7 things to know about Helsinki’s outdoor gyms
Need a lift? Step outside. Helsinki has more than 50 outdoor gyms. No membership required. No excuses, either. Forest, shore, park or street. Wherever you are, they turn up in all the right places. Here are seven things about them guaranteed to give you a boost.
1) Open all hours
Outdoor gyms don’t close. Not for snow, not for wind, not for long stretches of darkness. Yep, plenty of the latter here. Summer evenings are the obvious go-to – light until midnight, warm enough to linger. But winter has its own rhythm. Cold enough to see your breath. Warm enough to work up a sweat. Cold enough to watch it freeze. Any time works. That’s rather the point. Step it up a notch with some ice swimming (and sauna!) at Uunisaari, across the water from the Meripuisto gym.
Extra rep: The outdoor gym trend has caught on: the city is set to double the number of them by 2032.
2) On the house
No fees, no bookings, no keys or codes to remember. Push. Lift. Stretch. Strength. Work on one leg one day, the other the next. Who cares! Feeling self-conscious? Double down on the who cares! Nobody’s watching, nobody’s judging. No mirrors to avoid, either. Come as you are. Even in Munkkiniemi, after visiting the Aalto House and before a round of frisbee golf. Only in Helsinki.
Extra rep: No need to take your shoes off at outdoor gyms – unlike indoors Yep, that’s another Finnish thing.
3) Right where you are
Outdoor gyms sit along familiar routes – near water, inside parks, beside cycling paths. You’ll come across them in unexpected places, or predictably on the way to your hotel or home. Chances are there’s one near where you’re staying. Or two. Bookend with a swim and coffee. Try Tervasaari. There’s even a dog park for your pooch.
Extra rep: Helsinki’s goal is to have an outdoor gym within a short ride of everyone. Walking distance, eventually.
4) Resistance is futile
Built to last and easy to read. Illustrated instructions are findable on the frame. Hydraulic resistance in the place of weight plates. Easily adjustable. Designed for every body. At every season of life. Give it your best oomph. Or not. Need a lift near Central Park? The neighbouring horses in Ruskeasuo wouldn’t bat an eyelid (or three) if you wander to the nearby outdoor gym.
Extra rep: The equipment is made by the Finnish company Omnigym. If it survives the deep freeze of February, it can survive anywhere.
5) Pump in peace
The atmosphere? Think less blasting music and rowdy encouragement – more nods than noise. Headphones on means “do not disturb”. People keep to themselves, but conversation can happen. Sometimes. Mostly not. All very Finnish, in other words. Churchmouse quiet in the shadow of St John’s Church, for example. Bite your tongue. Lift.
Extra rep: A Finnish saying: ‘Silence is gold, talking is silver’. No purpose? Pipe down.
6) Gym by nature
Each outdoor gym has its own feel – worth trying more than one. Hietaniemi beach is the city’s most-used. A post-pump ice cream? Best. Balance. Ever. Mustikkamaa is Helsinki’s largest – 25 machines a stone’s throw from Sompasauna. Lauttasaari beach sees happy locals stopping by when looping the island. Tourists, too. Pirkkola is further north in Central Park. Peaceful. Natural. Clothes on though. This isn’t a sauna…
Extra rep: Some of Helsinki’s oldest workout spots are still out there – look out for liftable logs and pull-up bars.
7) City by request
How did this all come about? It started with a request. Then another. Then 50 outdoor gyms. Through Omastadi, Helsinki’s community funding initiative, residents propose and vote on how the city spends its budget – and the city delivers. More saunas. More trees. More sports for kids. More Helsinki.
Extra rep: The cost per outdoor gym user over a lifetime averages out to less than 10 cents. Ten. Cents.
Find your nearest outdoor gym here