Where is the risk in going out for country walks?

[OatMilkAddict]

I've been very careful to limit social interaction (apart from food shopping once per week for me and elderly family members isolating elsewhere), but I have been out walking for an hour or two most days since lockdown.
I head on foot to secluded woods and fields where I only rarely see people (and give them a wide berth if I do). I don't touch a thing while I'm out, nor sit down or brush against anything. As soon as I get home, I remove my shoes and wash my hands, phone and keys.
Without being goady, I am curious to hear from the most vehement "stay at home" advocates precisely how my daily walk is going to get me (or anyone else) sick, because I literally don't understand where the risk is!

Also, limiting to 200m, with an ID card with your address on it, really reduced the chance of kids meeting up.

Fair enough in Italy, you're living under different rules.

Assuming the OP is in the UK, and she should say if she isn't as this is a UK dominated website, she is allowed out to walk every day with no time or distance limit.

You're not supposed to drive to walk but that isn't actually explicit in the rules, but there has been problems with overcrowding in beautyspots so a lot of the car parks have been closed anyway.

It seems fine to me - enjoy the fresh air!

Live in a semi rural area of a city and quite frankly I have never seen as many people out walking.

The combination of families all together with nothing to do, and a feeling of being trapped , has lead to a traffic jam of people out and about near me. I can only compare it to 'Boxing Day' when EVERYONE seems to go for a walk.

Yesterday I got into a Mexican stand off with another two walkers at one point, and then had to walk at snails pace behind someone walking their dog , who kept looking behind glaring at me. Couldn't blame her really, bet her dog walk has changed dramatically with every Tom, Dick and Harriet out 'getting their exercise' .

Hmmm...are you exercising close to home OP? I noticed a couple of hikers in my village the other day, it's not cool. I thought our daily exercising meant 1 hr max outside per person, per day.

I live in a remote cottage deep in the fields and on a working farm. You'd be surprised how many 'extra' walkers I am seeing go past daily. I've also noticed twice as many cars driving down parking up at the no-through gate 10 yards from my house.. I'm fortunate to have a huge garden surrounding the house which the kids are throughly enjoying .. however, to actually get down here through the farm to my cottage from the main through way would be a walk of at least 45 minutes, am I right in thinking your supposed to be out no longer then an hour? Or can you walk all day if you wish?

You might briefly enjoy yourself

I went for a run this morning, I did just shy of 8 miles, despite living in central London I only saw one person (milkman).

How do you know that the hikers had not set off on foot from home?

There is no time or distance limit in the rules, you can go on any walk you like from home.

I think at the moment it is fine, but what I am finding is that more and more people seem to be choosing the route (which had no people) and the time (also no people) that I use to walk and when I took my son, there were so many people, I turned around and walked back.

theres minimal risk to you but when they write the rules they are done collectively for everyone not on an individual basis depending on your circumstances.
Flame me now I've been out twice a few days BUT top of my road (80% of people on our rd over 75 bungalow land never see anyone)miles of open fields go for a run on there in 90 mins saw 2 dog walkers other side of the field then family walk later.
If we still lived at our previous address dense area TBH don't think we would of left the garden.

Nothing wrong with what you are doing OP, but there are risks even in walking. I went out for a walk with DH yesterday, from our doorstep. We were walking along a narrow country lane and the wind was whipping through the trees so we didn't hear a jogger approaching behind us. He didn't shout or warn us in any way and just brushed past me to get past! I was fuming - sweaty moron! I steam cleaned my jacket when we got home.

GoodbyRosie I was thinking the same thing yesterday. We live in an estate in a fairly built up area. A 5 minute walk away is a shared cycle/walking path along a river/woods/fields. I’ve been in isolation for nearly two weeks, but on my first days out with the dog this weekend, I couldn’t believe how busy it was- like Central Park on an early summer’s day! And so many wobbly cyclists who look as though they haven’t been on a bike in at least 20 years.

Fortunately everyone stays on the paved path and they don’t seem to realise that you can walk in the woods by the river if you are willing to clamber over fallen down trees. Plus the fields (which are not farmers’ fields- council owned which have been up for sale to developers for over 20 years!) are empty other than the odd dog walker, so other than a short bit at the start of the walk it’s easy to socially distance, but it is just like the annual Boxing Day stroll.

@riversideclyde - I too said that she is only doing what we've already been asked to do in going for a walk. But her tone was, why shouldn't I, what harm am I doing? If we all said that and headed through countryside or to the suburb outskirts, 70 million on daily 2 hour walks wouldn't constitute 'staying at home'.

Enjoy your walk and exercise and carry on washing your hands and avoiding others. What were you expecting us to say?

It is not Italy (yet) nor France with their consent papers, if you want to keep this benefit of being free to walk, then we all need to follow the rules more or less.

Last night during one of the updates the request was for 1 exercise per day up to one hour. The reasoning given was to minimise time outside for all, meaning everywhere would be quieter and everyone has a chance to get out and still keep to the 2m rule.

Obviously in your circumstances in a quiet place this is not as much of an issue and you are unlikely to spread the virus, but they cannot give out rules for every scenario. They need to give out single simple robust rule that people can follow and police can enforce.

@Robinjr2 canoeing is not allowed as it could take away vital services if you get into trouble. Same as jet skis and kayaks

What’s the problem with driving somewhere. We have an electric car so no need to get petrol. I really fancy driving to the next village for a change. I have three little kids and They are getting bored of the same walk. Too young to cycle.

We are driving to our allotment doing a few hours of work then driving home.

I figure that it is a compromise. The work is necessary: preparing beds, planting out and sowing seeds. It is also our exercise. We are away from other people as everyone keeps to their own plot as a matter of course. The only pinch point is the gate but I wear gloves to open and close them.

I understand the need for clear rules as some people are putting themselves and others at risk. I think it is acceptable to keep to the spirit of the rules (ie strict social distancing) even if the precise detail of the rules are being broken (eg going out more than once).

There is no time, or frequency, mentioned in the act, so go out for a walk and enjoy yourself.
Surely, the whole point of this is to limit your exposure to other people. It therefore depends where you live. In some urban areas I expect this is more difficult than in rural areas, therefore it makes sense to limit your exposure if this is the case. On the other hand I am fortunate that I can walk for hours and not see a soul because I live in a rural agricultural area (as do many others).
However, the mumsnet stasi on here would have you believe that you can only walk for one hour (not true) and no more, regardless of your individual circumstances. I think, even if you lived alone on an island off the coast, they would still insist you only went outside for the minumum time necessary! There are some frightening mindsets in evidence on here.

The point is you shouldn’t be driving anywhere unnecessarily. You can walk from your home but you shouldn’t be driving to snowdonia to get your exercise. Because you’ll need to use a fuel station and if you breakdown or crash you’ll be relying on services. I live in the Peak District and everyone has been driving to the tourist hotspots. Therefore you aren’t walking alone, you’re walking with thousands of other people and not keeping the social distancing rule. The other problem is people walking up mountains & over rough terrain then needing the mountain rescue team and a trip to A&E. Another issue is the amount of people walking through fields using gates and stiles that farmers need to use because it’s their job. A farmer was beaten up last week as he was cleaning his gates because every man and his dog had passed through that day. He asked a walker to go home and was beaten!

So many more people overnight who think the rules don't apply to them.

Kids get bored, such is life.

DH has a rowing boat and he did say that he had something from the environment agency (as you have to register boats) about not being able to use it

The people who come and rescue you are often volunteers. Highly irresponsible to go off canoeing and not necessary

@EssentialGarage can you point me to where in the act it says canoeing is banned?