Are Outdoor Workout Classes Appropriate?

By an edhat reader

Today (Wed. March 18) at Goleta Beach we spotted a group of at least 25 led by a local fitness company with students and instructors. There was a lot of hugging and close contact. Is this appropriate given the coronavirus guidelines for social distancing?

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Written by Anonymous

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  1. Only appropriate if everyone drove separately and maintained 6 feet of distance the ENTIRE time. Ideally more space as people are probably sweating. As a whole I’d feel inclined to tell the company this is a bad idea. Post workout videos online that people can do at home or outside alone and stop the social gathering. What is so hard about this??

  2. Probably OK, maybe, but why would you risk this right now I mean everyone is all bent out of shape about the possibility of martial law [which I think is coming] yet they continue to disregard common sense practices and putting themselves and others at risk! This virus is HIGHLY contagious and an earlier [since redacted but for unknown reasons] report said that it can actually travel more than 3 feet if someone coughs/sneezes [which means as of the date of that redacted report 6 feet isn’t even enough]

  3. Are people going to start taking photos of groups of people and reporting them? If they’re outside and apart from each other, how is it bad? I know this is a difficult time, but people should be able to exercise outdoors if they’re maintaining proper distancing without fear of being “reported.”

  4. Get the name of the company and call the public health departments emergency # regarding the corona-virus @ 1-833-688-5551. The company needs to be contacted and told what is and is not permissible. They and their clients obviously don’t understand how contagious this deadly virus is and someone in authority needs to talk to them. – Frankly all of these people should be ashamed of themselves based on what you’ve said and what the photo shows.

  5. are you freakin’ kidding me? is that where we are at now? secretly photographing people doing something different than what you do, and try to ‘snitch’ on them? holy crow we are screwed.
    you guys need to get a better hobby. this is ridiculous. THEY ARE EXERCISING OUTDOORS. FFS…reading edhat comments make me worry for the human race.

  6. Unfortunately Zerohawk, its the same type of people with your attitude about COVID-19 that will keep us in our houses and social distancing for a lot longer. If everyone followed the scientists advice and precautions, we’ll get through this much quicker.

  7. at 3:39 – Please do not encourage this new type of water police activity. The Public Health Dept has WAY more important things to do than wagging their fingers at people who are not breaking any law. Yeah, this is stupid, but people are still allowed to meet in public and, as long as they aren’t being careless (which they might have been here), then we do not need people snooping and driving around reporting folks for LEGAL activity. Come on, this is hard enough as it is without “activity police” wasting the Health Dept.s time!

  8. PUGLUVER – No, there’s a recommendation to avoid groups of 10 or more. A recommendation, not an enforceable ban. And “gatherings like this” are actually the one thing that is somewhat encouraged, however, with more distance and zero contact. There is NOTHING wrong with people exercising outdoors in a group as long as they are 6 feet or more apart and not touching. THIS group sounds like they were, so that’s dumb, but not a violation of any law.

  9. I thinks it is just the luck of the draw as to getting sick from this virus or not. If someone needs to excercise in a group, then outdoors would seem to be the logical place. We stopped by KFC for a bucket, and there was no line for once in my life! We saw a woman leaving Smart and Final a couple days ago wuth a 20 lb bag of carrots, a bag of Lays chips, and I think two boxes of Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls. What a feast!!!

  10. Respectfully, the six feet guideline is contemplated for offices and public meetings. If exercising you are panting and just one sneeze could infect several people. Please space out extra if outdoors. Authorities are closing beaches because silly people think that anything goes as long as it is outdoors. ’nuff said.

  11. Also, the 6 foot rule is for INDOOR activities where droplets are more easily contained in dangerous concentrations. Being outdoors in the wind, I think folks are fine to be at least 6 feet away. And what beaches are being closed?

