Should COVID19 policies encourage exercise as health/immunity maintenance?

Maintain yer distance, and, if you live in an apartment, go to the roof and stand in the sun for about 20 to 30 minutes to load up on vitamin D.

But , being from Andora, I require much more sunlight than do you Gringos

I set the stop watch on my phone every so often and kinda jog around the house for as long as I feel like it. Then I check to see how long it was, and mentally keep track for the day.

A friend of mine climbs up and down the spiral staircase to his roof.

If you want to move around, you don't have to let this stop you.

I didn't need the government to tell me that, and I think people who already exercise have figured it out.

I don't think that jogging around the house or treadmills, etc. are as good as outdoor activity because you can push yourself harder outside on pavement or dirt than you can on a floor surrounded by walls.

Even if you just tried walking around inside with the same pace as outside, you'd wear out your floors.


Stair-climbing is better exercise, at least when it's a concrete stairwell and not a set of wooden stairs inside a living area.


True, there's a lot you can do inside; but it's no substitute for (also) going outside and walking/jogging/running vigorously on pavement or dirt/grass (i.e. on solid ground).


People who don't already exercise are more vulnerable to forgetting how important outdoor exercise is to establishing and maintaining health and immune system strength.

Many are likely to assume that quarantining and social distancing are only making them more safe from disease, when the reality is that their immune systems and health are weakening as well.

I wonder when the first lawsuit will come from someone who couldn't exercise because parks were closed or because they thought quarantine prevented them from going outside to exercise; or because they contracted the virus while outside exercising because they were practicing social-distancing guidelines that assume calm-pace walking and thus got exposed to joggers six-feet away, which wasn't enough.

Well, fortunately for me, it's not up to you what I consider to be good for me.

Doesn't matter what you think.

Jogging/running are not my exercise of choice. It's swimming. But since that's out, and the weather is already turning too hot for me here (I cannot tolerate heat), this works for me.

Why don't you work on what's best for you. Others can decide for themselves.

Solitary outdoor activity - aka walking alone - has been recommended by our local / provincial and federal governments. the local police even posted it on their twitter feed. 30 - 45 minutes a day is the minimum recommended

I can't seem to get it right - I'm all or nothing . walked nearly 3 hours on thursday, then about 5 minutes yesterday. not sure what to do today since it's raining - not much sunlight going on but the air does smell so good these days with almost no vehicle travel.

Exercise in home can always be done. Opening some windows brings in some air.

That's a given. You seem to confuse public information exchange with making decisions for other people. They are not the same thing, just as advice isn't the same thing as a command. Some people just can't take advice.

I don't particularly like being outside when the temperature is over 70, and I know I'm not alone.

Sure, there should be PSA's issued to people saying it would be good for them to be active, but not telling them what they should do in particular.

Soon enough it's going to be hot all over, I really don't think avocating outdoor activities in July and August is at all in the best interests of the public.

Bottom line, yes, people should be taking some moderate movements to maintain or improve their immune system. What and where they choose is not the primary issue.

You can't get the bulk of the population to exercise in normal times. This isn't the time for more change.

For some people, like the OP, noting is ever good enough, unless it's exactly what they want.

Anything person is willing or able to do beyond their normal ways is an improvement.
The most important and biggest advancement from sedentary to active is going from zero to anything.
But no....not good enough.

I advocate for anything above present condition, and go from there if that's achieved.

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

Wow. You just got that right.

the time outside of their homes is what they are focusing on locally - they've apparently id'd walking as they don't want to push running/jogging as there have been some 'spititng' complaints

If it were sunny right now, I'd sit in the backyard with my tablet and maybe my knitting - then walk after it's dark

I think government should explicitly note that outdoor exercise provides health and immune system benefits that aren't achieved indoors, and then provide social-distancing guidelines specific to outdoor exercise.


Are you kidding? They've been having trouble keeping people off beaches and parks. There should be social-distancing guidelines that take into account open-air as well as heavier breathing.


What I want is irrelevant. The issue here is public health and not structuring people's lifestyles in a way that makes them more vulnerable to infections, especially pandemic infections, by reducing their exercise and exposure to normal immunity-building allergens and pathogens, such as pollens.

Do you realize how many people are hypersensitized to pollen because they haven't built up a stable-enough resistance to it?

See, to me that doesn't make sense.

Then again, I'm the type of person that's perfectly content on their own, and don't feel the need to physically have other people around me.

However, the part that doesn't make sense is this focusing on being outside. Before all this, it was never thought of that many or even most people were inside somewhere 22 or 23 hours a day. Work, sleep, commuting alone takes up 17 or 18 hours. Another 4 or 5 hours cooking, eating, cleaning, watching TV, other chores and activities.
For many, walking from their car into work, or a store, pumping their gas, taking out the garbage or getting their mail is all the outdoor stuff they do. Yet they are considered fine as far as outdoor time.

