To remind people of the exercise rules

[Orangeblossom78]

Keep seeing all this stuff where people are making up their own rules and telling people off! we were even glared at while having a family picnic on a long walk yesterday! Please stop with telling people off when they are within the guidelines.

Here is the current situation, as updated about a week ago.

What are the current rules when it comes to exercise in the UK?

Daily exercise, including walking, running, cycling, tending to an allotment or doing yoga is allowed.

You are allowed to drive somewhere to take your exercise. The guidance says, ‘it is lawful to drive for exercise.’ However, ‘Driving for a prolonged period with only brief exercise’ is also deemed ‘not likely to be reasonable’. The rule of thumb? You’re allowed to drive somewhere to go for a walk or run as long as you spend much more time walking than you do driving.

Exercising more than once per day is likely to be allowed if you have a ‘reasonable excuse’ for needing to leave your home.

You are allowed to sit and take a break from exercise, say, on a bench or sitting down in a park. However, this must be for a short time only and, as before, you must spend markedly more time exercising than resting.

Isn't there something to be said for following the spirit of guidelines rather than trying to find loopholes and justifications?
I get that sitting miles away from anyone on a picnic having a halloumi fecking soufflé doesn't appear to be harming anyone. But it's quiet where you are sitting because anyone who isn't a toss pot is following the spirit of the Stay home message.

And as for Apple crumble muffin person, I do hopeyourcakeisshit.

I'm fine following guidelines, I just wish Devon and Cornwall Police felt the same.

@Ihopeyourcakeisshit Well you may be staying locked up but others need to get outside in the fresh air to shop, walk dogs, give children exercise as well as themselves

@LaLaLandIsNoFun show me where it says packing up and going for a family picnic in a public area is ok?

Totally agree with you OP I'm sick of people making up their version of the rules!

@LaLaLandIsNoFun that actually says 'likely to be reasonable' not 'is reasonable' - open to interpretation therefore and not set in stone.

Just go living in your own bubble then love, and those of us you care will continue to abide by guidelines correctly. It states break must be for a short time, not sitting having a bloody picnic.

It’s people like you having picnics which means we may end up in lockdown for longer

'Allowed'
'Reasonable excuse'
This is bullying language and I resent it. What is wrong with 'reason' rather than 'excuse' which suggests you are trying to wriggle out of a punishment, and infantilises adults.
Most people I know are deciding for themselves what to do. Nothing I go endangers anyone or puts a burden on the NHS so so would ignore any interfering busybody who quoted me the'rules' or demanded to know my 'excuse'.The elderly I see all time out with walking frames ARE likely to cause a burden on the NHS and should stay indoors. People seem to be forgetting that the purpose of 'lockdown ' is to avoid burdening the NHS so perfectly reasonable for adults to make their own judgments about what they do as long as they are judging the risk in line with that.

I'm shopping for food, I'm not having picnics because it's not really in the spirit of things @justasking111

You are the problem ! Get a grip and read the guidelines. You are just finding loop holes to be utterly selfish.

MarieQueenofScots Spot on!

@1forsorrow although...Devon and Cornwall have the lowest figures of incidence, lower deaths, lots of hospital capacity etc. Maybe the police have a point!

@YappityYapYap it says it right there in the guidelines - if you’re stopping to ‘eat lunch’ where I come from this would be a ‘picnic’ and if you’re with family it would be a ‘family picnic’ and that would include the type of family picnic most on a hike/long walk would have - stopping for 20 minutes to eat. It’s not sitting in a patch all day having a family picnic, now is it?

@sickofPPEtalk - a common sense would suggest that ‘likely’ is indeed there to suggest that stopping to eat food and staying there for longer than it takes to eat a couple of sandwiches and a piece of fruit, for example, WOULD NOT be a reasonable excuse.

Seriously, what has happened to common sense?

Let me get this straight.
Middle class picnic of organic sundried houmous and artisan flat bread, fine.
Working class picnic of a pasty and a bag of crisps, not fine.

