The coronavirus pandemic has kept many seniors in their homes over the past year, as those 65 and older are most at risk for severe illness. The winter months also tend to keep people cooped up in their homes, where they may not move as much as they would in warmer months.

Andrew Doubek, physical therapist and gerriatric clinical specialist with Thunder Bay Fyzical Therapy and Balance Center, said Michiganders live more sedentary lives during the winter because of the ice and snow.

Doubek said he sees patients in the spring who have reduced muscular strength, which means lower mobility. He said that means getting out of a chair becomes a lot more difficult, and a patient’s metabolism can also suffer.

Getting enough cardiovascular exercise is important for heart and lung health, he said, and is also one of the best ways a patient can keep themselves mentally fit.

News Photo by Crystal Nelson Alpena resident Ginny Roland moves to hit the ball during a recent pickleball game at the APlex in Alpena, while her pickleball partner, Russ Rhynard, looks on.

Doubek said many people tend to think cardiovascular exercise is only walking, running, and swimming, but “anything that you do to get your heart rate up and get you sweating a little bit can be considered cardiovascular exercise. If you decided to stand up out of a chair really quick, that could get your heart rate up a little bit.”

Doubek likes to recommend Nordic walking, which incorporates the use of poles while walking, engaging more muscles, because it has more cardiovascular benefits but keeps people safe.

Doubek also recommends gardening.

Pickleball has gained a foothold in Alpena, with enthusiasts playing both indoors at the APlex and outdoors at Bay View Park in the summer.

Rocky Roland, 72 of Alpena, said pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the U.S., mostly because seniors can play it.

News Photo by Crystal Nelson Alpena resident Mark Simons serves the ball as Alpena Russ Rhynard looks on during a recent game of pickleball at the APlex.

“You play to your skill level, and, so, therefore, you get the right amount of exercise for your skill level and your physical condition,” Roland said.

Roland, who plays mostly with members of the Association of Lifelong Learners, said pickleball offers a lot of exercise if you play hard at it.

Many of those in the group also play for the camaraderie.

“If I didn’t like the people, I wouldn’t be here,” Dolores Zielinski, 81, of Lachine, said.

Robert Stafford, a therapist in acute care at MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena, said most of the region’s 65-and-older population are unbelievably healthy. Stafford said the seniors he works with also like to golf and swim.

But Stafford said much of the research in exercise for seniors focuses on walking, which many seniors in the area already do.

“Ten minutes of walking three times a week gives you a tremendous benefit,” he said. “The benefit more than doubles if you can last 20 minutes of walking, and those benefits continue to increase with walking — aerobic exercise — all the way up until 60 minutes.”

Because of the pandemic, “a lot of our healthy seniors are probably suffering from some level of disuse and atrophy,” he said, “and just getting them out in the garden or on the golf course or tennis or swimming would be excellent medicine for them.”