Exercise - where is the logic??

[YogaLite]

Why or why genuine users of countryside outdoor spaces travelling there in own car are scapegoats for the crisis caused by people crowding the streets before Christmas and mingling at Christmas???

Has anyone ever caught a virus on a walk in the hills??

Has government (and now police) lost the plot??

What is the point of pounding a pavement by the shops that are still open with people around?

I would far prefer to drive 5-10-20 miles TO AVOID them. As it is, I don't go out as constantly trying to dodge people on pavements is not what I would call a healthy exercise.

It's all about Saint Boris and his merry men APPEARING to be doing something. By "cracking down" on exercise, they look as if they're doing something to beat the virus, and it keeps the zealots happy for a few seconds. Plus, I think it suits the government if the public is confused. I won't be at all surprised if it emerges that the government specifically instructed Derbyshire Police to do what they did.

Those who are bored and want to go out are an easy target: and the government just loves playing divide and conquer to keep the plebs busy.

Banning exercise is a bloody own goal given this is a disease of the metabolically unhealthy

That plus lack of sensible discussion about vitamin d and load weight makes me wonder is there a lot of people wanting to make money out of prolonging this

Banning exercise is a bloody own goal given this is a disease of the metabolically unhealthy

Who is banning exercise?

@wanderings

It's all about Saint Boris and his merry men APPEARING to be doing something. By "cracking down" on exercise, they look as if they're doing something to beat the virus, and it keeps the zealots happy for a few seconds. Plus, I think it suits the government if the public is confused. I won't be at all surprised if it emerges that the government specifically instructed Derbyshire Police to do what they did.

Those who are bored and want to go out are an easy target: and the government just loves playing divide and conquer to keep the plebs busy.

Or is it that self-proclaimed libertarian Boris Johnson was against banning travel for exercise or defining a distance for this, so the Guidance includes the allowance for travel for exercise, and indeed it seems that Boris himself is availing himself of this allowance.

Other members of the government and the police seem to have a different opinion and think they can negate this allowance, pretend it doesn't exist or lie that travel for exercise is not allowed, when it is (quite clearly and specifically).

I am disgusted and beyond angry that the every day ‘common person’ is made to feel guilty about driving 10 mins somewhere to exercise. Whether or not the police think they can enforce this/fine people, it is causing unnecessary stress in people like myself who just want a change of scene and somewhere quite to walk away from other people, but now have to worry that we’ll be ‘caught’. We can drive 10 mins to the supermarket so what on Earth difference does it make?

@Wotrewelookinat

I am disgusted and beyond angry that the every day ‘common person’ is made to feel guilty about driving 10 mins somewhere to exercise. Whether or not the police think they can enforce this/fine people, it is causing unnecessary stress in people like myself who just want a change of scene and somewhere quite to walk away from other people, but now have to worry that we’ll be ‘caught’. We can drive 10 mins to the supermarket so what on Earth difference does it make?

The Guidance issued by the government says you can do this: outdoor exercise. This should be done locally wherever possible, but you can travel a short distance within your area to do so if necessary (for example, to access an open space)

Exercise is treated no differently to buying food in the Guidance.

In the summer I felt really low, had a lot of anxiety loding weight and wasnt sleeping (all the issues are linked and like a viscous cycle). I felt like I couldnt function properly and the gp prescribed anti depressants. I really didnt get on with them, they made me feel worse. She said if I didnt take them I should commit to doing some form of exercise every day. One of the key things that has kept me sane is a friend asking me if I want to go for a run 2 or 3 times a week. I am getting to the point now where I can (just about) motivate myself to go on my own, but a few months ago I just wouldnt have left the house.

*Banning exercise is a bloody own goal given this is a disease of the metabolically unhealthy

Who is banning exercise?*

Well they're not banning it as such but they're not exactly encouraging it either. Exercise outdoors has so many benefits, they should be actively promoting it!

@PurpleDaisies

Banning exercise is a bloody own goal given this is a disease of the metabolically unhealthy

Who is banning exercise?

The curtain twitchers, keyboard warriors and occasional over-zealous police hitting the headlines. Not that exercise is legally banned in law or guidence, but just the climate around the whole topic is enough to put thousands off taking a percieved risk of leaving their homes.

Exercise is good, for a multitude of reasons.
I don't particularly care what people do as long as it'a not branching into the realms of what would normally be classed as antisocial or reckless. Ignoring full car park, jamming up Edale, and going up Kinder Scout in Converse and jeans in winter conditions, with some snacks in a carrier bag, lea, no map, compass, skills or winter clothing is inconsiderate anyway and not a habit to encourage right now. However the majority of people strolling, running or cycling around are doing something healthy that is a very low Covid risk.

Bigger issues are what can reasonably be done to manage spread in hospitals/ carehomes, and safer working practices in other higher risk sites.