I'm not sure, but could it be people have cabin fever because they aren't splitting 16 hours between a workplace and their home, and it's vastly more in one place now? Just a thought.

Is sitting outside reading a book or something healthy? Maybe. I guess it is. Is it healthier than sitting in your comfortable house doing the same thing? I don't know. It doesn't really feel like it would be to me. Especially if you'd rather be inside.

Returning to the subject for a moment. I'd have to see evidence that running up and down concrete steps has any benefit over wooden steps, or if jogging around your living room while watching Netflix is better than doing the same thing outside. Screw the concept of "pushing yourself" Again, for all the people who essentially do nothing, pushing yourself really doesn't sound like a cool idea. If all someone can do is walk fast for 4 mintues before they need a breather, and then can continue for 2 or 3 minutes more, I really can't imagine the benefit of doing it outdoors, when you could have done the same thing inside in their underwear.

I say screw guidelines in general. I see people using them to test the limits, rather than an extremely bare minimum.

Re the 6 foot guideline. I've said it before, but I have no faith in that. There is no way I would go over to someone's back yard where others are gathered, eating my own food and drink, making sure we all maintained the 6 foot guideline. F*ck that. I don't like anyone enough to risk that. I'll stay home and text ya'll. The thought of sitting around with others like that gives me the heebie jeebies.

I also have no faith in hand sanitizers, wipes and similar. Wash your hands, rinse, then wash again. Nothing but sluicing whatever is on your skin down a drain, then repeating to make sure, makes sense to me. Sure in a pinch hand gel will help to some extent or another.

Re exercising indoor or out. Right now is not the time to practice executing perfect form with our stride, wonder whether we are pushing ourselves, or compare or contrast the benefits of joggling (that's what I do, I joggle) on tile floor or pavement and whether the air is "fresh" or not. We have enough stuff on our minds.
As of much benefit right now might be taking a nap.

But, we have to obsess about something I suppose.

Oh. All one needs to do is google "exercise guidelines COVID 19" to see that there are plenty of sources already in place.

There are normal allergens that help build up immune system function. Think of mucus membranes as getting calloused from pollen exposure. People get hypersensitized to allergens because they don't build up sufficient 'callouses.' When your immune system gets some practice handling pollen and minor pathogens, it is better prepared to fight more significant infections.


I'm not talking about pushing yourself like in Rocky movies. I'm talking about being able to walk, dance, or whatever in a way that allows full strides and consistent momentum. If you walked around inside like you did on a sidewalk, you'd wear out your floors.

Likewise, if you hike up and down wooden indoor stairs the way you would a concrete stairwell, you would wear out your wooden stairs.


It's not about 'perfect form.' It's about just being able to walk briskly and not pacing around between rooms, which doesn't maintain consistent heart rate and circulatory vigor to maintain optimum immune function.

What a crock of ****

I guess you've reached the limits of explaining your reasoning then.

Your crock-opinion is noted.

What do you do for Vit D supplementation?
Sunlight
(and or)
pills.

I try to do both but were in a Northerly region so our winter sunlight is less. I still try to get in a 30 min or more pasture perimeter sojourn each day (unless rain or snow)

D3 5000 IU. Take one every other day.

I only started taking them years back because the doctor told me to because of another med I'm on. Don't even remember which one. I just know I put one in every other compartment of my 2 week pill thingie

Never noticied any change because of them.

Don't get me wrong, I don't live in a cave. But I'm fair skinned and burn. When I wear sun screen to swim, I know that blocks the D, but I'm sure I get some that way.
Even as a child, I never particularly liked the great outdoors, at least in the Spring or Summer.
Fall and Winter meant long walks of miles and miles.
Now, for as long as I can, I walk at night. There's nothing nicer than going out at 10 or 11pm and being in the dark.

I said this once before, but I feel night is when the curtains come up and we see the reality of our place in the universe. The stars, moon, etc. During the day we are kept from all that, which to me is not only confining, but put into our heads a false sense of importance as far as our place in things.

As far as being outside, it's more of a heat thing.

we can do both. (gives me something to look fwd to at both ends of a day). I dont "tolerate" day or night.

I do a lot of en plein aire painting and doing that at night is kinda useless unless Im doing a cover for Sports Afield where these guys are always being attacked by a grizzly in the moonlight.
That guy deserved to become someone's lunch.

We always like canoe fishing at night, or wild orchid photoing.

BTW Farmer, I'd gladly walk the pastures with you if it wasn't too hot.

I do love the outdoors when it's in places like South Dakota praries, Mexico high desserts, or Enchanted Rock.
In other words, without all the people, which makes me feel like I'm "supposed" to be enjoying being amongst them, but which I really have no use for.