From what I’ve seen, there are two main types of people at the moment here in the UK; those who relaxed and took things easy during the worst of the pandemic, and those who increased their exercise and outdoors time when they weren’t able to do all the normal things whilst everything was closed. A lot of people expected things to be over pretty quickly so the strictest lockdown rules were a shock to many people. Outdoors exercise was almost banned for a while – certainly all organised sports – but nevertheless, many people carried on doing what they could. As a regular in the countryside – before, during, and after lockdown – I’ve been amazed to see normally difficult-to-find paths suddenly well-trodden, and even new paths springing up. Many people who may not have really spent so much time in the countryside must have suddenly discovered a love for nature.

Basketball court

One of the most accessible sports is running and this has continued its meteoric rise in popularity right the way through lockdown regardless of any restrictions placed on people. Other sports have sadly been much more difficult to continue in the recent couple of year – in particular, sports played in-doors such as badminton, table tennis, gymnastics, and snooker. However, those lucky enough to live near open-air sports facilities may have been able to continue partaking in their chosen sports.

The main problem in relation to outdoors sport in the UK is that it just rains so much. Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter – the only thing predictable is that we just don’t know what the next month or even next week holds in store for us. This is where open air but covered sports facilities come in very handy. For example, the image here shows a covered basketball court. This
basketball construction has covered the court in a rain-proof cover meaning you can still play regardless of the rain (or snow). One of the market leaders in covered courts and sports areas is SMC2 Construction, based in France.