Are you going out for exercise?

[TalkSenseIntoMe]

I feel stupid asking this but as the COVID rate is now up to 1 in 15 in some parts of London...are people still going out for exercise? I had planned a forest walk with my DC today but now I’m wondering if I’m being irresponsible? We know the virus doesn’t hang around in the air but the message seems so clearly focused on STAY AT HOME. Exercise is allowed, I know, but it seems at odds with the stay at home message. Maybe the new variant does hang around in the air? Oh I’m being hysterical aren’t I? Tell me to get a grip and go out please.

I am so worried about the health of so many children after this. Pre covid my kids were very sporty (about four hours of high cardio exercise outside of PE plus walking about 40 mins to school and back and a couple of hours of dog walking a week) now I have to drag them out for a measly half hour walk once a day and I know this is more than some of their peers. It is a disaster waiting to happen.n

@Writerandreader

Before covid we had in the UK the u healthiest and fattest children in europe. 1 in 3 11 Yr olds is obese in the UK. That is also a pandemic! I cannot imagine my children's mental state if they spent more than a day indoors.

I totally agree. My DS has struggled with his weight for many years ( medical - long story). He relies on his twice a day school bike run, PE lessons and out with friends at the weekend. He's lost all of that, trying to convince him to come out with us is hard work, we're just not as fun as cycling/sports with his friends! Obviously well persevere but it's making him miserable and I'm worried about the impact on his weight

At dark !! But no
It’s cold it’s dark and it’s miserable
Hence my ‘period cycling shorts’ even they are tight !!!!

I am so worried about the health of so many children after this

Try not to , mine got straight back
Into it this summer

And once the daffodils are out things will have abated a bit , and we’ll get out
But it’s not ideal

You are not going to get covid outside

You say that but in
London you have to choose
Your walks and parks very very very carefully

Yes. Meet a friend for a walk most evenings and met a friend for a play date in the park yesterday with our children. Not sure if the rules allow it or not but my daughter needs to see her friends for her own mental health.

Sadly I only managed to get out on the weekends now because I can't manage with both my kids on the main road then River I have to walk past.. and my husband works long days apart from the weekend.. so we've been out for a three hour walk on sat and an hour walk on Sunday and thats it. We dont have a garden either so the kids are going mental its a nightmare. Im not doing well in this lockdow.. it was easier when the days were a bit longer in the spring. I could get out every day then for at least a little sunlight..

I would say yes, go, I would. But I would advise you to think about where you're going carefully. All of our local areas to walk are absolutely heaving with people.

I keep seeing wearing masks outside mentioned in the news so have started wearing masks for our walks, have had a few funny looks. I've had two walks today, totalling an hour.

Police are out tonight, police van parked up, police car next to it, full of police and other police on foot. Never seen this before, but its obvious were trying to avoid people, have the dog. Considering tonight was Sunday, its shocking how many cars are on the road. I've not seen it as busy this late on a Sunday before.

Yes you should go out and exercise. If you can find a quiet spot reasonably nearby then obviosuly that’s better, but you have to get out and exercise. We’ll go mad if we don’t.

I firmly believe a drive to a quieter / more open space in the same general area is much better than a walk to a crowded park.

Also as a pp said, bad health is going to increase your COVID risk.

I go out every day for a walk. Today I went for a 3 hour one and saw a grand total of 5 people (yep I'm a weirdo and counted; two separate couples and one of my neighbours who I had a very socially distanced chat with). There seem to be a lot less people out the last few days, perhaps due to the recent news stories about the police issuing fines to people who have driven fairly short distances for walks, the weather, or just general fear about the rising numbers of covid.

I'm lucky that I live fairly rurally and have a walking route with no narrow paths on my doorstep, so social distancing is easy.

I am a nurse and have worked on covid wards on and off since the first lockdown, and thankfully managed to avoid catching covid (so far). So I think my risk assessment of a walk outside is probably more lax than some peoples. Fairly sure that the risk of catching covid outside is teeny tiny. The risk of me sliding back into a depression and anxiety spiral without my daily walk is high though.

