How long is your daily jaunt outdoors lasting?

[GlummyMcGlummerson]

I've been taking my 2 kids on a 1 hour bike ride each day - they are 3 and 6 so it's a slow ride but we go round the whole outside of the village once and back in from the back way then straight home. Sometimes we stay in one little area (there's a small green with a circular path in the middle they like to whizz round) - but only for a few minutes and if there's no one else around. My friend thinks this is excessive and it should be 10 minutes max! What is every else doing?

Petiolaris - I'm following my state governor's guidelines...

“Getting outside to go fishing, hiking, canoeing, scouting for a hunt, or other outdoor activities are essential to not only your physical health, but your mental health as well, particularly during these difficult times,” said Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Judy Camuso. “The governor and I continue to encourage people to get outdoors, but to do as close to home as possible and in strict adherence to physical distancing requirements. While it is important for your mental health to get outside, it is also important to do so safely.”

I haven't commuted in years btw.

But mostly, at the moment I'm walking a lot because it seems to be the best possible thing I can do for my mental health.

An hour walking. It takes about 15 minutes to get to an open green space. Though I'm thinking of dusting off my push bike because I'm sick of dodging people who are chatting on the pavements/drives.

@Petiolaris

my partner commutes normally and he is missing the exercise that gives him...walking to the station at both ends twice a day usually adds up to at least an hour walking. He isn't doing particularly long walks now, more like popping out for 30--40 mins. But commuting can be quite a good form of exercise, especially if you have stations with many steps too!

We walk around our village whilst the DCs (3, 6 and 10) cycle slowly. Probs out for about 30-50 minutes.

@Petiolaris

My daily commute involved at least a half hour walk each way (often choose to walk much further) and as a primary teacher, I rarely sit down in the working day, run up and down many flights of stairs around the building, do a daily mile with the kids, chase them round a playground, etc. I also bike as a hobby and go running a few times a week..

Now, I’m spending a huge chunk of the day sat down. My exercise is the highlight of my day. I’m sticking to an hour’s run most days but have also had a couple of longer bike rides or walks on quiet suburban streets.

A 25 or 40 minute run depending which route I take every other day and on the other days I take my dds for a bike ride along the road for 30mins, they're only little so one is on a bike the other has one that I push. We live on a farm though so we are outside most of the day on our own land we just dont have anywhere smooth enough for the bikes

My 4 mile amble with a slow DH last night took 1hr 20 mins but we did stop off the feed the sheep. Otherwise I can walk 3 miles in 50 mins.

Sunday I ran for 7 miles and took an hour. Then a walk to feed again at night. I can be out all day and not see a soul. Very lucky where i live

Relax OP what you are doing is fine. We should all use a bit of common sense here. 10mins in a busy city street with lots of people trying to walk the same way is very different to an hour or more out in open countryside.

About half an hour. Me running 5k or with kids walking round the estate or through woods. Yesterday they went outside and threw a frisbee for about 40 mins. (Small Green directly in front of our house no one walks this way, it's pretty much a private garden these days!)

Husband bike ride....over 2 hours...once a week. He's finding it tricky as less than an hour is not really beneficial exercise for him.

About 90 minutes to 2 hours with the dog. I do a mixture of couch to 5k runs and a brisk walk. Do this at about 6am when I tend to wake up and there's no-one around to see my ungainly attempt at running. In any case, is all open arable land, country lane and bridleway so no gates or stiles and barely another soul around.
Sometimes take the kids for their daily walk around the village later on too - so shoot me!
We're lucky enough to have a big front garden that we're working on at the moment, so see plenty of our friends (over the gate at at least a 2 metre distance) as they go for their walks too.

Hour in the morning and sometimes another hour in afternoon.

This is a lovely thread and very refreshing after all the Corona shaming recently. We normally aim for an hour on a loop but it's sometimes longer if the kids are particularly slow.

