In the new national lockdown people are being urged to stay at home as much as possible as coronavirus cases rise, but you are allowed to leave your house to exercise.
Like in the first lockdown people are being urged to only leave their home once a day and to "stay local" as they exercise.
People are being encouraged to exercise with their household or support bubble, but they can meet one other person from outside of their household to exercise, like in the November lockdown.
This current lockdown is predicted to last for at least six weeks, as the country aims to vaccinate 15 million people by the middle of February.
But the lockdown could be in place in some form until the end of March, which is when the legislation expires.
With the weekend just around the corner many people will be wondering the rules on travelling to exercise.
Here's everything you need to know
Who can I exercise with?
You can exercise in a public outdoor place:
- by yourself
- with the people you live with
- with your support bubble (if you are legally permitted to form one)
- in a childcare bubble where providing childcare
- or, when on your own, with 1 person from another household
What counts as exercise?
Exercise, as defined in the coronavirus rules, includes but is not limited to running, cycling, walking, and swimming.
Personal training can continue one-on-one unless everyone is within the same household or support bubble.
Where can I exercise?
You should minimise time spent outside your home, but you can leave your home to exercise outside.
This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.
Public outdoor places include:
- parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, forests
- public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them)
- the grounds of a heritage site
- playgrounds
Enter your postcode below to find vaccine locations where you live
Can I travel to exercise?
The law does not stipulate exactly how far you are allowed to travel to exercise, but the guidance says that people should not travel outside your local area.
The local area means avoiding travelling outside of your village, town or the part of a city where you live.
The rules on the government website says: "Outdoor exercise 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)"
And if you (or a person in your care) have a health condition that routinely requires you to leave home to maintain your health - including if that involves travel beyond your local area or exercising several times a day - then you can do so.
