Are people driving to exercise?

[confusedofengland]

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).

We’ve been driving to the local sea front which is about 30 min drive away. Would consider up to about 45 min at the moment

You drive as far as you believe is decent: we have to live, not merely exist. Government ministers, with their secure jobs, comfortable lifestyles and immunity from consequences like to keep the roolz deliberately vague, to keep the public fearful and confused, and to give the Covid martyrs and lockdown zealots reasons to keep their haloes polished and shiny.

We are driving to our nearest country park to walk the dogs. It’s about 5 miles away and I’m the same postcode. We live rurally so everywhere is at least 5 mikes away.

The reason being is that the fields by us are full of sheep now so dogs can’t go off lead and because recent flooding and rain makes the footpaths near impossible to walk on. Our only alternative is to walk on 60mph county roads with no pavements.

@Mintjulia

I'm puzzled by people driving 3 miles to a country park. Surely if the objective is to get some exercise, why not cycle or walk the three miles.? Why bother with the car at all?

That’s a six mile walk plus whatever you do at the park. It’s a bit wide eyed naive to have no idea why that’s not feasible for a lot of people, especially if they’re going with young children. Where I am, you’d have to walk on country lanes that aren’t particularly safe.

@Mintjulia
Because my children are young and will walk round a country park but not that plus three miles there plus three miles back? And it’s along a busy polluted and dangerous road? And I’m trying to fit in homeschool too?

Yes perhaps we would walk there and back if we were retired and had no young children and had nothing else to do!!!!

@Mintjulia

I'm puzzled by people driving 3 miles to a country park. Surely if the objective is to get some exercise, why not cycle or walk the three miles.? Why bother with the car at all?

Because it’s not always possible to carry dogs on safely on bikes, and adding a further 6 miles is too much.

Walkies is usually done from the door of the house, but every now and again we go somewhere different

Plus different people's definition of 'exercise' varies.

Not everyone is a frustrated gym bunny training for a marathon.

Many people are looking for a gentle alternative to being slumped in front of a screen, cooped up indoors so just need to get outside in nature for an hour or two, for mental as well as physical health reasons, which is why walks are allowed under the guidelines.

Definitely @BarbaraofSeville and it’s pretty much the only time you’re allowed to meet anyone. If I was limited to people I could walk to see, it would only really be members of my own household. Most of my friends are at least an hour and a half’s walk away along some lovely dual carriageways.

The other night on our local news they showed a woman who had driven around 5 miles to take her daughter for a walk on the beach. Police went over and fined her. However a couple of days later it was reported that when they got back to the station they decided not to file the fine and had actually issued an apology to her.

So now I’m none the wiser as to whether we are allowed to drive to somewhere nice for a walk or not 🤷🏻‍♀️

Exactly, I forgot about the 'you can meet one other person from another household, but not in a private house or garden' rule.

So obviously many people who've been meeting friends or family will have been meeting up for a wander around a mutually convenient country park type place within a few miles, which is allowed, despite what Derbyshire Police claim.

Please, people are meeting a lot more than "1 person".

Groups book or meet at the same place, and spend the day together there.

At least they are outside, I have been amazed how many people now have indoor visitors or sleepovers during this half term.

No one is regulated anything, the government decided that a few guidelines and no rules were enough, I am not punishing my own kids when the rest of the world lives as normally as they can.

I've been driving up to a 5 mile radius of our town. The only walks that I don't have to drive for are through the residential area, I've got a reactive dog who needs quiet countryside.

@LadyDanburysCane

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).

The fines aren't upheld though. You cannot be fined unless you are breaking the law.

Local is guidance.

We haven’t so far, but on Saturday we are driving three miles to walk round a NT garden. As it’s open, I assume we are legally allowed to.

Yes, for many miles, just as I did before this nightmare begin. Fuck this stay at home shite.

@Equimum. I’m a National Trust member and our nearest properties are about 15 miles away. NT has our address (different postcode) and we didn’t have any problems booking or today when we got there. As they’re limiting numbers people were well spread out and it was probably less busier than my local park has been at times during this lockdown. Toilets and takeaway cafe open, loads of sanitiser (needed to wear mask in toilets).

Enjoy your day out tomorrow.

Tomorrow DP and I are driving about 45 mins from home to go for a bike ride because I hate cycling on busy roads

The guidance states you can drive to walk. It's laid out. If your immediate vicinity isn't conducive you can drive further afield.

I think most people are over this pettiness now. Common sense. The cases are falling.

DrunkenKoala thank-you! Like you say, it was actually really quiet and felt very safe.