By ALEXANDER SIMONE

Staff writer

While many opportunities for social and physical activities have been canceled, Marion County seniors are still finding ways to get outside and stay active.

Marion resident Verna Cooper tries to walk a mile most days, which she said now has value beyond the physical benefits.

“I do it for the activity, but also the mental advantage of just being able to get out,” she said.

N.M. Patton and his wife are members of Peabody’s unofficial volunteer group that maintains its flower beds around town, and the activity gives them a reason to get out of their house when so many activities are cancelled

“We don’t want to sit at home and do nothing,” N.M. said.

Cooper said event cancelations haven’t kept people from getting outside to enjoy recent warm weather.

“I don’t know if it’s because everybody’s home or just the nicer weather so they’re able to get out,” she said. “That’s true for me with the nicer weather. During the winter I didn’t really walk.”

Finding time to maintain Peabody’s gardens has become easier because there are fewer commitments, Patton said.

“Some of the other things I’m involved in for volunteering aren’t available right now,” he said. “We could have decided we didn’t want to have a big group here, it would have been harder to stay apart.”

While access to outdoors activities is limited, Patton said there are advantages to being home more.

“I’m able to do many things at home and catch up on stuff that I hadn’t been able to do for a year,” he said.