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The Daily PollDURING THE CURRENT Level 5 lockdown measures in place in Ireland since late December, it is permitted to take exercise within 5km of your home.
The weather hasn’t been too cooperative when it comes to getting out for a walk or run in recent weeks, but it’s still been possible to get out and about for a bit of exercise.
Furthermore, many people make resolutions aimed at exercising a bit more in the new year. On the other hand, the lack of opportunity to do many of the things we’d like to do means we may be doing other activities more – like baking, reading or watching Netflix.
So, today we’re asking you: Are you getting more or less exercise since the latest restrictions were introduced?
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Open the Gyms
@Tom Bombdadil: Fact! It’s ridiculous they’re closed.
@Brian Stafford: how so
@Tom Bombdadil: open the County Borders! The time I spend in Wicklow each year greatly helps with my mental health.
Actually, don’t because it wouldn’t be fair to impose a ton of Dubs on the Wicklow folk who are doing class at keeping the numbers down. I’ll find other ways to help my mental health.
@Jen: thank you. I wasn’t aware that it was only Dubs that go to Wicklow.
@Mr Bordello: Where did he say that?
@Tom Bombdadil: 100%
@Brian Stafford: ah seriously. People sweating, breathing heavily, not wiping down machines sufficiently. Keep them closed.
@Teddy Bear: How many cases are linked to gyms?
@Vanessa: none, because they are closed
@Teddy Bear: yes seriously. How many cases have you heard being linked to gyms. I didn’t hear of one gym closing because of it. In my own gym people always wiped down after themselves. Plenty of cleaner around and plenty of hand sanitizer.
@Brian Stafford: hand sanitiser is not enough, if it can be spread airborne through close contact, then I’m sure it can spread with so many people sweating in one space and that’s why they are closed, I’m more annoyed at clowns who want jogging and other outdoor exercise banned and I don’t exercise so non of this actually effect me
@Teddy Bear: 1.1 Pt is what I’m talking about.
@Brian Stafford: umpteen studies saying so
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/11/10/coronavirus-restaurants-gyms-hotels-risk/
@Paul Mcnevin: oooooooooh right yeah. The Washington Post. Sorry I thought we were in Ireland for a second. Show me where you’ve seen any cases from Gyms in Ireland. Gareth McMahon, I know it can be spread through the air but like I just said, I haven’t heard of one case from a gym or one gym closing because of covid (in Ireland Paul).
@Brian Stafford: What difference does it make that it’s not an Irish story? As another commenter said above, the reason there are no cases linked to gyms is because they are closed. There are plenty of other things closed and peoples lives have been badly affected, but once you can go to the gym who cares right? Cl0wn
@HectorPickaxe: The gyms aren’t closed since March.
@Vanessa: I didn’t say they were. What’s your point? People weren’t wearing masks in March either, and there weren’t other variants, and we have learned a lot since then, and, and, and…..
@Tom Bombdadil: Dumbells 4 dumbos
@Brian Stafford: no it’s not- masks aren’t worn, no one cleans down the spaces, and as for the machines, can’t use them without breathing having
@Brian Stafford: it’s only rain, Brian. Man up and get out there.
Well I’m eating more than I should. Thankfully I’ve a good pair of Dumbbells at home. The plan is to keep the arms growing so they match my bigger waistline. Hopefully they stay in proportion lol.
Working from home has made me incredibly sedentary. No more walking through the carpark. No more taking 4 flights of stairs. The only walking I do now is throughout the house.
@KSham: My spouse went into work one day in January and came home with 6,000 steps+ without thinking. Working from home he gets a few hundred going up and down the stairs for breaks and lunch. Hopefully once spring gets here we can get out a bit more at lunchtime, etc.
@KSham: i get 6000 steps just going around the house. 10k is no problem with a little effort.
@Marie Broomfield: I was lazy to begin with
How can you be motivated in this day and age.
@Darren Byrne: yep, drinking beer and eating crisps is about the most exciting thing to do nowadays
@Damo: thats really sad.
@Dixieblue: I know.
Made a conscious choice to get out and exercise. The night before I returned to work after the Christmas holidays, I didn’t like what I seen. Here I am, 5 weeks later and nearly 2 stone lighter.
No footpaths or streetliggts and very busy roads where I live so hard to get out and exercise, especially with children. If the 5km limit could be expanded to 20km like before we could at least go to town and the forest. That way I could walk with kids without fear of being knocked down.
@Paula Doyle: the travel limit is just nphet being dictators. The Irish times has an article that tony holohan is untouchable now.
