A Slice of Swedish Workout Culture

Fitness is a big deal in Sweden, as in many other parts of the world. I have been very fortunate to been raised in a home where physical activity always has been encouraged. My father is an instructor at a local fitness club. The name in Swedish is “Friskis and Svettis” (F&S), which in English translates to “Healthy and Sweaty.” When I was younger I did not think it was that cool that he was part of that club. Later I realized that “F&S” totally gets it. 

F&S offers excellent workout classes, their instructors are very talented and knowledgeable, have an amazing attitude to wellness and each participant is welcomed there with open arms. Even my mom who generally does not like working out is a regular. Each class has an instructor and a “host”. The host makes sure everyone is doing okay. The instructor is in the middle of the room, and everyone else is working out in a circle around him or her using mainly his or her own body weight. Each class is usually an hour long and gets the participant warmed up, a workout and a cool down/stretching. The total package! F&S is well-known in Sweden and their type of classes can also be found abroad, for example in London, Brussels and Paris. I thought I would introduce you to F&S so my international readers can get a feel for one type of “Swedish workout culture.” As a side note, in Sweden a doctor can prescribe a person to “workout”. This means that the doctor writes a prescription, the patient will then bring that prescription to the fitness club and the person workouts for free. Its frekin amazing!!! The following is an interview I did with my father. 

How did it all start? A guy named Johan Holmsäter started F&S in Stockholm 1978. To the first class only one participant came. The numbers increased rapidly and today F&S has more than 500,000 members (total population of Sweden is 9 million). Holmsäter had an idea that sports and the area of medicine could benefit from each other. F&S’s goal is to make sure the participant has a good time when he or she is there and is eager to return. The workout should be fun, feel good both physically as well as mentally. The instructor’s dream is to see the participant smiling. Hopefully that smile carries over in everyday life.

When was the local chapter started in Laholm? F&S in Laholm started in 1988. The club has currently 700 participants and those 700 visits the club 22 000 times per year.

When did you join F&S and in what capacity? In the early 90ties I joined as a participant. Soon thereafter I became a host and was one for 12 years. In 2008 I became a certified instructor.

Why did you choose F&S and not another organization? I liked the whole concept! Everyone was welcomed – young, old, men and women of all levels of fitness. I had heard that the instructors were very good. I would like to add that all instructors are volunteers, doing this on their own free time. We don’t get paid more than a symbolic sum of money to cover the cost of workout shoes, clothes, music, and the occasional travel expenses. We all create our own workout programs from scratch before each term start.

What kind of experience do you as an instructor wish to give your participants? I want them to feel energized at the end of the class. Both physically and mentally, in accordance to the idea the club is founded on.

What is the biggest misconception about fitness that you wish to clear up? That you can workout hard a few times and that is it. That this would make you fit. No, you have to find your own personal way of exercising and stick with it. Another misconception is that you can be too old or too fat to workout. Anyone can start a workout routine! At F&S we have different levels of intensity in our classes and we are happy to guide our members to the correct class.

How do you choose which type of music that goes along with your workouts? First, I need to like it myself! I also think of my regular participants and what type of music they may like. I mix songs from older bands, like Rolling Stones with newer artists such as…what’s the name of the girl who wore a meat dress?...Lady Gaga. There are also rules to follow with regards to beats per minute etc.

Why do you think that people in Sweden like the type of “group exercise” that F&S offers? It’s a tradition in Sweden that people workout together. People feed off each other energies and workout harder together. It’s also a place for meetings to occur. People find like-minded friends and their social network can expand. We even offer classes outside during summertime - Swedish people LOVE to be outside. We workout in the same manner as inside, but on a flat lawn.

How have you seen the organization evolve over the years and how do you see the future for F&S? Our local chapter has built our own fitness center. Before we rented gymnasiums found in local schools. The creation of our own space has allowed us to offer more classes at better times during the day and evening. This has been fantastic! As a result, we have doubled the number of annual participants. The added classes are for example specialized weightlifting classes, yoga classes and a class where all the participants have their own elliptical machine and an instructor leads the group. I think F&S has a bright future as an organization. We see the number of members increase every year.

Thank you dad! Not just for letting me interview you, but for the fact you and mom always emphasized the importance of wellness while I was growing up. Even though I maybe did not show it at the time, I clearly listened :)