I try to but it's difficult mid week as working from home and glued to the laptop! It's keeping me sane though so try to get out.

Last lockdown people were out in parks and on streets too, less initially but loads as it warmed up, eg packed beaches. The transmission still fell due to the reduction in indoor mingling. Therefore outdoor activity must be very safe, even when 2m is impossible- which is almost every pavement nearby, you’d never be able to walk past anyone, never mind those walking in pairs or even five abreast as seen today along the Thames, and roads aren’t safe as there’s always loads of cars. 2 meters is more important if you are talking to someone or they cough, a mask will help if this happens.

@DenisetheMenace

Looobyloo

@TalkSenseIntoMe
As a family who can’t ship and rely on delivery drivers, thank you SO MUCH,
We try, very hard, to order essentials, not shit 😁

I also order lots of shit essential items. Without everyone ordering shit I'd be out of a job.

As you were.

Obvious point, but it's a lot easier to say "oh no I'm not going out to the park, it's too dangerous" when you have a garden you can play with the kids in, put an exercise bike in, throw a ball around in, etc.

I think some people genuinely forget that, for lots of us, we have to go to a park to do that stuff, as we have no outdoor space whatsoever.

Yes, I live rurally so run three times a week / long walks with the dogs every day. Rarely see other humans, and if I do, they are too far from me to worry about. I live nearby to some touristy NT places and avoid those as they are v busy (always popular but much busier than usual). I see daily threads on Nextdoor.com - locals complaining about ‘Londoners’ coming to the area... I do have sympathy though, it must be v tempting to jump in the car and drive to the countryside if you live in an urban high rise and have energetic children.

Yes, it's very rare I don't leave the house, it has to be pouring rain all day. My toddler needs a run around every day or he won't nap - we do have a small garden so that will do sometimes, but usually we go for a walk.

It's a fairly quiet suburban area, so while we do see other people we can keep distant. I must admit I hold my breath to pass people or cross the street at the moment - I haven't done that since April.

I used to be quite active in my day to day life and in really feeling the loss of fitness. I used to cycle and walk as part of my commute, would travel to go for long walks at the weekend, cycled into town for beauty appointments or a look around the shops, and always walked on my lunch break at work. Now I just don't have the impetus, there's nowhere to go and we have no childcare.

I try to go for a run but before 7am so it’s really quiet. We have great walks round here but last time I went it was so crowded that I didn’t feel comfortable. That was at the weekend, I’ll try during the week and see if it’s better. I’m NW though, I know my friend in London has started wearing her mask when dog walking now.

My 7 Yr old needs 2 hours outdoors running jumping playing.

When I was 7 being forced outside to do physical activity for two hours every day would have been akin to torture. All I wanted to do was sit indoors and read.

Yes, because we’d all go insane staying indoors all day everyday. Not to mention the fact that we’d all become lazy and unfit/fat.

DH thinks we shouldn’t drive to very local beauty spots (he’s worried about being questioned by police 🙄) so we just walk from our front door but I find we pass many more people this way.
I thinks it’s crazy to be honest. It’s much quieter in the forest/by the river/on the hills.

Some people are very keen to get rid of the “levellers” that were put in after the first, very unequal lockdown - e.g. allowing people to drive for their walk (so the area you lived wasn’t so vital), support bubbles (so single people, those with new babies etc didn’t suffer disproportionately) etc.

It smacks of wanting people in misery to me.

Loobyloo

I also order lots of shit essential items. Without everyone ordering shit I'd be out of a job.

As you were.“

Hadn’t really thought about it that way. Good point, thanks. I’ve a massive list of shit I’d quite like but felt a bit guilty about, will get right on it 😁

I'm not going out for exercise. DH goes out for a run every other day.

BF is meeting up with a different friend every day (not me) for "exercise" aka a chat whilst wandering slowly around and drinking coffee. She's alright though because she's been vaccinated . I'm politely refusing each time.

Why refuse your friend if youre keeping 2n apart outside? That’s allowed for a good reason!

Hell yes
Twice a day

Once on my own at 6.30am for 5k walk

Then in afternoon to woods with my children

Without doubt, some are using covid as an excuse not to exercise