To clarify the one hour of exercise 'rule'

[Itstheprinciple]

I've seen this mentioned on so many posts and I've seen people clarify it within the post but I've not seen a specific post about it. I thought this could help people who seem confused about what is 'allowed'.

Michael Gove was asked on the Andrew Marr show what he considered to be reasonable exercise. This is his response:

"I would have thought that for most people, a walk of up to an hour, or a run of 30 minutes or a cycle ride of between that, depending on their level of fitness is appropriate."

So it is not a hard and fast rule or law. No one is standing with a stopwatch as it gets to 59 mins. It's guidance and it will vary between individuals as Mr Gove says himself.

For those saying lockdown will be eased soon, these are the conditions that the WHO have said countries must meet before they can relax lockdown

The WHO criteria in full are:

Transmission is controlled

Health system capacities are in place to detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact

Outbreak risks are minimised in special settings like health facilities and nursing homes

Preventive measures are in place in workplaces, schools and other places where it’s essential for people to go

Importation risks can be managed

Communities are fully educated, engaged and empowered to adjust to the ‘new norm’

So, we're a long way from meeting even the ability to "detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact".

I doubt lockdown will be relaxed for a while yet.

And yes, I accept that things might be different in the countryside but then government need to do something about that. Let people from cities travel further afield to find somewhere quieter? I don't see why some people must be trapped inside their homes whilst others can go outside as much as they like

Well, WHO doesn't rule the UK, Hear. Hoping everyone's equally miserable is a sad way to go through life.

The article said they were conditions that the WHO have said countries must meet before they can ease lockdown.

Is that not true then?

But then you must be able to see how difficult it is for people living in London or other cities?

Of course it is. But then people in cities find it easier to get to a supermarket.

Do you tell people in cities they shoildnt go out when rural areas are snowed in?

Do you go around telling people living in cities 'do you know how hard it is, when other cant get to a supermarket or out ofbthe their front door?'

They managed in France and Spain, hopefully they'll do the same here.

They won't, you can hope everyone will be as miserable as you, but it's not going to happen, Hear, it isn't. Sorry if that makes you bitter, but well, that's how it is, life isn't fair. I'll carry on with treks in the hills, I can get there on foot and ramble for miles and miles. I usually go for 2-3 hours, sometimes more, stop to have something to eat.

Some people would be thrilled if we all lived in a police state forever. We don't and it won't happen.

And no one said they were easing 🔐
Merely beginning to look at exit strategies
Because like it or not Hooves we aren't going to stay like this forever
And wanting everyone to be as miserable as you is a pretty sad way to live

WHO doesn't rule the UK, Hear, rather you like it or not. They don't make the rules. Our government does, you know, the one that wants to get people back to work for economy's sake?

Hooves, you almost sound as if you are advocating the use of holiday homes. Letting people travel from cities to somewhere quieter? That would never do!

I have seen more people on my usual trail, but not many, it's not hard to distance. I live in Scotland and we have daylight till around 8. I saw 5 yesterday, that's unusual, usually see 2 at the most, but well, people are getting out and getting fit. Good on them!

I don't want people to be miserable but clearly some of you are quite happy for others to be miserable just as long as you are ok.

I hope the government realises that some people bare taking the piss as regards exercise and take steps to crack down.

As for holiday homes - is that actually against the law? If it isn't, then I'm starting to think it's a good idea for people to spread out a bit and ease crowding in the city.

I'm not making anyone miserable by going out for exercise . I'm walking up in the hills behind my house. You can hope away, the government are not going to 'crack down' further. No one wants a police state. I hope I win the lottery, too. See how that works? People aren't taking the piss at all.

Holiday homes are usually in areas where services are very limited, including hospitals. That's the trade off with rural areas. I live in one, we have only a small cottage hospital. You get critically ill or injured and you have to be choppered to one of the larger hospitals, this takes time so of course, increases your chances of negative outcome. That's why people are being asked not to go to their holiday homes. It's not all about the bloody cities. The cities are no more crowded than they were before the quarantine, and a lot of people still have to go into work.

As for holiday homes - is that actually against the law? If it isn't, then I'm starting to think it's a good idea for people to spread out a bit and ease crowding in the city.

If the regions had hospitals etc sufficient for increased population, I wouldn't disagree with you. But they don't, so in practice that's a terrible idea. And some of them already have a lot of CV cases relative to their population size.

I don't know if you personally are impacting anyone but I know people with your attitude living in towns and cities are making people miserable.

If the government want to lock a million and a half people in their homes then they need to make provision to protect their mental and physical health, including ability to exercise, vitamin D, isolation.

Otherwise we will all get fed up and will simply not comply, putting huge pressure on the NHS

I go out several times a day, adhering to the social distancing rules of course.

It doesn't matter if you all think it's a bad idea for city dwellers to go out to quieter areas does it? Is it against the law? If not, we're fine to do it. That's your argument for exercise frequency. So, if it isn't against the law then we can do it. Doesn't matter if you don't like it.

I hope the government realises that some people are taking the piss as regards exercise and take steps to crack down

Fuck that! i'll go and exercise for as long as i like, i don't go near anyone as i live in the sticks, i will however, run or ride once day only.

Crack down? on what exactly ? maybe crackdown on employers who force their staff to go to work? or crack down on themselves and stop the spread of CV in care homes perhaps?

You sound like you were born out of time, East Germany might be more to your liking.

How are they making people miserable? They're going out for exercise. Good grief. Plenty of people in towns and cities don't have gardens and many live in flats with young children.

There is no such 'rule'.

Frankly, if Michael Gove told me the sky was blue I'd look up.

How are they making people miserable? They're going out for exercise. Good grief. Plenty of people in towns and cities don't have gardens and many live in flats with young children.

Exactly. Loads of people in cities don't have gardens so why is it fair that they can't go out because it's too busy? And many of those making it busy are people going out more than once or for long periods of time. That isn't fair.

There's a simple disconnect here.

Hooves is talking about people in crowded places going out multiple times or for long durations.

People on the thread are talking about doing those things in sparsely populated areas.

I reckon my rule of thumb - don't exceed the guidelines unless your area can easily accommodate a multiple of its actual loading - is equitable without unnecessarily constraining people who aren't impacting others.

Unfortunately I don't think there's a practical way to divvy up the countryside to allow townsfolk more of a share of it, in practise they nearly all just went to 'beauty spots' and beaches.

One thing I’ve learned over the past few days and many similarly merailed threads is that misery loves company and misses no opportunity to get it. It wants a race to the bottom and it’s not worth arguing with.

They can go out. They're not in prison. You're free to walk around at midnight if you want. It's not a police state. Guidelines are guidelines, and none of them says you can only go out once a day entirely. Life's not fair.

I hope the government realises that some people bare taking the piss as regards exercise and take steps to crack down

There's very little evidence that people are taking the mickey. And for the tiny number who are breaking the rules, there's very little evidence that it affects the covid infection rate in any material way whatsoever, and they are being dealt with.

Therefore, they are not going to extend the restrictions, in 3-4 weeks time they will start to be eased.