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Cedric Oueslati dreams of running the New York City Marathon one day.
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As Finns work out more, companies have overtaken sports clubs as service providers.
Individual sports have rapidly increased in popularity in Finland. In addition to gyms, running trails have attracted tens of thousands of new runners in just four years.
“I have been running and attending running events just for fun for almost ten years. Now I have a seven-month-old daughter at home, so these are my first runs in a while,” says Paula Kujansivu, who is enjoying a run in the Central Park of Helsinki.
According to the National Sports Survey, more than half of 19 to 65-year-old Finns exercise at least four times a week. Around one in five describe their exercise habits as intensive and strenuous.
Kujansivu has a background in sport but now she exercises to stay healthy. “I had a six-month break after giving birth, but before that I ran four or five times a week, often in the morning.”
Around 5,500 working-age Finns and some 1,000 people aged 66-79 were interviewed for the National Sports Survey.
Active exercisers doing even more
A tenth of the respondents said they exercised at most once a week, whereas 90 per cent stated that they managed to exercise at least twice a week. According to Jorma Savola, secretary-general of the Finnish Sport for All Association, it is difficult to tell how well the results actually reflect reality. However, he supposes that the question of exercise also divides Finland: “Those who have exercised in the past exercise even more now.”
A more distinct change has taken place in the popularity of different sports. Individual sports have rapidly increased in popularity, whereas many team sports, such as rink bandy, floorball and football, have been losing players. Walking is still the top sport, even though its popularity has slowly dwindled in the past decade.
“The biggest change of all is the increasing use of private company services. The market share of private companies has surpassed that of sports clubs for the first time.
The gym boom is behind this shift.”
In the 21st century, the share of the adult population using company sports services has tripled, climbing to 15 per cent, whereas sports clubs only attract 14 per cent.
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Quick, brisk exercise
– Walking, cycling, working out at the gym, skiing and running are the most popular sports.
– 62% of the respondents describe their exercise as brisk, and a fifth describe it as strenuous.
– 38% exercise to stay fit, a fifth exercise at a more athletic level and 5% consider themselves competitive athletes.
– The majority of respondents estimate that they spend around €200 a year on their sport, the average being €570.
– Men spend more money on their sport than women.
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Marathon challenges
According to Savola, sports that are easy to practice regularly, several times a week, are popular now.
“This is the easiest sport there is, and people have started taking better care of themselves nowadays,” Cedric Oueslati, another runner in the Central Park, who ponders the popularity of his sport.
Oueslati, who drives a taxi, used to play football and floorball, but switched to running because it was easier to fit into his daily schedules.
Both Oueslati and Kujansivu mention marathons as great challenges to running. Oueslati has run three marathons, while Kujansivu has run in seven.
“I enjoy it and have fun instead of forcing it. Running should always make you feel good, so that you can toast at the finish line. It’s better to take it slow and run the whole distance. I run with my sister, and we talk through the whole marathon,” Kujansivu describes her marathon strategy.
Oueslati will run his next marathon this summer.
“I won’t run this summer, but maybe next summer. My sister and I are going to run the New York City Marathon one day,” Kujansivu says.
TOMI ORAVAINEN
STT
Markku Ulander
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