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Original poster

Going for walks?

49 replies

Wejustdontknow · 02/04/2020 12:58

if You have a garden are you still going out for walks?
I have 2 ds’s at home, we do have a small garden but not really big enough for any proper exercise. I can’t decide whether this is good enough for now or if I should take them on a small walk locally each day to give them the chance to stretch their legs. Would they be at more risk by just going out for a walk? Not sure what to do for the best and keep changing my mind on whether they should just stay in the garden or not

OP posts:
Paintforkitchen · 02/04/2020 13:00

You are allowed to go out once a day for exercise. We have a garden but also go on a family walk once a day just to get out of the house.

Original poster
Wejustdontknow · 02/04/2020 13:04

Thanks, I do understand that we are allowed to go out once a day for exercise what I was wondering is if it was worth it and if it would raise the risk when really a play in the garden could be seen as enough.
Could be my brain overthinking things but what if the path we walk on someone had walked on five minutes before coughing and sneezing all over the place, would the droplets still be in the air?
Sorry if that sounds silly but you hear so much about how long things can stay in the air for that I am questioning my judgement on everything

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 02/04/2020 13:07

If you live somewhere with quiet streets then the risk would be different to if you're eg en route to a shop.

Original poster
Wejustdontknow · 02/04/2020 13:10

Thanks, it does seem quiet out, when we went for a walk earlier in the week we did encounter 1 couple walking together but they stood well back to let us pass. The kids have left the house once in the past 2 weeks, I am a supermarket worker so I guess the main risk to them is me unfortunately 😞 although I have swapped to nights to try and minimise my risk as much as I can

OP posts:
twinnywinny14 · 02/04/2020 13:11

I would pick the time and place carefully. We have been on our usual route and soon realised it’s actually impossible to keep 2m away from someone coming towards you as the path is not wide enough (and no one seems to think ahead and wait!). We changed our route and found a better quieter one that is wider so even if others are around it is possible to keep apart while passing/overtaking x

MillieMoodle · 02/04/2020 13:15

We are not going out for walks. DH and the DC haven't left the house/garden for two weeks or so. I am doing the shopping for us and my parents, who are self-isolating, and aside from shopping and collecting prescriptions from the pharmacy, I'm not going out either. I'm trying to avoid coming into contact with people as far as possible. I hate having to go out and do the shopping to be honest! Our village has never been busier with people going for walks...

Bringer · 02/04/2020 13:17

You are allowed to go out once a day for exercise

You are 'allowed' to go out as often as you like.

Original poster
Wejustdontknow · 02/04/2020 13:24

My dp has suggested taking a football and walking 5 minutes to a field for a kick about as it is a form of exercise but I just don’t feel comfortable doing that as it seems unnecessary right now, might compromise with a short walk today but stick to the main roads where we have the option to cross the street or keep more distance, there are lots of walk options around our house but they all involve narrow paths so if someone came the opposite way there isn’t a way to pass whilst also keeping to a reasonable distance

OP posts:
user1493413286 · 02/04/2020 13:27

I was sticking to my garden but it’s done me and my DD a lot of good to go out for a walk each day this week. We go about 5ish when there aren’t many people around (I think because children are having tea and adults are still working) and stick to quiet roads. A lot of people are putting rainbows in their windows here and my DD loves searching for them.
As long as you’re children aren’t vulnerable I think you need to be measured in what you do and think of the likelihood of what you’re worrying about.

Raver84 · 02/04/2020 13:27

We walk everyday. Live in a quiet village loads of forest and fields never see anyone. Safe. Walking in a town. I wouldn't. We wash out hands when we come in. It's really good for your mental health and mood.

Original poster
Wejustdontknow · 02/04/2020 13:32

We live on a standard village estate so although it’s not busy like a town or city it does have a large number of houses around us, I have just suggested to ds we go rainbow spotting just down the road and back today and then can judge it from there, I do think it would do them some good to have a walk even if it’s just for 10 minutes a day and we will stay away from the more scenic but narrow paths as suggested
Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply

OP posts:
PumpkinP · 02/04/2020 13:33

Nope, I really can’t see the point (not saying anyone else shouldn’t just that I won’t be)

WanderingLost167 · 02/04/2020 13:36

Go out for long walks, enjoy the spring

knittingaddict · 02/04/2020 13:38

We've gone out for a walk every day so far and have never felt unsafe. We only see a few people out and about, maybe a max of 10, and everyone has either crossed the road or waited in a wider section to let us pass. We do the same for others. It's my one bit of sanity in the day and we both feel so much better for getting out of the house.

I would do it op.

BarbaraofSeville · 02/04/2020 13:42

Realistically any droplets are going to fall to the ground within seconds of being released so even if someone with the virus passed along the path a few minutes ahead of you, it won't be hanging around for you to breathe in.

Just don't lick the bottom of your shoes Smile

knittingaddict · 02/04/2020 13:42

I should probably add that the one shop I've done so far was much more traumatic. We went to our local Tesco Metro and even with some measures in place it was virtually impossible to keep 2m apart because of the size of the shop. Hated every minute we were in there. The walks are lovely.

KonTikki · 02/04/2020 13:43

I do a 1 hour power walk through woodland 3 times a week.
I would struggle without it.

SnoozyLou · 02/04/2020 13:47

We have a little garden and have been sticking to that. I'm 28 weeks pregnant and have pretty bad PGP at the moment though so can't really walk very far and quite happy to avoid climbing the 20 odd steps from our front door to the street at the best of times.

If you want to go for a walk, go.

SnoozyLou · 02/04/2020 13:48

Just don't lick the bottom of your shoes

Definitely this though.

justanotherneighinparadise · 02/04/2020 13:48

I have to say I’m not. The way I look at it is ‘ what do I normally do day to day?’ I’m quite sedentary. I’ll be honest.

My kids are happy to play in the garden. They have a huge trampoline, a fairly large garden, a fairly large house. They are also not sporty kids so they are not bothered. So am I going to march them around the village? Nope.

TheDailyCarbuncle · 02/04/2020 14:04

A genuine question for the people who aren't going out - when will you be happy to go out again?

TheDailyCarbuncle · 02/04/2020 14:06

Sorry to answer your question OP it's absolutely fine to go out.

BoogleMcGroogle · 02/04/2020 14:10

We are going out for a longish family walk, about an hour, each morning before school at home. We are lucky to have woods, fields and footpaths nearby and the Spring weather is too lovely to miss. I'm starting a British wildlife project with the children next week, so we will take out binoculars and camera. We pass few people ( but do always see about a dozen people in the hour), mostly runners and dog walkers. If it was a two week lockdown I could perhaps ( just) bear not walking, but for months at a time, I'd be sad, podgy and vitamin D deprived. I think that exercise, fresh air and nature are enormously important to our physical and mental health and it is in all our best interests to stay healthy at the moment.

amazedmummy · 02/04/2020 14:14

We went out every day. I don't have a very big garden and tbh I'm a mid terrace so i'm quite close to neighbours if they're out too. We live in a quiet residential area and DS likes to sleep in his pram so as soon as we're finished our 2 week isolation we'll be right back to it.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 02/04/2020 14:17

Just did a walk round our area with my toddler- our for an hr, didn’t walk next to anyone. It’s nice to see different things, point out different flowers and generally remember there’s a world out there (although not as we knew it)