Benzinga | Dec 7, 2021 08:52AM EST

Tivity Health Reports Partnership With Stitch Social Engagement Platform

Eligible SilverSneakers members will be able to engage with more than 154,000 Stitch participants worldwide through SilverSneakers Connect with group activities, in-person events and online forums

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tivity Health(r) Inc. (NASDAQ:TVTY), a leading provider of health improvement solutions, including SilverSneakers(r), the nation's leading community fitness program for older adults, has secured an exclusive agreement with Stitch, a social engagement platform where older adults can connect, both virtually and in person, to help foster social connection and create meaningful relationships. Stitch will be available to eligible SilverSneakers members in participating health plans in January 2022.



Stitch is a virtual community for individuals 50+, with more than 154,000 participants worldwide and over 91,000 participants in the U.S. Along with in-person community events, Stitch offers members virtual opportunities to participate in a wide variety of activities and connect with other Stitch members who share their interests. Members can join member-led activities such as book clubs, trivia, crafting and more.

"Social isolation and loneliness were recognized as a public health issue for seniors even before the pandemic and it has only worsened over the past 18 months," said Richard Ashworth, president and CEO, Tivity Health. "We know that when seniors engage in a variety of activities, including physical fitness and social opportunities, their overall health and well-being improve. With this exclusive Stitch agreement, we believe we can reach more members, helping them connect with social activities, friends, and programming that interests them, and providing a community-based network to mitigate social isolation and loneliness."

With Stitch, SilverSneakers can better support Medicare Advantage members in participating health plans with experiences beyond physical fitness to improve their health and to connect in-person or virtually with other seniors, including friends they may typically see at their local fitness centers.

"The COVID-19 crisis has overwhelmed and impacted all of us. It also illustrates the importance and value of social connections," said Andrew Dowling, founder and CEO of Stitch. "Stitch encourages friendships and connections with unique community programming focused on shared interests, as members are empowered to create and organize events around their interests. Supporting SilverSneakers members will allow us to grow our network to further build in-person and virtual relationships to support the health and quality of life of our community."

SilverSneakers has been surveying SilverSneakers members through a series of SilverSneakers Pulse surveys since the pandemic began on topics including physical activity, social connection, nutrition and technology adoption. Survey respondents have consistently identified inability to visit with friends and family as the number one cause of disruption in their lives during the pandemic. In the most recent quarterly survey, 8% of members reported consistent social isolation, double that of pre-COVID levels, but less than at the highest point of 23% in January-March of 2021.

"Research shows that the influence of social relationships on health is comparable to that of many well-established risk factors such as smoking or obesity," said Julianne Holt-Lunstad, PhD, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University. "I've spent my career studying the association between social interaction and physical health and the connection is clear. As we learn even more about this link, especially for older adults who may have specific barriers to social engagement, it's great to see companies developing innovative solutions to provide opportunities for social connection."

For decades, SilverSneakers has been building community through group exercise and the social connections developed through its curated experiences. In a SilverSneakers Annual Member Survey, 57% of members said they had made new and valuable friendships through the program. The addition of Stitch will further expand the options that members in participating plans have in order to build social connections through unlimited access to the Stitch social platform.