to remind you that we are actually allowed outside?

[Pishposhpashy]

I am following social distancing guidelines.

I am not seeing friends or family.

I am getting nearly all my food delivered online.

I am going out once a day for my allowed daily exercise. Yes, to my local park, because I live in London, in a flat with a 4 year old and no garden.

I am constantly seeing threads on here berating "idiots" for "flocking" to parks and suchlike. But the thing is, if I go to the park for my walk, and see other people there - they aren't "idiots", they are people doing the same thing I'm doing - their ALLOWED daily exercise!

I mean, if you have a garden, bully for you. But I don't, we are allowed out, and I will continue to take my son for a walk in the fresh air once a day.

Unless you live in the cupboard under the stairs you have enough space.

I'm SO frustrated by the misinformation and fake news/ old wives tales and Joe Public thinking THEY know better than scientists and trained medical staff

Well I AM one of those occupations you list, but by all means continue to shout at me in capitals if it makes you feel better. Being sneezed on by an infected person leads to a high risk of being infected. It is not a certainty. The immune system is a strange thing and everyone is different.

We don't live in the cupboard under the stairs, but in a very small, cramped, awkward flat.
Where do you suggest we exercise?
Where are YOU currentlyly exercising?

I’m fortunate in that I have a garage gym, but if I didn’t I’d be exercising in the living room. Bodyweight exercise is very challenging and as long as you can lay down you have enough space.

@nowayhose my postgraduate degree was in biology. Please don’t throw silly slurs around just because you have no idea about basic biology.

No, this virus does not have a 100% transmission rate. First, viruses in the corona class (which is a well-studied class) primarily enter the body via the mucous membranes. If someone standing behind you coughs and viral particles hit the back of your head, or your shoulders, you will only get infected if those particles are somehow transported from your shoulders to your eyes, nose or mouth (for example by scratching your shoulder then touching your face). Virus particles don’t just magically infect you the second you come into contact with them.

Second, we don’t as a species have immunity to this particular form of corona, but the human immune system has various defence mechanisms to prevent pathogens from gaining a foothold. If someone who is in the most contagious stage coughs directly into your face at close distance, then yes of course you’ll almost certainly get it. If someone who is less contagious coughs near you then it’s possible the particles won’t enter your body.

After all there are plenty of NHS staff treating actively infectious patients who (through practising common sense protocols to reduce infection risk) have not become infected.

Obviously we should be doing everything in our power to reduce the spread of infection. But there is so much scaremongering giving the impression that if you so much as walk by an infected person you’ll 100% get it and will probably die. That kind of scaremongering is irresponsible and inaccurate.

You don’t need to leave the house to exercise... People are just using it as an excuse to go out.

Yes, because we're Allowed to Go Out to Exercise.

People are just using it as an excuse to go out.

People are allowed outside to exercise under the current guidelines as a legitimate reason to go out, they don't need to use it as an "excuse."

When thousands of people descend onto a park and start sunbathing, they aren’t exercising.

NewPapaGuinea that is complete nonsense.

First, plenty of disabled people are very restricted in what forms of exercise they can do (not everyone can do bloody star jumps!) and many disabled people have conditions where exercise is essential to avoid pain or lack of function. There are plenty of disabled or elderly people who for example can only do gentle exercise like walking and can’t physically do aerobic exercise, yet posters are insisting that anyone who isn’t an athlete be banned from exercising!

Second, I have more space now but for years I lived in a bedsit that literally had almost zero floorspace. I could maybe have jumped up and down on the spot (IF I had been able-bodied) but certainly didn’t have enough space to put a yoga mat down.

When thousands of people descend onto a park and start sunbathing, they aren’t exercising.

But that’s completely changing the subject.

No one is defending sunbathers, just objecting to the ludicrous posts stating “outdoor exercise is unnecessary because everyone can exercise in their bedroom” or “only athletes should be allowed out to exercise, fuck disabled people.”

Fine with me that the only people we see out and about exercising are the disabled and elderly. They’re more at risk from dying from this so makes sense everyone else keeps away.

When thousands of people descend onto a park and start sunbathing, they aren’t exercising.

Yeah except that's not what's happening except in a minority of cases which the media jumps on. I went to the park to exercise today and everyone else was doing the same- exercising and walking at distance from one another.

So, poor people are allowed out, but only if they are demonstrably 'exercising' Whereas, those with gardens can lounge?

Totally agree with you.

Some of you whining about people having the temerity to go for a walk sound like lack of vitamin D has addled your brains.

Great post @SwerfandTurf

You know, I am so so grateful that this virus didn't hit while I still lived in a shared house. There were 11 of us in it, just imagine the social media posts we could have inspired!

So, poor people are allowed out, but only if they are demonstrably 'exercising' Whereas, those with gardens can lounge?

It's an unfortunate consequence of the situation. Yes, it's hard but what other alternative is there? You can only use the parks if you have ID and proof of address?

In the UK sunbathing isn't on the very short list of activities you are allowed to leave your house to do.
Exercise undertaken at any pace is.

Some people will have acres of their own land to spend time in, others will have swimming pools, some will have postage stamp gardens, some balconies and others just a room in a shared house.
Life isn't fair, it never has been and isn't going to start being now.

So, poor people are allowed out, but only if they are demonstrably 'exercising' Whereas, those with gardens can lounge?

well, you are confusing "poor" with "people living in flats with no garden".
Even million pound flats don't always have a garden, whilst some very cheap and popular tiny terraced have one.

But then, yes, of course. The same way as people in detached house are allowed to do any internal noise at any time, whilst people in flats are only allowed reasonable noise and only during day time (it's usually in the lease).

It's not exactly a new concept.

So, poor people are allowed out, but only if they are demonstrably 'exercising' Whereas, those with gardens can lounge?

The most expensive place I’ve ever lived (1 bed flat in a very expensive city centre) didn’t have any outside space. My current 4 bed house in a very very cheap area has a big garden. You wouldn’t be able to buy a parking space in London for the price of my house. So no, it’s not about ‘poor’ people really.

So, poor people are allowed out, but only if they are demonstrably 'exercising' Whereas, those with gardens can lounge?

So only 'poor people' don't have gardens? Really? That's a contender for the most ridiculous comment I've seen for quite some time. My mum is minted and lives in a flat. It's bigger than my house but she doesn't have a garden.

She manages to 'lounge', she just does it indoors for now. However, she, like most people, doesn't feel it's a massive hardship for a few weeks if it helps stop the spread of this virus. It's such a shame that so many people really don't give a shit.

Far too many people are relying on most people staying indoors most of the time so they don't feel they have to.

Some absolute tool has posted this on Facebook. This is a woman who has an absolutely massive garden (several acres) getting shitty with anyone that dares to step foot outside their front door.

I think this is actually the kind of in-fighting that this government is hoping for. Make us fight amongst ourselves, blame each other, not the government.

Don't fall for it. They should issue absolutely clear guidelines.

I really feel for those who have no outside space of their own. Where are they meant to go? I have no issue with walking in green spaces for exercise. Socially distance yourself so then it's not an issue.

They should issue absolutely clear guidelines.

I think the guidelines are quite clear. Most people don't seem to struggle to understand them.

@LidlDonkey Actually, 10 minutes browsing on MN proves you absolutely right and people really don't seem to understand them so I apologise. It's mind boggling.