Let’s enjoy sports as Swedes do! – International programme students at LiU

In Sweden, when you are hanging out, you always see some Swedes are doing sports! Mostly, you see them jogging, even in rainy days! Swedes address the importance of sports. When children start their kindergartens, they are informed about the significance of physical exercise in children’s health, intelligence quotient, emotion, ability of innovation, and social development. Therefore, usually kindergartens arrange various outdoor activities for children almost every study-day! During outdoor activities, children not only consider about own movements, but also care about other classmates. Most importantly, they learn to cooperate. Concepts of doing sports have been established since Swedes’ childhood. It is reported that Swedes so sports averagely more than other Europeans. Swedes bears high enthusiasm in sports.

I like biking around and enjoying the landscape

According to a piece of report from Riksidrottsförbundet, 45% of Swedes aged from 7 to 70 do sports at least 2 times per week. Only 9% of Swedes say that they never do sports. Statistics from Eurostat show that 54% of Swedes do sports for more than 2.5 hours per week. Some other EU statistics also show that 33% of Swedes and 25% of Danes are members or will-be members in gyms. In Sweden, there are even some gyms specially offering certain exercising events and training courses for members who are more than 90 years old. Due to the population aging, the interest of elder groups in social activities and sports is increasing. Värmdö is a small city located in the eastern Stockholm, and there is a guy named The Body Joy. There you can often see many pensioners doing sports. Though some of them are in their high ages, they still think that doing sports helps them keep health and vigour.

Aqua Golf in Norröping

Enjoying the nature is one element in Nordic culture, so enthusiasm in outdoor activities is one reason explaining why Swedes like doing sports. Research demonstrates that physical exercise makes people feel happy and satisfied. Maybe this is one of the reasons explaining Sweden’s high Happiness Index in the world? Most surprisingly, even in cold and gloomy winter, you can always see some people jogging around. There are always some gyms in each city in Sweden. For example, just right in in Norrköping, gyms include Nordic Club, Norröping Training Center NTC, Nordic Wellness, Fitness24Seven, SATS Norrköping, Friskis & Svettis City, X-Force Factory Fitness and so on. There are even boxing and martial art clubs in Norrköping, including NBK Akilles, Primate Lounge MMA, BJJ, Thaiboxing & Gym. If you are going to study at LiU in Norröping campus, welcome to visit these clubs if you have interest!

People are enjoying a popular game. Btw, who knows the Swedish name of this game?

When there were no COVID-19 pandemic, many cities in Sweden hold some social sport activities. For example, in Göteborg, there is long-distance race, and in Vätternrundan, there is biking race. In Norrköping, you can also borrow skating and skiing tools free of charge during winter when it snows so that you can skate or ski anywhere.The tools-borrwing organization name is Fritidsbanken. If you are interested, you can visit the address. Remember to have a call to book a time.

Children are playing football.

More and more Swedes enjoy challenging and professional sports. In addition to jogging, hiking, and biking, Swedes also like swimming, boating, gymnastics, lindy hop, yoga, fishing, hunting, and so on so forth. Many companies even invest to support their employees to become members in the gym or conduct some exercising activities. This is enough to show how importance of sports in Swedish culture.

Children are enjoying roller skating in Norröpings skatepark

There are many sport-superstars in Sweden, such as tennis superstars Björn Borg, Mats Wilander, and Stefan Edberg, football superstars Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl, and Nils Liedholm, and table tennis superstar Jan-Ove Waldner.

The first course I took in sfi is about Zlatan

In LiU Norrköping campus, there is a non-profit student association named NAFFI (Norrköpings Akademiska Förening För Idrott/Norrköping Academic Association for Sports), specially providing sport activities for LiU students. NAFFI is the biggest student association in Norrköping. It organizes different sport activities from Monday to Thursday. Most activities are indoor and some are outdoor. Sport equipments and necessities are all there. Taking part in such association can not only train physically, but also reduce study stress. You can always make friends in the association during activities. NAFFI website: https://naffi.nu/public_php/index.php