional athletes, and teachers. Some hospitals also offer alternatives for people who can’t financially afford a membership fee. Staff at a local Area Agency on Aging, Center for Independent Living, Community Action, Community Outreach or United Way might also have a program or know of one that can pay part or all of a membership for certain groups.

Lastly, many people maintain their physical and mental health every day without ever setting foot in a fitness center or gym. They take up various types of exercise that helps them maintain fitness, such as crossfit, walking, running, hiking, dancing, rock climbing or swimming. They use in-home exercise equipment such as benches, barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells, ellipticals, stationary bikes and treadmills, jump ropes, home fitness gym machines, indoor rowing machines, punching bags, resistance bands and yoga. They might take up a sport that works multiple areas of the body, such as archery, biking, cycling, basketball, calisthenics, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, tennis or volleyball.

Of course, people 65 years of age and older and younger people with disabilities need to always check with their healthcare professional or team before they make any sudden changes to their lifestyle. A doctor might offer information about how their other patients with Medicare stay fit or alternative options for affording the cost of a fitness center or gym membership.