Enjoy being miserable and sanctimonious!

I’m not the one coming on here like the Head Girl telling everybody else what to do. As it is I’m going to spend the rest of the day in my garden and leave the open spaces free for those who don’t have their own outdoor space.
I might have avocado on toast while I’m out there. (Locally made sourdough and avocado from the local vegan deli so it’s middle class enough)

And OP YABNU. Where I cycle I often se family /looking groups eating a d drinking sitting down. Not mine or anywhere me's business to quiz them on timings.
Clearly Devon police are overmanned and underworked /of they have manpower to harass picknickers / maybe should be noted for budget review.

*@1forsorrow although...Devon and Cornwall have the lowest figures of incidence, lower deaths, lots of hospital capacity etc. Maybe the police have a * We had all that before the new police guidelines were issued, everywhere else has had falling figures since the new police rules were issued.

@1forsorrow
the police won't stand a chance in court as actually taking dog a walk is legal, police are there to enforce law they do not make the law neither can they change it or interpret it to suit themselves, if challenged it would not have a leg to stand on you do not have to exercise your dog in your own garden
The police do however sometimes intimidate people to give the impression that they can force them to stop doing what is legal or they have to do something when actually they don't legally have to do it, some police are fine and some are just enjoying being bullies and throwing their weight around, policemen are twice as likely to be perpetuators of domestic violence than the general population then they cover up for their friends as some sort of loyalty
tickets can be challenged in court whatever chief constable says

On that guidance (and in the reguilations - the law) picnics are not necessarily covered as that is hardly a short sit down because you are 85 and need a break on your walk. Might be best to eat the sandwiches whilst you are walking if you are that hungry or not eat! Obesity is a massive problem for covid 19 patients. It will kill many of them.

However I hope we can lift lock down and if you are away from others I don't morally think a short sit down is a problem although never leave any litter on a picnic. My son picked up a huge black sack of rubbish in the woods opposite our house - whoever is coming up this area during this shut down are litter louts and need to be named, shamed and tied to a public stocks and hit with wet sponges in my view.

The rules are: stay at home as much as possible unless you have an essential reason to leave.

Exercise is allowed. Pausing if you need to catch your breath, have a sip of water or an energy bar or something, during your exercise is allowed.

Going out for a family picnic? NOT ESSENTIAL BY ANY DEFINITION. And therefore, not allowed.

Clearly Devon police are overmanned and underworked /of they have manpower to harass picknickers / maybe should be noted for budget review. No we are underfunded, particularly as funding takes no account of the influx in the summer when our population doubles. It is just they are pretty rubbish at everything else and this seems to be something they like doing. Having said that I had to go into town centre yesterday for an emergency opticians appointment and the police seemed to have no issue with the gathering of what seemed to be big East European guys blocking the high street. Funny that, they are so enthusiastic about harassing women, kids and pensioners. I wonder what the difference is?

The guidelines say you can stop to eat lunch on a long walk. As long as you did just that rather than a leisurely picnic you were ok.

Our council have removed dog shit bins, so now the bags are hung up on trees, walls, etc. Umm.. excuse me please just take it home.

But it wasn’t a long walk, that’s the problem. An hour.

the police won't stand a chance in court as actually taking dog a walk is legal, police are there to enforce law they do not make the law neither can they change it or interpret it to suit themselves, if challenged it would not have a leg to stand on you do not have to exercise your dog in your own garden The Chief Constable has stated on TV that he will back the fines so it will need someone to take it to court. I hope someone does as I agree with you that they would lose. I'd be tempted to do it, I think a go fund me page might get the money to mount a case. I just don't know if I have the fight in me at the moment, last 60s and carer for my husband. Do I have the energy? Don't know but on the other hand I think we'd be a sympathetic case, I could do a great sad Daily Mail picture with disabled DH.

One of the local MPs has taken up the matter so I am hoping things will get more reasonable.