Adventist Health chair volleyball gives cardiac patients a healthy, and social, outlet

At Adventist Health Portland, a group is spiking and serving its way to healthy hearts.

About once a week, more than a dozen patients recovering from a traumatic heart event gather for a friendly, but competitive, game of seated volleyball. The idea is to socialize, have fun, and improve their fitness in a controlled environment.

“Programs like this significantly improve outcomes for patients,” said Dr. Fawaz Alhumaid, medical director of cardiological services at Adventist. “The benefits are tremendous — absolutely important for the patients.”

Seated volleyball is similar to the more standard variety, except the participants remain firmly planted in their chairs. As long as the ball doesn’t hit the ground, they can keep a rally going for quite a long time.

Everyone in the group elected to join in the volleyball matches — either as a supplement or replacement to traditional methods of fitness like exercise machines and weights. The volleyball program at Adventist has been going on for more than 30 years, and those who play are a mixture of newcomers and those who have attended for almost 8 years. They represent all ages, with the oldest participant being 98 years old.

It’s a fun way to spend the afternoon, with immense support amongst the group. They talk about their lives and laugh with each other. They also look out for one another during the game, ensuring everyone stays safe while having fun. The participants say it’s like being part of a family.

Dr. Alhumaid joined in the fun Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 19.

“Exercise helps with mood and makes people feel better,” he said with a smile, almost falling out his chair in an attempt to return a particularly tricky serve.

The volleyball games aid patients in recovering faster — providing more energy and reducing heart pain. The activity not only helps them bounce back, but ensures they don’t go through more heart-related emergencies in the future.

And the members, many of whom are from Gresham, have picked up plenty of skills. Some have perfected their serves, while others are menaces at the net — sending back even the most difficult spikes. After a certain amount of time has passed, the teams will rotate positions.

They used to keep score, but now they just play for fun.