- Some Alaskans keeping fit despite pandemic - April 26, 2020
By Anna Hansen
With gyms closed around the state as a containment measure for COVID-19, fitness-minded Alaskans have the incentive to try something new.
“You should aim for at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise each day plus strength training at least twice a week,” advises CNN medical expert Dr. Melina Jampolis, discussing alternatives to closed fitness centers.
Going to the gym will not be an option as the State of Alaska has recommended social distancing to help stop the spread of this virus. Mandated by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, “All persons in Alaska, except for those engaged in essential health care services, public government services, and essential business activities, are mandated to remain at their place of residence and practice social distancing.’
On April 14th, Alaska reported its ninth death from Covid-19. According to Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, as of April 15th, 2020, there were 293 confirmed cases of the virus in Alaska, including 106 individuals who had recovered. Of those cases, 34 involved hospitalization.
Jacy Johnson, 19, had a routine in Cantwell, a secluded town of about 220 residents, between Fairbanks and Anchorage, “One thing I used to be able to incorporate in my workout routine was playing basketball at the local school.’
The gym’s closure has been tough for her. “I have been using workout DVDs a lot,’ she said. But it isn’t the same as she misses those gym workouts. Johnson also said, “someone else coaching me through the workout also helps mentally as I am unable to interact with many people.’
In Naknek, in an isolated town at the top of the Aleutian chain that can only be accessed by boat or plane, Rylie Lyon, 21, misses the workout routine the virus shut down. “I was going to the gym every day, running on the treadmill, biking, lifting. Now I have to resort to running outside and doing at home body workouts.’
Though nobody knows when normal lifestyles may return, and that can be frightening to think about, Lyon keeps positive. “I’m not really scared of the virus, I’m just more careful than normal.
“I hope we find a cure and can move on from this,’ Lyon added.
On the flip side, in Alaska’s largest town, Anchorage, with a population of just over 291,000 people, life keeps changing through announcements and notifications. From the website of Planet Fitness, a popular workout business: “As a result of the city-wide mandated containment effort, the club is temporarily closed effective Monday, March 16 at 5 p.m. and will reopen as soon as permitted. Thank you.’
Club member Ruth Nashookpuk, 22, isn’t playing basketball with her friends anymore, Planet Fitness isn’t open for her workouts.
Now, Nashookpuk said, “I’m taking walks throughout the day and playing with my boyfriend’s kids.’
How long social distancing, workplace closures and other restrictions to contain COVID-19 will continue is anyone’s guess.
In a joint briefing April 13, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Anchorage Mayor Berkowitz “confirmed he will be asking for an extension of the current emergency order through November 15th,’ reported KTUU TV, “which will allow the muni to continue to make additional adjustments or issue safety-related mandates as needed through that time period.’
Sundog Times
Communications major Anna Hansen, 20, is from Naknek, a small village in southwest Alaska. She is on track to graduate, with her minor in digital journalism, in the spring 2021, and plans to move on to graduate school at University of Alaska Anchorage. For the moment, Hansen takes what life brings day-by-day in quarantine.