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Mar 27

COVID-19: Like the rest of us, Canadiens struggle to stay in shape – National Post

Exercise Programs Comments Off on COVID-19: Like the rest of us, Canadiens struggle to stay in shape – National Post

Health officials recommend everyone get some exercise during the coronavirus crisis and, for most of us, that means a brisk walk around the block while social distancing.

But the shutdown of gyms, skating rinks and swimming pools has posed a greater challenge for elite athletes.

Pierre Allard, director of sports science for the Canadiens, said the players have been given a program similar to the one they receive for off-season training with one notable exception.

With all the arenas closed, theres no ice and that means they cant skate, Allard said.

He added Patrick Delisle-Houde, the Canadiens strength coach, and Stefano Lanni, his counterpart with the Laval Rocket, are in contact with the players and have formulated three workout programs for them.

Some of the players have home gyms and we have one program for them, Allard said. Theres another group of players that might have a treadmill or a cross-trainer and maybe some weights. And theres a third group which doesnt have any equipment.

The key is for players to maintain their cardiovascular conditioning until team facilities reopen and that has become a moving target.

The NHL, which has ordered all players and team employees to self-quarantine until April 4, had originally hoped teams could reopen their facilities to small groups of players this weekend. During a conference call with general managers this week, that date was pushed back by 10 days, but Willem Meeuwisse, the NHLs chief medical officer, suggested that timeline might be overly optimistic.

Its difficult to predict where the pandemic is going and what the timeline will be, but we do expect this is going to get worse before it gets better, Meeuwisse told nhl.com.

Meeuwisse said the NHL is fortunate that only two players, from the Ottawa Senators, have tested positive for the virus.

We have a pretty good idea now because were at almost the two-week mark that the likelihood of [players] being infected prior to that period is pretty low, Meeuwisse said. That doesnt mean that somebody cant be exposed now, and I would expect that as this disease progresses and becomes more endemic that were going to see more tests in players.

The NHL has postponed the draft combine, June 1-6, in Buffalo, the NHL Awards in Las Vegas and the NHL Entry Draft, which was scheduled for the Bell Centre on June 26-27.

Most NHL players have returned to their off-season homes. Thats a direct contrast to Major League Soccer, which has asked its players to remain in their respective markets. The MLS has a moratorium on training through April 3 and hopes to resume league play on May 10.

Scott Livingston, a personal trainer who once worked as the strength coach for the New York Islanders and the Canadiens, has focused on Olympic athletes and educating trainers. He noted the national training centres for elite athletes in Quebec and across Canada are shuttered and access to facilities is the greatest challenge for elite athletes.

You might have access to a treadmill or some weights, but youre not going to be able to do any heavy lifting, Livingston said. You can get some coaching through the internet but, if youre in a team sport or a sport which requires facilities, your options are limited.

McGill University track coach Dennis Barrett, who has served as a personal trainer for numerous Olympic athletes, said its important for athletes to keep the stimulus going until we get to a reset.

For runners, particularly distance runners, its relatively easy to find a place to run and stay out of populous areas, Barrett said. For any athlete, you can stay in shape with interval training, doing squats, jumping, sprint lunges. If you dont have weights, you can do exercises like pushups.

Barrett said the decision to postpone the Olympic Games scheduled for this summer in Tokyo was the right thing to do.

There was a possibility that this could have been behind us, but there were so many athletes who would have been unable to be at their best, said Barrett. Athletes who rely on facilities like swimmers will need time when this is over to work on specifics and athletes like gymnasts and divers may have to regain their confidence.

phickey@postmedia.com

twitter.com/zababes1

Note to readers: We know the speed and volume of coronavirus-related news is overwhelming and a little frightening. To help with that, we will dedicate a Montreal Gazette reporter each day to devote their time to synthesizing the most important coronavirus-related news, especially as it relates to life in Montreal and Quebec. Follow their live updates from March 27 here. All our coronavirus-related news can always be found here:montrealgazette.com/tag/coronavirus.

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COVID-19: Like the rest of us, Canadiens struggle to stay in shape - National Post

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