  12. MYHONOR… – You might be confused about the beaches being closed. Here’s what the City of Goleta is doing: “The resolution also prohibits access to play structures and exercise equipment in City parks, beaches and open spaces. Signs will be posted to remind users of COVID-19 symptoms and risks and to social distance.” ——— They are not closing the beaches, but rather the play structures and equipment. You are still allowed, and SHOULD, go walk on the beach and get some air. ________________https://www.cityofgoleta.org/Home/Components/News/News/9289/1217?backlist=%2f _______________ Also, there is no ban on groups, only an ordered shut down of places where large groups could easily occur indoors, such as bars, clubs, etc. A LOT of bad info being spread here. Please try to relax and get the facts, not hysteria.

  13. Beaches closing in Tampa, Clearwater. Miami Beach:partial closure. Florida governor refuses statewide closure. Southbeach,Ft Lauderdale: curfew. Spain – beaches closed. Related Note: Being outdoors does not by any means guarantee safetyl under outdoor exercise six foot rule does not guarantee protection, sneezes extend farther and wind may actually drift cough and breath farther than indoors, for those unlucky enough to be down wind.

  14. MYHONORSTUDENT – those beaches are closed as a preventative measure to discourage the thousands of college kids that were planning to go party in those areas for Spring Break. “Because Miami Beach is a hospitality mecca, and during the month of March its public beaches become all-day gathering spots for young spring breakers, the coronavirus pandemic affects the city’s way of life more acutely than most major cities in the state.” ——- https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article241296211.html________Again, stop with the false info. Our local beaches ARE NOT closing.

  15. Pug – if we had beaches were thousands of young, dumb, drunk college students flew from around the world to dance, touch and you know what else, then I would be 100% on board. But that’s simply not the situation here.

  16. Pug never said what you are attributing. I cited three options: closure, curfews, or do nothing. I don’t appreciate being called “hysterical” when I happen to know a fact and someone mischaracterizes. Had Pug not come to my defense I would not bother looking on this site for at least another day. The rudest comments seem to come from those with the least research behind them. Good day.

  17. Myhonor… none of my comments were rude, they were intended to clarify misinformation and ask those who are spreading said info to please stop. Hate to see you go over attempts to clarify important information.

  18. I assume all of those opposing this is not, going to work or anything else and have been self quarantined for the past weeks? No grocery stores, work, ect.? If you have no symptoms and practice social distancing, outside no less, there is minimal exposer chance. Plus these are obviously healthy people. If you HAVE been out of the house, you will see almost nobody observing social distancing. I had to fly recently and only a handful of us in the TSA line was doing it.

  19. Social distancing is not hugging etc. but outdoor exercise is not prohibited even for vulnerables and seniors, if you read the fine print. In California, it seems that most of the national parks etc. are closing their visitor centers. but open for, er, exercise. Better go quick, some lobbyist is arguing to close vast parkland “because theatres…” https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/03/17/yosemite-national-park-hotels-restaurants-closing-due-to-coronavirus/

  20. thanks Honorstudent…you just solidified my original post that got a lot of people angry. lol….i only post facts. and the fact that we can and will be out doors exercising where ever we like is safe and A OK….

  21. Don’t be so judgmental just by this photo. I imagine some of these people live together and maybe rode in a car together and it appears most are standing apart from each other.
    Remember, being near someone is not risky in itself. Being near someone who is coughing, sneezing, spraying droplets when they talk, etc, is when there is risk. Exercising with as much distance between you and others is actually encouraged.

  22. It’s risk vs reward… is it really worth taking the risk you could get infected or infect someone else? If it was just risk to yourself that’s one thing, but it’s not. Just suck it up and stay home as much as possible and stay away from other people… that’s the only way we’re going to get through this without many unnecessary deaths.

  23. No it is not encouraged! Its encouraged to stay home away from people. You feel good about lieing? About risking peoples lives by making a statement that is completely untrue “ encouraged” that is the complete opposite of what social distancing is and what is being recommended to do.

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