Sat Apr 25, 2020 9:03 am
All of the Uk should have brought these rules in from day one!
What exercise is reasonable?
Exercise outside the home is allowed only once a day, though this is subject to limited exceptions if you have a particular health condition that means you have to go out more than once.
The Welsh Government say they are of the view that exercising outside should be allowed for health and wellbeing reasons.
But they say:
Exercise should be done alone or with other members of the household (or with carers as appropriate).
It is not intended to be a social activity during the emergency period nor should it be an excuse for leaving the home for other purposes.
People should seek to avoid exercising on paths or in parks or other places they are aware can be busy.
Activities should NOT include swimming or other exercise at sea, or in lakes, rivers or other waterways.
Exercise should be done locally and generally be limited to walking, running and cycling.
“No more than once a day”
The rules say it is only reasonable to leave home to exercise once a day.
This is also intended to signal that exercising outside is not something that should be done for a significant amount of time.
The only exception is for people with certain health conditions who need for medical reasons to go out more than once.
Examples of specific health conditions or disabilities include learning disabilities, autism, dementia or other mental health conditions which can be alleviated by an established routine or by exercise outdoors.
The rules regarding cycling
There has been a lot of debate over whether you can cycle as part of the exercise and how far you can go.
The Welsh Government says that cycling is a valid form of exercise and is also a suitable way of going to work.
And adds: "Cycling is generally a low-risk activity but with emergency services under pressure, it is important to take steps to manage risk wherever possible.
"An accident or a breakdown far from home would place additional strain on health services or require a further journey to be made by someone else to provide assistance."
We understand that "reasonable distance" is within 10 miles of your home.
If you were found cycling 20 miles or more from your home and are stopped by police, this would not been seen as a "reasonable distance".
The rules are:
People are expected to only cycle alone or with members of their household, on routes they know well, and that are well within their ability level.
Cyclists on shared paths should be considerate of walkers, runners and other people cycling: they should stay two metres from others, slow their pace and stop to let people pass as appropriate.
Cycling should be local, as a rule of thumb limited to travelling no further than a reasonable walking distance from home.
Exercising by cycling significant distances from home is not considered to be a reasonable excuse for leaving home.
Cycling to work, or for work, is a reasonable excuse to be outside (so long as going to work, or doing the work, is itself justifiable).