It would help everyone (police when trying to enforce and people trying to follow the rules) if they would define clearly what they mean by ‘local’ ‘your area’ and ‘short distance’.

At least then everyone would know where they stood!

Personally I think a ten mile radius would be reasonable.

Well said @BogRollBOGOF
Government & police should concentrate on areas/places/people where there is AN ACTUAL - NOT HYPOTHETICAL - risk.

But I expect it's nicer and safer for them to set off for a drive around the countryside to pick on easy target

It is the only thing left to cover up the fact that lockdowns don't do what everyone wants them to do as they aren't really lockdowns - what is required from a lockdown to 'work' is totally impossible - we would literally have to shut everything there is in life down. I know some people would be happy with that, but it just isn't feasible or possible.

I am finding it rather funny now that the desperation to lockdown EVEN further and blame someone for sitting on a park bench is the cause of the rising cases has become so hysterical. It's one headline after another desperately trying to pin 'blame' on some random low-risk/null risk activity.

It's the final throes of a lockdown policy IMO. Desperation to prove that "if only people followed the rules, it would work".

I agree Rinoa. 10 miles would be clear. You might not agree with it, it wouldn't suit everyone, but you'd know where you stood.

That said, not sure how it would be enforced as you don't have to carry ID in this country (absent any argument about whether it's sensible to have some sort of ID on you when you are running in the countryside on your own). And although police might be able to liaise with DVLA to see where your car is registered, that doesn't work if you are out cycling. But it would at least be a clear boundary and if you were caught, there would no arguing.

(although whether you are 2 miles, 5 miles or 10 miles away from home when out for a walk is completely irrelevant to the spread of the virus)

Personally I think a ten mile radius would be reasonable.
This seems reasonable to me.

I live in a fairly touristy outdoor area and the police appear to be being sensible concentrating on those in large groups and people who have driven 2 hours and then congregate in popular car parks.

Op fwiw I agree.

Surely the fact that we are now all arguing over whether Boris was driven or whether he cycled there tells us something?

Shall we...not? And concentrate on the things that actually matter?

I'm all for obeying the rules but it does stat to be silly. I walked my dog, from home, yesterday and due to sheer boredom, we took a slightly different route that required us to walk the last 1/2 mile or so along the road on narrow pavements. Needless to say, attempting to dodge other pedestrians, even though it was quiet, was challenging. But I can drive for 2 miles to a beautiful open area where even when it's busy, maintaining distances between me and everyone else is easy. But apparently that is bad now. I m can, I totally get not driving from London to Brighton for a walk on the beach. But that's not the same as driving to your local green area.

Similarly, small children can only walk so far so I'd far rather drive tsomwhere for a nice walk than spend 80% of the walk on the pavement.

I'm telling my family if they are avoiding other people they're good to go. I used to be anti-car but I'm all for solo journeys right now!
I can see why the police would be trying to stop people congregating at obvious beauty spots.

I don't get why people are getting worked up about this. No-one has said exercise is banned. Today I went for a run from my front door around suburban streets. Yesterday I drove a couple of miles to a local park for a walk. Both perfectly fine and permitted. Why are people getting agitated about rules that don't exist?

Last time I looked Cressida Dick wasn't a member of the government. She is getting ideas above her station. The police enforce the law not make it.

OH and I drove out 11 miles from our city this morning - it took nearly 25 minutes. Then we walked for 3 hours and only met a handful of people - maybe half a dozen.

I run several times a week from the house to the local park, round once and back again - about 4 miles. When i went on Sunday I probably met about 200 people!

@EngineeringFix

I'm telling my family if they are avoiding other people they're good to go. I used to be anti-car but I'm all for solo journeys right now! I can see why the police would be trying to stop people congregating at obvious beauty spots.

Same here. My elderly vulnerable parents are far safer driving a few miles for their daily exercise than mixing with hundreds of people on the streets near their house. And they are allowed to do so: the Guidance states they can travel to exercise in an open space.

The fact that the government and police are denying that the Guidance allows this, when the wording of the Guidance specifically and unambiguously allows this, is extremely concerning and totally irresponsible and dangerous

@Bohemiagirl

I don't get why people are getting worked up about this. No-one has said exercise is banned. Today I went for a run from my front door around suburban streets. Yesterday I drove a couple of miles to a local park for a walk. Both perfectly fine and permitted. Why are people getting agitated about rules that don't exist?

Because if you watch/read the news or even the government's daily briefing with Matt Hancock yesterday, the government and the police are saying that travel for exercise is not allowed (it is allowed in the Guidance) and the police are hanging around car parks and stopping traffic in and out of towns turning people away and fining people who are travelling short distances for exercise. Obviously your post is the attitude that should prevail, but worryingly it is not.