@Tony Humphreys: have you got a link for that
Really missing the 5 a sides.
Combined work commitments & home schooling means one of us is either working or teaching. Before lockdowns there’d be 1-2 hours each day that one of us could get out to exercise, now it’s about 30 mins tops
@Stephen Woods: better than nothing .
Not so much less but heading out at night far more when less people are around. Half of Dublin seem to clog up the streets and parks as if its just another day during the day.
Walking the dog 15km instead of 8. I love it. Dog it sh.it-sick of it now.
@Greg Ward: *Dog is…
Can only get up in the woods in rainy days and the be ankle deep in mud. The two big dogs don’t mind but it’s no fun for the tiny senior dog. When it’s nice or dryer out you can’t even get in to the hikes for the amount of cars up there. When we do go on the bad weather days I pick and bring home 3 bags of rubbish on average. It’s disturbing how irresponsible people can be. I personally pray for brighter evenings and the day they lift the lockdowns so people stay at home again.
Who comes up with these polls
@Jim O Brien Tech: Leo Varadkar.
More exercise? Must be having a laugh, there is not a day were the two of us are off work together on top of that home schooling the kids and keeping them occupied And working shifts. If I told herself I’m of for a run I be stabbed lol
More to do with climate than anything. Earlier lockdowns when days were warmer and longer meant that even with gym closed walks and cycle rides were longer and on tougher terrain….
@Sea__Point: more to do with power hungry doctors flexing their muscles and politicians to feeble to defend basic human rights.
@Tony Humphreys: Grow up Tony ffs.
@Tony Humphreys: your medical qualifications are Tony….?
The biggest concern is people like Tony not exercising enough or the only exercise being chasing down the online rabbit warrens of conspiracy theorists, and their mental faculties deteriorating to his level.
less 5km from my house isnt enough for a decent bike ride. although I’m very lucky in the landscape I have 5km from the house.
@ed w: oh and sick of the dog toilet the town has become because of people walking dogs round town its disgusting
@ed w: sick of this how hard is it to pick up sh!te, kids be walking into it.
@ed w: rubbish, my better half bike rides every morning within 5km , before work. Hes doing just fine in 5km.
@ed w: you can cycle all around your 5k circle. Your circle is10k across and has a circumference of 31.42 km
@Dixieblue: probably to get away from you
@motojack: well done.
I’m missing my daily 300 meters to and from the pub.
@Paul Greham: 300 to it… 400 back ;)
Hard to motivate yourself to go out when its cold/ raining. Parks are mucky. If i didnt have the dogs i wouldnt bother. So many more people walking now than before lockdown, can be difficult to socially distance. Would love if they opened the distance to 20kms, half of my 5kms is either in the sea or in another county.
The weather’s been horrible so haven’t been out walking as much. Every time I go to my local parklands at the weekend, they are crowded with people so I’m starting to avoid it now.
I’m down from 4 – 5 times a week in the gym and hiking when the weather is good to going in town every other week.
I’m really hoping that we are allowed to go in the countryside in March.
Less exercise, More books.
About the same. But I’m walking instead of mountain biking so not enjoying it much to be honest, because walking around the streets is hardly same thing as mountain biking in the woods. Just trying not to get too fat at this stage.
Much much less this time around.
Less, not easy getting motivated to go out everyday when it’s freezing
We had great weather during the first lock down, trained most week days and dropped a stone, gyms were opened during the second so back to regular classes but this lockdown, the weather is shocking, can’t go out during this lockdown, recovering from shoulder op so can do much more than jog. V
I work in a big building and I use the stairs most of the time, I clock up at least 10 k a day, but I’m told that no exercise, and walk the dog every day.
As difficult on the mind as this pandemic has been. I am healthier now than I ever was. No temptation from weekends going out etc. I’m loving it.
Yeah. More or less.
Less. Missing the gym and feel my mental health is dipping. The same walking routes are beginning to feel all too familiar despite being lucky to be close to the sea.
Less, much much less. The sports clubs are locked, so no outdoor sports or games available. Between working around the clock to cover people sick with covid, and trying to homeschool kids on top of those hours, I barely have time to shower or cook decent food, let alone exercise. Living on pot noodles over a keyboard.:(
Running religiously every day now, it’s the only chance to get out and about and enjoy really immerse myself in nature for a while. Increasing the mileage so I can stay out longer. I highly recommend starting a training plan with an end goal to mix it up each day and stay focused.
Doing the same walk over and over has become more of a sentence rather than something to be enjoyed. So I stopped
have your say