Welcome to our Just Wondering series, in which local experts tackle your most burning health and fitness questions. Got a question of your own? Send it here!
Women walking
Full disclosure: I was "wondering" about this walking business after I called my septuagenarian parents and found out my mom was "on a walk with a friend." On a what, with whom?! I screamed at my poor dad.
I wouldn't trust myself to stay six feet apart from a friend while trying to walk and chat at the same time, but is it safe for others? Say, septuagenarian moms?
"I think it is possible to walk with a friend and maintain social distancing (if your hearing is good)," says William Roberts, MD, MS, professor at the University of Minnesota's Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. "You have to find a spot where you can safely stay six feet or more apart during the walk. I am going to assume a casual conversational pace, so there is no forced breathing, which could potentially put more virus in the air."
Would you recommend it?
"Social walking may be good for mental health, which can be derailed in times of social isolation," says Dr. Roberts. "I think 'walk and talk' combines two needed activities."
Is the rule still six feet apart?
"We do not know for sure that six feet is the magic number, and some people have suggested 10 feet may be safer," says Dr. Roberts. "I think the six-foot bubble assumes static air, so based on the jogger modeling, I would not want to be downwind of my walking partner. And I would try to pick "unpopular" places or times for my walks."
Does being outside reduce the risk of contracting the virus?
"We know for sure that being outside reduces the risk of contracting the virus, but it seems logical that the virus particles have more room to disperse outdoors than indoors," he says. "[Inside] we try to set up negative airflow in confined spaces to reduce the risk. I think it is safe to say that being indoors in a confined space will increase your risk, based on the Oregon church choir practice reports."
Is there any other safe activity you would recommend to people who are desperate to connect with family and friends?
"My wife has met with a couple of trusted friends (one at a time) in the yard or at a park and sat 10 feet away for a time to talk."
This has been my go-to for getting a girlfriend fix. I've spaced out my patio furniture, and I invite one or two friends to come over and catch up face to face for short periods of time. We usually only last about an hour (until nature calls!), but it's enough to keep me going each week. I'm trying to let Mom—whose hearing is great, she wants it known—make her own call on the walking.
