How to protect yourself and others when exercising during COVID 19 lockdown

Alert Level 4 means we must severely limiting travel. The best way to reduce the risk of exposure to yourself and others is to stay at home.

If you do go out, please limit yourself to short walks or rides in nearby parks and on locals trails, following the government’s recommended hygiene guidelines https://covid19.govt.nz/.

1. Consider whether you need to leave your property at all. Can you exercise at home?

2. Don’t go out if you have symptoms (e.g. fever, coughing, shortness of breath etc). Please stay at home!

3.Ride or walk alone or only with the people you are self-isolating with. If you go out alone tell someone what your plans are.

4. If you’re walking or riding with your self-isolating group, make sure everyone knows the recommended hygiene guidelines before they set off.

5. Keep at least 2m away from other people.  When approaching other people slow down so that it’s easier to maintain this separation. Avoid narrow tracks where maintaining this separation may be difficult.

6. Where possible, avoid touching any surfaces that could be contaminated such as gates, squeeze bars, handrails, fences, benches and picnic tables. The virus can remain on surfaces for three days.

7. Try to avoid using public toilets; many will be closed anyway. Carry your own toilet paper and sanitiser in case using the toilets is unavoidable.

8. Don’t touch your face while you’re out. Wash your hands and if biking disinfect your handlebars when you get home.

9. If out on your bike, make smart and conservative choices about the trails you choose to do and how you ride them. Our hospitals and emergency services are already overburdened – unnecessary accidents will make things harder.

10. This isn’t a time to be heading into our remote areas.

11. Stay local. With all non-essential travel prohibited and non-essential business along or near the trails closed, visiting other areas to walk or ride is not an option. Travelling further afield increases the risk of community transmission, and the length of time we may remain at Alert Level 4.

Check out your local areas by viewing our Waimakariri's Walking & Cycling Guide or browse our website.

Remember, stick to your area and keep safe.