Children’s and young people’s exercise during the emergency conditions
Sports Services has cancelled all adult exercise activities as well as those involving both adults and children. Instructed activities for children and young people under the age of 20 can continue. Unlike before, the exercise must be carried out with safe distances and without close contact. Thus, the activities must be organised differently than before. In contact and team sports, a safe distance of two metres must be maintained throughout the activity.
–For example, aesthetic group gymnastics teams cannot do joint exercises – they have to train individually while observing safe distances. Therefore training needs to change and the coaches need to plan the training differently. For example, coaches can designate a personal training area for each child to ensure that the two-metre safe distance is observed,’ says Chief Physician for Infectious Diseases Jutta Peltoniemi.
Similarly, children can still continue their wrestling hobby, but the activities must be something other than neutral position or par terre exercises in pairs. Coaches need to plan new ways for carrying out the training. During floorball or football practice, the players cannot steal the ball or do anything else that requires close contact. Exercise sessions must be organised in such a way that safe distances can be observed throughout the session.
These measures are necessary if the spread of the infectious disease is to be reduced while safeguarding children’s recreational activities.
The responsibility lies with the activity organiser
–It is understandable that some coaches or athletes think that observing safe distances is not possible in their sport if you have to stay two metres apart at all times, but you just have to accept it,’ says Sports Facility Manager Oskari Nummi.
The responsibility for carrying out the training in a safe way lies with the organiser of the activity.
–If an operator is unable to carry out the activities in a safe way during these emergency conditions, the organiser must cancel the activity. Similarly, if a child’s parent feels that the organiser of a sports activity has not paid sufficient attention to safety, they must inform the organiser and not allow their child to participate,’ Nummi continues.
Nummi also points out that people should only enter sports facilities like school gyms at the start of their time slot and leave the building within their time slot.
Everyone can continue to exercise outdoors independently
The weather has been mild, which is great for outdoor exercise. The outdoor sports facilities are open for independent exercise. You can go ice skating at Park Field and the Kupittaa Skating Rink.
You must make sure to keep a 1–2-metre safe distance from others and take care of your hand and coughing hygiene at all sports facilities. At the indoor premises of Park Field, you must also follow the face mask instructions. Face masks are required to be worn by everyone over 15 years of age at indoor sports facilities at all times except during exercise. Everyone must supply their own masks. Face masks are not required to be worn by those who cannot wear masks due to health reasons.
Wearing a face mask is recommended for all school-aged children, especially those in upper stage comprehensive school, at indoor sports facilities at all times except during exercise. Guardians may decide whether their children should wear masks.
So everyone has to take responsibility for this – we will get through this together.