It's even more important to get outside and exercise at the moment. Now is the time when we can start to absorb vitamin D from the sun (you need 20-30 minutes exposure without sun cream) which is essential for the immune system and many people don't absorb enough of it through diet and supplements. Keeping fit and healthy will also help your immune system fight off the virus.

An hour or just over. We are very careful when we go out.

Petiolaris. I used to commute an hour each way to work and was often travelling during the day between sites. As I was using public transport and had to walk to the bus, through tube stations and to my or others offices it meant I usually walked about 6,500 - 11,000 steps a day. I am now walking 10,000 at the end of my working day and eating later. I have a teeny dark garden but I can walk very easily to open spaces and with good social distancing. I didn't walk at the weekend however because of the risk of over-crowding due to the weather.

I was surprised at the weekend to discover that the government advice said even people who are social isolating are allowed to exercise. I am not.

I do about an hour and a half walking most days. I try and do it early doors as a) I'm a morning person b) no one is about so I'm not a concern to anyone.

Honestly this pandemic is a busybody's paradise isn't it

Yes it is! I've never seen so many sanctimonious busybodies in one place as I have on MN these past few weeks.

And as for your question - up to an hour for us. My solo runs are around 40 mins, bike rides with DS2 about the same, and walks up to an hour.

Between 40 and 90 minutes, almost always a walk with one or both dogs. The other day I went for a bike ride, parked my bike in a hedge and walked half an hour or so from there before cycling home. TBH it's usually easier to socially distance when out for a walk than it is when shopping.

petiolaris not everyone works full time or has a long commute ? I worked (before furlough) 24 hours a week, I could walk there and back, 25 mins each way and could easily fit in another hour walk ... in fact this whole situation has made me realise how much time I wasted doing nothing constructive (mainly mumsnetting ) and I hope I will keep to my new routine of an online workout every morning and a decent walk in the late afternoon/early evening.

All these people taking 1-2 hour long walks every day... how did you manage to fit it in when you worked all day then commuted home?

I work part time from home. I dropped to part time when DD started school, but then stayed pt as it's a good work-life balance - the 'life' part has always included walking. Normally we'd be driving ~30mins to get to really nice places a couple times a week, nature reserves etc, and a proper boots and backpack walk at the weekend - we're not doing any of that now obviously. On other days I'd do a local walk, weather permitting.

I'm 59 and no athlete, this amount of walking surely isn't at all unusual?

Petiolaris as I’ve said, my commute was walking 30 mins each way to work, then often if not raining I’d walk for up to an hour at lunchtime. I’m a fat cow, but walking is so important to my mental health.

I worry about what you’ve said about being unable to leave the house due to anxiety. I fear for you when it’s all over, are you seeking any help at the moment for your anxiety? Please try and leave the house each day, even just to stand outside your front door for a minute or two.

We’re really heading for a serious mental health emergency in this country.

Dyrne I agree. I’ve never really felt that I’ve had problems with mental health but I’m finding that I’m struggling.

I’m fortunate to be a SAHP so my exercise has decreased, usually I walk for around three hours per day, and I’m finding that it’s really affecting me.

I am currently doing an hours walking( about 3 miles) a day and an hours exercise at home.
Normally I'd do walks of 5 miles plus in the countryside.

About an hour roughly we just do a twisty route down to the beach and then back up again. It's about 3 miles(ish).

All these people taking 1-2 hour long walks every day... how did you manage to fit it in when you worked all day then commuted home?

My commute involved 1 hour of cycling (in 4 sections), plus the train. Any walk/run at lunchtime or an early morning swim was on top of the active travel hour. Or my commute might be the whole 35 miles round trip cycling. I'm getting far less exercise during Lockdown than in regular life.

Tomorrow I might do 1-2 hours of gardening to try to make up for the deficit, plus an excursion off our property. And work 8-9 hours.

30 minutes with the dogs then I’m allowed an hour at the yard.