10 Fitness Trends in Norway You Need to Know About

In Norway, skiing is like Chanel: it never goes out of style. With more than 120 ski resorts all around the country, and a skiing season that lasts well into late April (sometimes even May), there’s always a new slope to conquer while strengthening those quadriceps of yours.

This one is probably one of the wackiest things you’ll witness in Norway. It’s called ‘dry-land skiing’ (rulleskitrening in Norwegian) and it’s actually a way to practice skiing when the snow has melted. It involves the usual ski batons, but instead of the regular skis, you don roller skis, which look like mini skis with two wheels. Just be careful, as these things can go really fast.

Sure, Norwegians love cycling in nature. But because sometimes they can’t, they’re getting hooked on the next best thing: virtual cycling. This cycling class is being taught in some of Norway’s most popular fitness studios and there is actually no instructor – just you and the screen, urging you on and keeping you inspired and motivated with a movie. It’s like watching a show on the treadmill, only way more mindful.

Dance classes “with a twist” are all the rage in Oslo, and Norway’s other big cities. There’s burlesque dancing, pole dancing, MTV dancing (a.k.a., doing choreography that looks like an MTV music video) and the latest craze, twerk-dancing. You can find it at The Studio Fitness & Lifestyle in Oslo, in case you wanna shake it, shake it, shake it off.

If squash sounds terribly British (and terribly old news) to you, then prepare to be surprised. During the past couple of years, squash court after squash court keeps popping out in Norway, offering not only great exercise and honing reflexes and coordination, but also relieving people from stress and pent-up aggression.

CXWORX is a Les Mills workout program which focuses on core muscles. During the 30-minute workout, you work with resistance tubes and weight plates, as well as with your own body on abs, hip, butt and lower back exercises. CXWORX has started becoming very popular in Norway, with fitness studios like Fresh Fitness including it in their class offerings.

This one may not exactly be a specific trend as much as it is a way of approaching fitness in general. Norwegians love outdoor adventures, love spending money on outdoor sports equipment, and they love wearable tech. That’s why Outtt is so popular: this app draws on local knowledge to connect users with outdoor adventures, offering interactive maps and insider tips. And because Norwegians love tracking, on Outtt you can track your own adventures, accumulate stats and share your trips with your followers.

Every proper fitness session needs to be followed by some stretching exercises, to avoid cramps and muscle tension. Well, floating is like stretching for the soul. Spending an hour floating inside a sensory deprivation tank won’t get you any fitter, but it will give you the right perspective: mindful, yet completely relaxed. And you know what the Romans used to say about a healthy mind in a healthy body…

Plogging recently became a thing in Sweden, so it was only a matter of time before it reached Norway as well. It’s basically jogging while also picking up any litter you may find along your way and recycling it. But whereas Swedes mostly do it in Stockholm and urban areas, according to NRK Norwegians feel more compelled to go plogging in forested areas where the waste collection process is not so frequent.

The first time we saw someone running while pushing a baby-stroller, we thought they were just late for the bus. The second time, there was no bus in sight and they were dressed for running. Since then, we’ve been noticing more and more young parents (or are they young babysitters?) jogging on the streets of Oslo while pushing a baby-stroller with what is presumably an actual baby inside. It’s definitely a great way to get your exercise on while bonding with your little one. Maybe you could stop and pick up some trash along the way, as well?