MONTREAL -- No golf. No working out in a gym. No swimming in a pool. With much of Montreal's recreational facilities closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city's residents are having to get creative to stay active.

Patrick Dearn, for instance, is an avid golfer. But with courses closed, he's been working on his backswing against a net in his backyard.

“Hitting balls is the way. There's no other way and it is what it is,” he said.

Trainer Max Demers assembled an outdoor gym. Instead of working with clients in person, he's helping them figure out workouts with items they have at home.

“I'll ask what their goal is and they what they have. Take a backpack, put some books in it and then wear it and do some squats,” he said.

Demers said he hopes to be ready to compete in bodybuilding competitions once they restart.

The Cote-St-Luc swim team is also finding ways to stay in competitive shape. They've been holding regular Zoom meetings and dry-land training sessions. Head coach Michael Calcutt said the online meetings are keeping morale up until the pools reopen.

“I know the government is going to start putting some sort of plan in place where free-swim would probably start first with restricted hours and then we'll move on from there,” he said. “Can lifeguards save someone? Can they give CPR with social distancing? These questions would have to be answered before we take another step forward.”