Is It Safe to Walk Outside During the Coronavirus Pandemic? Here are 6 Safety Tips

The benefits of walking

As you already know, walking can provide you a lot of benefits that can boost your physical and mental health. In fact, your body needs physical activity to function properly. The best part is that walking can be good for people of all ages, regardless of the physical condition and performance. Moreover, walking is free to do and helps you get more vitamin D once you are exposed to sunlight. 

This type of moderate physical activity can help you burn calories and lose a few extra pounds, strengthen your immune system and the heart, lower your blood sugar levels, relieve stress and inflammation, and increase your energy levels. 

Don’t touch anything while you are walking

Whether we are talking about the park or street walking, it’s important to avoid touching objects that could have been touched by someone else before, such as benches, water fountains, poles and so on. It has been proven that the novel coronavirus, Sars-Cov-2, can survive on various surfaces for days. 

To be more specific, according to a study done by the University of Alabama at Birmingham, this new type of coronavirus can live for up to three days on certain surfaces, such as plastic or stainless steel. So, you will never know if someone who is infected with Sars-Cov-2 has touched an object before you, that’s why it’s important to keep your hands to yourself while walking. 

According to Allyn Resch, MD, an internist and pulmonologist for steadymd.com, a telehealth primary practice, “try to avoid resting your hands on anything, and if you do, don’t touch your face until you’ve sanitized or washed your hands. If you’re sweating and wiping off your forehead, carry disinfectant wipes and sanitize your hand before—or your face after—you do it.”