Support for older people is obviously vital just now, but don’t mistake grey hair for fragility

There is a certain amount of etiquette involved in going for a run in the Time of Coronavirus. The first thing I’ve noticed, on my regular jaunts around the Meadows in central Edinburgh, is that people seem to be running a little more slowly than usual. Partly, I think, this might be a strategy for making runs last longer – as the oncedaily exercise session allowed by the state is now the only time most people are able to get out of the house after they’ve used up their walk to the shops, it stands to reason that they would want to eke it out for as long as possible. Why run as hard as you can for half an hour and then spend the rest of the day bouncing off the walls back at home, when you could lope around at a more sedate pace and enjoy the spring sunshine for longer?

I wonder, though, if there might be another reason that people are running more slowly: health guilt. With the nation stricken by a virus which, according to the stats, is much more likely to affect the elderly and those with the kinds of pre-existing health conditions that might make going for a run difficult or impossible, there’s something a bit off, somehow, about powering around your local park as if you’re training for the Olympics. In terms of the kinds of signals you’re sending out, running at top speed in a public place during lockdown is a bit like wearing a T-shirt with your projected chances of surviving coronavirus printed on the back. My theory, then, is that – consciously or otherwise – people who are younger and fitter than average might be running more slowly at the moment out of respect for those who have more reason to fear the virus; and, if I’m right, I think that’s a beautiful thing.

Another phenomenon I’ve observed – and something which chimes with the theory above – is the elaborate zig-zagging manoeuvres runners now routinely undertake in order to comply with social distancing guidelines. There have been complaints elsewhere in the country about joggers not giving walkers enough space, but in Edinburgh, in the days since the lockdown began, I haven’t once seen a jogger fail to alter course in order to give a walker plenty of room. Not only that, but people seem to be particularly considerate around the elderly: if you see somebody with grey hair walking along the pavement and a runner is heading towards them, it’s now completely normal to see the runner either veer out into the middle of the road or, just as likely, cross all the way to the other side of the street in order to give them an extra-wide berth. (Happily, with hardly any cars or buses around, this isn’t the road safety nightmare it might be otherwise.)

These signs of genuine concern for those most at risk from coronavirus are, of course, to be applauded. That said, however, there’s sometimes a fine line between looking out for a certain group or groups and patronising the hell out of them. Not that joggers should start bodychecking pensioners as soon as lockdown is over, but I think there is a danger that months on end of equating grey hair with fragility – even when done with the best of intentions – could lead to a postcoronavirus shift in which we as a society become over-protective of our senior citizens.

So, as a corrective to this way of thinking, perhaps we could do with a few more stories of OAPS acting like teenagers, and as a starter for ten, it was fantastic, this week, to receive an email from skier George Stewart of Scone, who made history on a visit to France in February when he became only the second Brit to go skiing at the age of 100.

“Throughout my older years I have hoped that my continuing to ski would encourage other elderly skiers to keep on going,” he writes. “Now I am pleased to have provided a new mark to aim for!”

Stewart first picked up a set of skis while serving as a Captain for the Royal Artillery in Italy during the Second World War. His love for the sport led him to introduce it to his son Alan, who went on to represent Team GB as an alpine skier in two Winter Olympics.

Writing in The Scotsman a couple of years ago, Stewart Sr offered some advice for those looking to prolong their skiing careers: stick to familiar slopes, use equipment you know and get younger family members to deal with all the hassles of travel. I think this last piece of advice could come in particularly handy for senior citizens in the post-coronavirus world. If younger relatives want to fuss over you more than usual once all this is over, fine – use their concern to your advantage and get them to facilitate some fun. ■

George Stewart of Scone became only the second Brit to go skiing at the age of 100