Health and fitness are very important to me, so when I moved to Stockholm I wanted to continue with my healthy habits like running, going to the gym, doing yoga and eating healthy. Many people were walking around in sports clothes, and there are small healthy eco food shops everywhere! You’d think that to Stay healthy in Stockholm is no problem at all, right?
Well, and you’ll probably notice this more often as a student: everything is quite expensive. Don’t worry, though! Here are some cheap things I often do to stay healthy, both physically and mentally.
Try to avoid the metro as much as possible
I know this one is a bit obvious, but in Stockholm, walking is such an easy way to get some exercise done! Just eat a banana to get some energy and go for it – unless you are too far away of course. You’ll feel much better, and you won’t be as annoyed as you would have been if you had taken the tunnelbana! There are some really nice routes I often walk when I need to get some fresh air, they’re not too long but definitely enough to increase your heart rate 🙂 If you have a smartphone, you should download the app “Runnister”, you get paid for the kilometers you walk/run!
Fitness 24/7
Gyms like SATS and Nordic Wellness are often quite expensive, around 600kr per month. Fitness 24/7 is the cheapest option, for students, it’s only 169kr a month and 199kr regularly. You do however need to have a Swedish ID and personnummer for those prices, I didn’t have either, so I paid around 1445 kr for 6 months, which is still quie cheap if you go to the gym often. It’s a great way to get to know new people, gain confidence, and get a healthier body!
Take vitamin pills, especially vitamin D
You can buy pills at the pharmacy for 99 kr, they’re really really necessary. They have a lot of vitamin D in them which you really need for your overall happiness and energy, normally you’d get this from sunlight.
Don’t let the cold and snow stop you from going outside!
“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes” (Det finnsinget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder) is an old Swedish saying, and I really like this one because it’s true! Just buy spikes at Intersport to put on your shoes, a warm jacket and scarf, something to cover your ears, and you’re ready to go for a long walk even if it’s cold. It’s really important to go outside, especially as it’s dark most of the time!
Go to a cafe often
Even if you’re on your own working on your laptop or reading a book, research shows that going to a cafe is really healthy for your mental health. You will also improve your Swedish if you listen to other people’s conversations (a bit sneaky, but we all do it..)! I follow some accounts on Instagram to find new cafes (@stockholmfood and @fikastockholm for example), but you can also find many on the Stockholm app.
Visit YOUMP
Yoump is probably the most fun way to exercise, it’s a giant trampoline park! You need to book a time though as it’s very popular, but it’s awesome. The regular price is around 180 sek for an hour of jumping around, but it’s much lower if you’re a student or kid. Doing something completely different is really healthy for your mental health as well, especially if you’re quite stressed because of school.
Ice skate in Kungsträdgården
Enjoy it now when it’s still possible! Renting ice skates is not expensive at all, and if you bring your own they can even sharpen them for you! Go for a hot drink afterward, or just watch other people ice skate.
Join a running group
Running is an awesome way to feel more confident and happier about yourself, and if you run in a group it’s even better! You won’t quit as fast as you would if you ran on your own, and you’ll get many contacts. There are many ways to find people to run with, you can, of course, go with friends, or go to www.meetup.com for running meetups!
Go for a swim!
There’s no need to jump in the Mälaren if you want to go for a swim, there are many simhallar in Stockholm and surrounding areas you can go to. They often have gyms as well, so it’s a perfect combination! Entry only costs are between 90 kr and 70 kr for adults, but if you want to go more often, it’s much cheaper to buy a card.
Written by Lydia Hallie
I’m Lydia, a 19-year-old Dutch girl living in Stockholm. I try to write many helpful posts to help younger people who recently moved to Sweden to get to know the country and how everything works here!
Great article, thank you. I realized Stockholm is so much cheaper than Budapest if you want to do some sports (I am living in BP right now). That price what you labelled as expensive are the “normal” here and what you pay as a cheap price it’s not exist in Budapest. We are always thinking to move STHLM and travelled a lot to Sweden to get some inspiration and everytime we perceive Sweden is not so much more expensive than Budapest. And in the otherhand it’s cheeper most of the parts of life. You get quality for your money and I think it’s really important.