Level 4 exercise Sea Point 2

Photo: KFM / Twitter

Level 4 lockdown: Joggers, cyclists flock to exercise hot-spots [photos]

The promenades of Sea Point and Durban were a hive of activity on Friday, as South Africans ‘exercised their rights’ on the first day of lockdown Level 4.

Level 4 exercise Sea Point 2

Photo: KFM / Twitter

Friday morning signalled the first time in five weeks that South Africans were allowed to leave their homes for recreational reasons – and boy, did we take advantage of our three-hour exercise window. From Sea Point to the Durban beachfront, citizens arrived en masse to stretch their legs… or in some cases, pedals.

Level 4 lockdown: Exercise petition launched

People are now allowed to leave their homes between 6:00 and 9:00 to partake in exercise, no more than 5km away from their homes. This window itself has been questioned, and already, a petition demanding that the time limit is extended now has almost 14 000 signatures. The main argument is that many people now only get to work-out while its still dark, posing an entirely new danger:

“Allowing exercise for three hours means that anyone who starts work at 8:00 is unlikely to be able to exercise as they may need to travel to work and shower and get ready before doing so. The sunrise is only after 7:00 each day and many people do not want to run in the dark.”

“In fact, it may be unsafe to run in the dark between 6:00 and 7:00 considering the increasing number of people who have no income and who may be forced to resort to crime. Surely it is better to allow people to do their exercise over the course of the day, and not cram everyone into a two-hour window of sunlight.”

Amy Laird

Joggers in Sea Point hit the promenade

Cape Town’s main promenade was particularly busy, sparking fears that disease could spread easily between joggers and walkers. However, social distancing protocols were observed throughout.

Level 4 latest – exercise in our major cities

Durban also experienced similar volumes of people enjoying their outdoor exercise for the first time since March. Johannesburg was more of a mixed bag – quiet in some spots, packed in others…