The Scottish Government’s advice on how often people can venture outdoors is being changed from Monday, May 11.

Any changes announced elsewhere in the UK or abroad do not apply in Scotland. From that date, the advice will be that people can go outside more than once a day to exercise. This activity should continue to be undertaken close to home. Those going out to exercise should either go alone or with members of their household.

The change does not allow people to mix with people from different households, to gather in groups, or to go out to relax outdoors.

As before we are still running for health rather than for training or recreation. This is not the time to take risks to set records in terms of distance or pace.

Stay home – protect the NHS – save lives

Should I still run?

Now more than ever, it’s important that we look after ourselves. Scheduling time to keep active helps you to manage stress and is essential for a healthy mind and body. Lots of exercise can be done at home and in the long term it can improve your running. However you can go outside to exercise a maximum of once per day.

We are all runners and if we take care it can be an efficient way to maintain good physical and mental health. However it’s essential to remember that for now we are running for health rather than for performance or recreation.

Is it safe to run outside?

Yes but be sensible and stick to the guidance.

• Exercise should be undertaken locally.

• While exercising you should observe distancing rules (stay more than 2 metres from others)

• Run alone or with only your household group.

We are generally experienced runners but you will encounter other pedestrians, runners and cyclist who are less used to walking, running or cycling for exercise. You aren’t chasing a time so its OK to stop or run round them. People might do unexpected things. Try to keep a sense of humour about it and be kind. We’re all trying to deal with this in our own way – being disrespectful to others, even when they’re in the wrong, won’t make that any easier.

How far and how long should I run?

We’re running for health at the moment. This means long training runs are on hold just now.
An hour is the maximum. Try to start and finish at or near your home. Try to stay within walking distance of where you live. That way if you have any mishaps you can get home safely without drawing on NHS or other emergency services

What should I do if I have an accident?

We want everyone to minimise risks but the emergency services are available if you need them as are NHS accident and emergency services. If you need them you should use them as usual and will be advised of coronavirus related adjustments by NHS and emergency staff.

When Shouldn’t I Run?

As always don’t run if you feel unwell.If you live in a household with someone with symptoms of coronavirus don’t run as you have a greater risk if infecting others. If you are in a high clinical risk groups (the shielding group) you shouldn’t run as contracting the virus will put you at greater risk than others.

What are the shielding conditions?

If you are in the shielding group you should have been contacted by your GP and local health authorities.

Those in the shielding group are advised to strictly follow social distancing measures.

This group includes people who:

• have had solid organ transplants

• have cancer and are receiving active chemotherapy

• have lung cancer and are either receiving or previously received radical radiotherapy

• have cancers of the blood or bone marrow, such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment

• are receiving immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer

• are receiving other targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors

• have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months, or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs

• have severe chest conditions such as cystic fibrosis or severe asthma and severe COPD

• have rare diseases, including all forms of interstitial lung disease/sarcoidosis, and inborn errors of metabolism (such as SCID and homozygous sickle cell) that significantly increase the risk of infections

• are receiving immunosuppression therapies that significantly increase risk of infection

• are pregnant with significant heart disease (congenital or acquired)

You should visit the NHS Inform website for more details.

Can I travel to run?

Be sensible and stay local. We advise you not travel to in your car to take exercise – you increase your risk of infection and your risk of drawing on NHS services in the event of an accident

Where should I run?

Please make use of the paths, open spaces and quiet roads in your own local area. Consider options which minimise the risk if accident – again we all need to minimise the chances of drawing on valuable NHS services.

What about my personal safety?

Consider your personal security as always. If you are considering running alone in areas where you would normally feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

As always consider the use of running apps such as Strava carefully from a personal safety perspective. If you are running from home then consider adjusting the safety settings or starting the app when you are a few minutes away from your home. Strava has a feature called Privacy Zones that you can use – more info at; https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000173384-Privacy-Zones

Will we be able to get back to normal as soon as restrictions are lifted?

We don’t know yet but it is unlikely that we will return to normal overnight. Keep up to date with the guidance from the government as it evolves. We will of course update members as the guidance changes.

Should I wear a mask when I run?

There is currently no government requirement in Scotland to wear a mask when exercising. You may of course wish to choose to do so. If you do you might find it slows you down a bit. That’s ok – it’s not a race. However if you find it uncomfortable please take it home with you. Even putting it in a bin would risk spreading infection to others.