10 Fitness Trends in Stockholm

When you are a child, there are few things that are more enjoyable than bouncing as high as you can on a trampoline. It is like a magical item that is as mysterious as it is fun. Bounce Fit tries to harness this sense of carefree abandon but adds various twists in order to make it the perfect workout. Bounce Fit consists of both high- and low-intensity cardio workouts aimed at toning your core and getting your heart rate up. If you want to exercise while also having fun, then this is ideal.

You would think that since Stockholmers spend a lot of time cycling to and from places that the last thing they would want to when they get to the gym is to hop on another bicycle. However, spinning classes are very popular in Sweden’s capital. All across the city, there are different types of classes of varying intensities. Some are themed around the work out type and some around music. All the major gyms, including Fitness 24/7 and Friskis Och Svettis, will offer a variety of courses, so you can always find one that suits you.

Stockholm is blessed by the fact it is surrounded by water. It has a number of beautiful outdoor places to go swimming, which means that as soon as the summer starts, people start using lakes to keep fit. There are even some Swedes who swim in a lake almost every single day, no matter the weather. There are lots of great options for places to embrace this trend—one of the best is in Agesta naturistbad, in the south of the city, where you can hop into the Magelungen lake.

Crossfit has become a worldwide fitness trend, owing to the amazing results it achieves and the way it has managed to become a popular competitive sport. There are more than ten different crossfit gyms in and around Stockholm, with many of the city’s residents loving the intensity of it. Crossfit Medis, which is right in the center, has a drop in system where you can attend one session or a full weeks worth of classes without becoming a member. Staff can give classes in English for those who cannot understand Swedish.

Coming from Los Angeles, the Lagree fitness method is a new way to foster cardiovascular and muscular health. It uses special machines and workout plans, and is, in essence, a special kind of Pilates. It has been used by a number of celebrities, including Michelle Obama. There was growing desire for it to come to Sweden and Be.Core opened up to provide classes based on the Lagree method. They have two studios right in the center of the city and all of their classes are given by a specialist instructor.

If you have been inspired by the Winter Olympics and want to start on the road to Beijing 2022, then you can come and join the many Stockholmers who regularly keep fit by cross-country skiing. In the more remote parts of Sweden, cross-country skiing is a way of getting around, rather than a fitness activity—owing to how snowy it can get. This is rarely an issue in Stockholm but many residents will head to a place like Hellasgarden on the weekends and ride out on one of their great cross-country trails.

When the sun does come out in Stockholm, locals are desperate to make the most of being able to be outside and enjoy the weather. It can be a bit of pain to have to go inside to a hot and sweaty gym and leave the perfect outdoor conditions. That is why there are a number of outdoor gyms, with various different types of equipment. One of the best, Ute Gym, is technically open year round, if you want to brave the snow, but it is best used in spring and summer. Ute Gym is also right by an outdoor bathing spot so you can cool off after a long session with a swim.

Sometimes called anti-gravity yoga, this innovative twist on a classic takes all your favorite regular yoga poses but combines it with a hammock or in some cases a harness to add a new element. It became very popular in New York before spreading to other parts of the world. Yoga is extremely popular in Stockholm, with studios across the city, so there are several places which offer aerial yoga. SATS, one of the biggest gym chains in Sweden, has regular anti-gravity yoga classes across its many branches in Stockholm.

This is a very new trend, but one which has been picked up by a number of different places, including Men’s Health, who even tried it out. Plogging combines jogging with picking up litter so it is a way to feel good and to do good. The name is a combination of “plocka upp,” which means to pick up in Swedish, and jogging. It’s very simple, you just take out a trash bag with you while you run and pick up litter on the way. There are a glut of recycling points in Stockholm, so you can recycle the things you find. It is a way of making jogging more fun and interactive, as well as doing your bit for the environment!

This is not something which will make you fitter, but is a rather a wearable that can help to track your workout and encourage you to do more. Wearables are very popular in the Nordic region, but many Stockholmers are embracing them as a great way to help them improve the way they keep fit. It is very common to see wrists covered with Fitbits, both in your local gym and on the metro. Stockholm has very much embraced the wearable and many offices have competitions for who can do the most steps.