In Helsinki, staying active is no longer confined to gyms or scheduled workouts. Thanks to the city’s ambitious Local Sports Facility Program, movement is being embedded into everyday life: literally. By 2032, Helsinki plans to ensure that every resident has access to a free outdoor gym within just 1.5 kilometers of their home. Today, that vision is nearly realized, with only a few installations left before every neighborhood, from the vibrant city center to the quieter outer districts, enjoys equal access to health-boosting infrastructure.
The scale of this initiative is impressive. With an annual € 20 million investment in sports facilities and € 1.5 million dedicated specifically to outdoor gyms, Helsinki is quietly transforming its public spaces into dynamic zones of wellness, inclusivity and connection. From fitness stairs built into natural hillsides to multi-sport courts tucked between apartment blocks, each facility is part of a carefully coordinated mosaic designed to foster spontaneous, low-barrier movement.
But what sets Helsinki apart isn’t just the money or the numbers, it’s the mindset. The city’s planners understand that true impact starts with people. That’s why residents aren’t just users of the system, they’re co-creators. During planning phases, children, adults and seniors are all invited to weigh in on what kinds of equipment or designs would serve them best. Residents vote on whether they prefer a gym, a set of stairs or something more playful. In this way, Helsinki’s sports infrastructure reflects not only local geography, but local identity.
This approach has been particularly crucial post-COVID, as the pandemic forced residents to rediscover the outdoors. The result? A dramatic uptick in outdoor gym usage, even in the cold Finnish winters. Durable, weatherproof equipment means people are out training on frosty mornings, with city lights making 24/7 access viable year-round. It's a subtle, but profound transformation: physical activity is no longer a task or an obligation; it’s just part of the daily rhythm.
To ensure no part of the city lags behind, Helsinki targets its underused gym areas with thoughtful interventions. Sports instructors and personal trainers are deployed to lead sessions, answer questions and break down barriers for hesitant newcomers. This “human infrastructure” complements the physical one, fostering confidence and community.
The city’s most recent leap is perhaps its boldest: integrating sports facilities into schoolyards. With three pilot schoolyard gyms rolling out this year, one already open, Helsinki is betting on fun, engaging equipment to capture the imagination of its youngest citizens. Think less treadmill, more game station: cycling games with music, equipment designed for play, not just reps. The hope is that these spaces will entice children away from screens and into motion, especially after school hours when sedentary behavior tends to spike.
“Helsinki plans to ensure that every resident has access to a free outdoor gym within just 1.5 kilometers of their home.”
It’s a savvy move. By investing in movement at an early age, Helsinki is nurturing habits that could shape an entire generation. Early signs are encouraging and long-term monitoring and evaluation are already being baked into the program to track outcomes and fine-tune future efforts.
Of course, challenges remain. Schoolyard gyms require funding from both the city and individual schools, which means coordination and persuasion are key. Demonstrating the success of existing pilots, and showcasing just how fun and community-building these spaces can be, will be crucial to securing further buy-in. But if any city is equipped to navigate these complexities, it’s Helsinki.
What’s emerging here is more than a fitness network. It’s a philosophy: that movement should be accessible, spontaneous and joyful. That infrastructure should respond to real lives and real needs. That well-being is not a luxury; it’s a public right.
Helsinki’s outdoor fitness vision doesn’t just build muscle; it builds resilience, equity and belonging. And while weatherproof gym machines may be the most visible part of this transformation, the real strength lies in what they represent: a city where health is built into the everyday and where every street, park and schoolyard has the potential to become a launchpad for a more active life.
Oleg Jauhonen project coordinator @ City of Helsinki