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Original poster

Are people driving to exercise?

119 replies

confusedofengland · 18/02/2021 13:22

I am having a bit of a rubbish half term & finding it difficult to keep the DC entertained, as well as feeling a bit bored myself. We are lucky enough to live in a village with 2 decent playgrounds plus a good half dozen decent walks, but we have done them all to death since March! The recent wet weather hasn't helped either, as a lot are too muddy to be passable. But we are sticking with it & going on a bike ride tomorrow to mix things up a bit.

However, I am noticing that more & more people are driving to parks/woods in other towns with their DC & I am dreaming of doing the same myself, but can't bring myself to until guidelines allow. I am talking anything up to 30 mins drive away (12-15 miles).

I do drive - to shop for food & care for my elderly grandparents - so I don't know if that makes me hypocritical? We have also been going to playgrounds regularly. One friend says that she is comfortable with the risk she is taking because they have only just started going to playgrounds as they are bored of our village.

So, I just wondered, is everybody driving for exercise and am I being over cautious in not doing so? I feel like I'm the only one! We're in England btw (I think rules/guidelines are different elsewhere).

OP posts:
Okokokbear · 18/02/2021 13:25

This was never not allowed. It's fine to do this drive for exercise.

midgedude · 18/02/2021 13:26

We have driven,but only about 3 miles just to get out of the busy town , so we are doing the exact same route over and over again. There are lovely routes a bit further , but that would be outside the spirit

Got number plate checked out by the police once , we were left alone but some others who had travelled further were not so lucky

cautiouscovidity · 18/02/2021 13:29

Our local police force put a post up saying that no, you shouldn't be driving for exercise (unless you have a disability that means exercising locally is difficult but you could drive to somewhere flatter and manage a short walk, for example).
They stated that the rules are that you should stay in your village, town or part of the city you live in. So very local.

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Exercise & fitness
idontlikealdi · 18/02/2021 13:29

Where has it said you can't drive for exercise?

Original poster
confusedofengland · 18/02/2021 13:30

It could be that I have misunderstood the rules then - I thought you had to stay within your village/town/part of city if possible. So where I live, it is perfectly possible so shouldn't go further.

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 18/02/2021 13:33

It’s fine to drive to exercise. You are just supposed to “stay local” which means basically that you consider you have stayed local in your own head.

Mammyloveswine · 18/02/2021 13:39

@cautiouscovidity

Our local police force put a post up saying that no, you shouldn't be driving for exercise (unless you have a disability that means exercising locally is difficult but you could drive to somewhere flatter and manage a short walk, for example). They stated that the rules are that you should stay in your village, town or part of the city you live in. So very local.
Where are you? That isn't true at all! I live in an absolute shithole and don't drive but we have got the metro one stop go to our lovely local park!

When DH is off we have driven 5 minutes to the marina and 15 minutes to the coast but I'd consider anything within a half an hour drive local!

Fwiw I'm a teacher and going in to teach everyday with no vaccine and no ppe when actually teaching.

We rarely encounter anyone else and the local play parks are all absolutely rammed with kids playing and parents "bumping into" their friends so all congregating in groups.. which is a lot worse IMO!

LST · 18/02/2021 13:41

You are allowed to drive for exercise. The guidelines say local but that is not law. And local to one person could be completely different to another

wibblewombat · 18/02/2021 13:43

You are not allowed to drive for exercise in Wales, unless you have a medical issue.

So it depends on where you live.

skeggycaggy · 18/02/2021 13:46

The guidelines (optional) and the law (compulsory) differ. It is only the guidelines that talk about staying local.

skeggycaggy · 18/02/2021 13:46

In England that is.

DawnDora · 18/02/2021 13:47

I am in England. I have a horse which I keep on assisted DIY livery. The yard is 10 miles from my house and I drive there daily. As far as I'm concerned it's animal welfare as well as my exercise to go and look after her. I've never been so much as looked at, let alone stopped.
I see a lot of riders, walkers and cyclists on the lanes.

KitKat1985 · 18/02/2021 13:48

The guidelines are to stay in your local area (I.E, town, village or part of the city you live in). But truth be told I don't think people are following this that strictly.

janlevinson · 18/02/2021 13:51

Where I live, this lockdown you have to stay in your local authority or 5 miles outside of it if you live near the border. In the first lockdown we literally did stay at home and only go out of our house by foot, but that was when this was all new.

blackheartsgirl · 18/02/2021 13:53

I haven't but only because I live in wales and the rules are you cannot drive to exercise. The police are pretty strict and patrols are everywhere where I am

MolyHolyGuacamole · 18/02/2021 13:54

Another Covid martyr abiding by self-inflicted laws, asking 'am I the only one?!' 🙄

Toorapid · 18/02/2021 13:54

The guidelines say stay within your town or village, people will argue about whether the guidelines must be obeyed as they're not statutory.

I have been driving up to 3 miles to get to the nearest woodland, but I wouldn't go further afield as we have nice walks locally, so I'd struggle to justify it (to myself).

Original poster
confusedofengland · 18/02/2021 13:56

@MolyHolyGuacamole there is no need to be rude. It is a genuine question I was asking for clarification on 🙄

OP posts:
BarbaraofSeville · 18/02/2021 13:57

I was only doing walks from my house, apart from when I drove a few miles to walk a dog for someone who's too unwell to do it themself.

I'm aware that it's only guidance to 'stay local' which I've been breaking anyway because I leave the village, but now I'm starting to wonder if I've been too strict with myself because if I drove 10 miles to the other side of my city I'd have a much better choice of walks, but at some point it's a non essential journey/not a reasonable excuse, eg you're not supposed to go to the beach or national parks if you live 50 miles away for example, so I'm not sure.

That's what I'm looking out for when they publish the details next week - when we're allowed to go further afield for outdoor activity.

SummerHouse · 18/02/2021 13:58

Stay local. Interpret that how you choose. I choose to include a nature reserve 5 miles away and out lives are the better for it. I also choose not to see any family over Christmas. Make your own choices and generally a good rule of thumb is to keep them to yourself.

Enjoy. Wine

LadyDanburysCane · 18/02/2021 13:59

Well as the papers have reported people being fined (in England) for driving to exercise I don’t think I’d risk it.

I do head out for walks of 5-6 miles though, my car only gets used for work (in school).

JemimaMuddledUp · 18/02/2021 13:59

No, I'm not driving to exercise, because I'm in Wales and here it isn't allowed.

I would love to though.

cautiouscovidity · 18/02/2021 13:59

@idontlikealdi

Where has it said you can't drive for exercise?
See attached. It says to stay local.
Are people driving to exercise?
OverTheRubicon · 18/02/2021 13:59

Our local parks are rammed, it's hard to go there with 3dcs and stay on a narrow path, and I often run into people and they want to walk and chat while kids play. 15 mins drive, we can be in much quieter places. Why on earth would we not?

AuntieStella · 18/02/2021 14:01

I don't do this usually, but during half term we're making 2 trips (of less than 6 miles each) just to see somewhere different, that's likely to be no more and no less busy than the nearest.

If it was just me, I'd run it!