Going for walks?

[Wejustdontknow]

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

I take my son out for a short walk most days, he has the energy of three greyhounds and it’s not fair on him to keep him in the house for however long this goes on for... possibly months? We live in a quiet area and I make sure to walk in the middle of the road or cross over if anyone gets close.

I walk a lot less than I used to, used to go on walks that lasted several hours, so really miss that.

I’ll be happy to go out again after the peak. We’re trying to self isolate as much as possible to protect DP who is on the vulnerable list.

Well we decided to walk down our road the opposite way we would to leave as it leads to another road which is then a dead end and I have never had reason to go that way before, 2 minutes down the road there were 2 people in front stood having a chat, could have been part of the same family but i believe they were neighbours so we turned around, I could not think of anywhere to walk so we came back home and went on the garden for half an hour 😂 the houses round here are nothing special, just rows of terrace houses so it’s not even like it’s a walk with nice scenery, think we will stick to the garden and I will try and research some outdoor games for smaller spaces.
I will also try to refrain from licking the bottom of my shoes 🤣

We aren’t going for walks. I looked out of my window the other day and the paths were full of people going for walks. Whole families with kids on scooters, dog walkers the lot. Not for me, so we will stay in the garden.

We're all allowed out for exercise. As you know avoid others, and if you have sanitizer take it in case anyone touches anything - and enjoy!

I still go out walking in our residential area. Generally just see a few people with dogs and just cross the road to avoid contact.

We are still walking for 20 - 50 mins late morning. Only had one instance where the path was so busy ahead we turned and came home (it was a beautiful day quite early on in the lockdown). This morning it was cold and windy and we only saw a couple of dog walkers in the distance.

Ive always gone for a walk almost every day and am still doing that. Relieved that so far the lockdown isn't a strict as some countries which don't permit this. I try and go to places where I won't encounter too many people but one day I took a diversion as I could see how busy the path in front of me was. If I aas concerndd I wouldn't go at the weekend, especially if the weather is lovely as that seems to be the worst time.
I have only been out in the car once in 3 weeks to buy shopping to heavy to carry, otherwise I have walked to the pharmacy or the shop a few times to pick up things for elderly neighbours and myself.

Oh gosh yes.
Key worker married to front line NHS worker.
I’m safest on my countryside walks.

Why would you turn around because you saw two people talking? Just walk around them.

Getting out for a walk is keeping me sane. I can see our local park from my home office and there are regularly parents out there kicking a ball around with their kids, well away from others. I agree with your husband.

Yes, we have a garden, but some days I take DC out for a walk. We stay 2m from other people in the streets or the park which is at the end of our street. I don't think us walking on the street or the grass at the park increases the risk to us or other people.

Depends where you're walking and if you have to touch gates etc. Walking around away from others and not touching anything at all is fine (although there are people who insist car tyres are spraying the virus all over the shop) but with small kids I would be wary of taking them somewhere if they insist on poking and touching everything.

We have been walking most days and usually pretty quiet but noticed today that it is suddenly much busier with lots more people that usual out walking and running also notice a lot more cars on the roads.

@eurochick it was a cul-de-sac so no point walking around them to come back again a couple of minutes later, in a normal street I understand I might see others and would just walk on the opposite side of the street or give them as much space as possible

We're going out for a walk in the evening. It's quiet then, we live in an area popular with dog walkers ( we too have a dog) and it's fairly busy during the day.

Someone up the thread said we're allowed out for a walk more than once a day? Is that right? I thought it was once. I'd love to go out for another walk in the day

Yeah go for a walk you'd feel much better . I've not gone everyday . Today I walked with the dc and tomorrow I'll run on my own while dh will watch the dc . I honestly think I'd go mad indoors everyday but my dh he'd happily stay indoors for weeks.

Definitely going for a walk every day, it keeps us all happy. We do live in a village of 6 houses with woods all around so many options and we don’t stick to paths, just explore round the woods. The kids are really happy and I think their mental health is more likely to be affected by this whole situation than their actual health so I am happy to take them out for a walk. I’d say it was actually pretty vital but I do have a very anxious ocd child so I try and protect him from the worry as much as possible. I am very careful on every other way. No supermarkets, just getting meat and veg delivered from different places. We haven’t left our area for two weeks now

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

Incorrect unfortunately

When you cough/sneeze/breathe it’s not all large droplets, there’s a lot of much smaller/lighter stuff that stays in the air for up to 3 hours.

Although you ‘can’ go out, it’s really better (as far as the virus spreading is concerned) not to.

Obviously mental health needs considering, so at the moment everyone needs to make their own decision.

I’ve stopped going out unless I go & get back home before 7am and I go on a route that not many people would. Just in case I’m
Carrying it unknown. I’m not going everyday anymore either.

It’s a balancing act between being worried for myself, neither getting nor spreading the virus & keeping my diabetes under control.

If I had more space I’d have got a treadmill

(Knees too fucked to do many ‘at home’ exercises).

If I had kids & a willing DH. I’d think an early morning kick around at the park was a good idea!! Maybe just a couple of mornings if your DC don’t seem too bothered by not going out.

Vertical exercise is good for you - skipping, jumping, bouncing etc.

Those of you who go for walks, please bear in mind that people who are asymptomatic can be infectious too via just talking.

BBC also described today that coughs and sneezes travel a lot further than 2m and virus can stay in the air for 3 hours and up to 3 days on surfaces.

I'm still amazed that people are saying paths are packed. I'm in London and if I walk in the residential streets near my home they are not busy. Yes, I see people but just step away as we pass. I really don't think that I'm going to get the virus by passing them at least 2m away in the street. It's much more risky going to the supermarket.

Exercise and fresh air is good for physical and mental wellbeing. No-one should be too frightened to go out.

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

Our baby is due in June 😬

We all had a really odd virus in February. When the antibody test kit becomes available, I would like to buy one. I've never had anything like that before, and my symptoms were far milder than DS and DP's (I couldn't take ibuprofen as I'm pregnant). If I found out we'd had it, I'd be less anxious about going out.

Otherwise, I don't know.

If you want to mitigate risk, wear gloves.

No we aren't. I know you can but the whole point is for exercise which we can do without leaving the garden so we haven't.

The BBC report that the virus can be sneezed 8m and coughed 6m and stay in the air for up to 3hrs was based on a study done under laboratory conditions which is essentially, an unventilated room. This is not the case OUTSIDE where the virus is quickly dispersed by air movement.

“Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, US, used high-speed cameras and other sensors to assess precisely what happens after a cough or sneeze.
They found that an exhalation generates a small fast-moving cloud of gas that can contain droplets of liquid of varying sizes - and that the smallest of these can be carried in the cloud over long distances.
The study - conducted in laboratory conditions - found that coughs can project liquid up to 6m away and that sneezes, which involve much higher speeds, can reach up to 8m away.”

“The scientist who led the study, Prof Lydia Bourouiba of MIT, told me that she is concerned about the current concept of "safe distances".
"What we exhale, cough or sneeze is a gas cloud that has high momentum that can go far, traps the drops of all sizes in it and carries them through the room “, she said.”
www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52126735