Quebecers with disabilities, reduced mobility say they need to get back in the pool

Before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the shutdown of gyms and pools, Annie Beaudoin would take part in a weekly swim exercise class especially designed to strengthen and stretch her muscles.

Beaudoin has multiple sclerosis, which can affect her vision, balance, and muscle control, making other forms of exercise very challenging.

"It's way easier in the water," she said. "Outside of the water, it's very hard for me."

Many people with physical disabilities or reduced mobility such as seniors, people who use wheelchairs, or those who have had an injury rely on swimming as their primary form of exercise and rehabilitation.

Since pools closed at the beginning of the pandemic, and because Beaudoin is immunocompromised, she has been unable to swim in the last three months.

She said she's noticed moreweakness and tighter muscles because she's not able to stretch them out.

"I really need the pool to be open," she said. "The pool is such a beneficial, low-impact exercise."

Gyms, and indoor and outdoor pools, have been given thego-ahead to reopen as of Monday with physical distancing measures in place.

Julien Gascon-Samson, a 33-year-old professor in Montreal who uses a motorized scooter, says the province should find a way to keep pools open to people who need them, even in the event of a second wave of COVID-19 cases.

Gascon-Samson has been swimming two-to-three times a week as his primary form of exercise for years.

Before pools shut down, he could swim about 800 metres.

"I can do other exercises, but it's not as good as swimming," he said.

Gascon-Samson said he's glad the province is encouraging Quebecers to get outside for walks, runs, and bike rides, but those activities are not accessible for everyone.

"For some people, swimming is an essential way to do exercise."

Expert concerned about loss of skills

Working out in a pool means people don't have to fight gravity, according to Audrey D'Amours, a kinesiologist who specializes in therapeutic exercises and works with seniors.

She's concerned her clients will lose skills and strength after months of being sedentary.

"They need to go back in the pool as soon as possible, and maybe we're going to have some seniors who before the pandemic were able to walk, and they cannot walk anymore, because they have been sedentary for three months now," she said.

Many people who rely on pools for exercise are also at a greater risk of developing complications from COVID-19, because they are older or immunocompromised.

But Beaudoin said she's confident the other people in her class will be able to practise safe physical distancing

And considering the mental health benefits that also come with swimming, she'll be the first to get back to her weekly classes when they reopen.

"We're really just waiting for the phone call, and as soon as they say we can start again, I'll be there," Beaudoin said.