I Can't Stop Thinking About This Fitness Tip From Finland
As a health editor, I spend my days analyzing studies and researching the latest trends around nutrition, weight loss, and fitness. I've covered everything from the 75 Hard Challenge to how many steps a day it really takes to lose weight, but I recently came across a Finnish fitness tip that I can't stop thinking about.
Despite temperatures falling to -20°F or even colder (yes, you read that right) in the winter, Finland is consistently ranked one of the fittest, most health-conscious countries in the world.
🩺 SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week 💊
As a former Californian and current New Yorker, I know working out is a lot harder when it's cold out. I don't want to run outside when temperatures drop below 50 degrees, and even dragging myself out from under my blankets in the morning can feel impossible. For those reasons, Finland's fitness has always been mind-boggling to me. What gives?
Yes, even when it's freezing out. "In Finland, walking to work, the store and during leisure time is a year-round activity, embraced by people of all ages," a professor of exercise medicine at the University of Eastern Finland, tells Parade. "Commuting by bike is equally popular, regardless of the season."
Related: 15 Best Workouts for Weight Loss, According to Trainers—and Yes, Walking Counts!
If you're thinking you can't possibly imagine navigating sub-zero temperatures in your normal puffy coat and boots, I don't blame you. And Dr. Venojärvi is the first to emphasize that dressing for the weather is key.
"Navigating the cold, dark, and slippery winter weather requires some preparation and the right gear," he says. "Layered clothing is the cornerstone of staying comfortable and safe during winter activities. Start with a moisture-wicking base layer to keep your skin dry. Add a middle layer for warmth, such as fleece or wool, and finish with an outer layer that protects against wind and snow. This combination ensures you stay warm without overheating."
Visibility is prioritized by people in Finland, too, as the country only gets about 6 hours of daylight in the winter months. "Reflectors on your clothing and bike help ensure you're seen by drivers," Dr. Venojärvi says. "Footwear with good traction is essential to prevent slips and falls on icy surfaces. It's important to protect your head and face, including your nose and mouth, from the freezing wind. Warm mittens keep your fingers warm."
Related:
If this still sounds terrible to you, Dr. Venojärvi emphasizes that it's not you, it's Finland—people there are accustomed to being active in freezing weather from a very young age.
"Outdoor activities are a significant part of Finnish culture and well-being, with Finns spending a lot of time outdoors throughout the year," Dr. Venojärvi says. "While outdoor activities are particularly popular in the summer, they are also common in the winter, despite the challenging weather conditions."
Related:
Families enjoy sledding and ice skating, while young people also engage in downhill skiing, Dr. Venojärvi says. "Adults and the elderly participate in cross-country skiing, walking, and Nordic walking," he says. "These activities not only promote physical health but also improve mood and social well-being. You can also relax by swimming in an ice hole, as a short dip in cold water boosts energy and relaxes you."
Plus, all that snow is just really pretty. "Winter landscapes and nature in Finland are truly beautiful and diverse. In winter, the scenery transforms into a snow-covered wonderland, offering stunning views such as snowy forests, frozen lakes, and beautiful sunsets," Dr. Venojärvi says. "The right of public access, known as 'Everyman's Right,' allows free movement in nature, encouraging people to spend time outdoors in all seasons. This right is a key factor in promoting outdoor activities and enjoying nature in Finland."
While I'm personally ready to book a trip to this winter wonderland ASAP, even Dr. Venojärvi says sometimes it's just too cold to exercise outside. In that case, "there are many indoor swimming pools, gyms, and other exercise options in Finland to suit your preferences."
Up Next: These Are the Most Health-Conscious Countries. U.S. News and World Report.
Dr. Mika Venojärvi, Ph.D., a professor of exercise medicine at the University of Eastern Finland
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tammy Slaton's Excess Skin Removal Before & After Photos: See Her Transformation (Exclusive)
Tammy Slaton's Excess Skin Removal Before & After Photos: See Her Transformation (Exclusive) originally appeared on Parade. 1000-Lb Sisters star revealed the results of her excess skin removal surgery in the Season 7 finale of the TLC series—and the before and after photos of her jaw-dropping transformation are simply stunning. On Tuesday, June 10, viewers finally got to see Slaton, 38, after she had more than 10 pounds of skin removed from her neck, abdomen and arms following a 500-pound weight loss. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 Under the guidance of , chair of plastic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center—along with three other attending surgeons, two nurse and surgical tech teams and an anesthesia team—the combined procedures took approximately eight hours to complete. "Tammy is such a wonderful example of the type of courage and determination that it takes to achieve this type of weight loss goal," Dr. Rubin exclusively told Parade via phone ahead of the 1000-Lb Sisters Season 7 finale. "People think that if you have bariatric surgery, you know, it's the easy way out. It's really not," he continued. "That takes a huge amount of courage and commitment." As the plastic surgeon explained, dropping the weight was only one part of the journey to Slaton's excess skin removal. "You have to do all of the lifestyle components that go with it," Dr. Rubin said. "Tammy had a really great bariatric surgeon, , who has really been a pleasure to work with." After Tammy underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2022, viewers watched her finally qualify for excess skin removal in Season 7 of 1000-Lb Sisters—but only after she hit a couple of health goals, including quitting vaping. "A lot of people don't realize that nicotine use poses a tremendous increase in risk of wound healing complications with plastic surgery," Dr. Rubin explained. "So many, it's very common for plastic surgeons to work with their patients to get them off of nicotine products for an elective procedure." Another barrier to Tammy getting approved for excess skin removal surgery was the low protein levels in her body. "That's another common theme that we see in patients who have lost a tremendous amount of weight," Dr. Rubin shared. "And we worked, we really got her entire medical care team together, not just my team, but her bariatric team, her primary care doctor—and we all worked with her to get her to boost her protein intake." Although Slaton opted for excess skin removal, not everyone who goes through significant weight loss wants or needs the procedure. "We really focus on, you know, what's important to each patient and rather than trying to, 'You've lost weight, you're going to need this operation and that operation,'" Dr. Rubin explained. "We want to work with them and really individualize and personalize every treatment program." Ultimately, the most important factor in anyone's skin-removal journey, Dr. Rubin shared, is the "safety of our patients and making sure that we're working with them collaboratively to have conditions optimized." Congrats to Slaton on her many years of hard work and determination in reaching her goals! Seasons 1–7 of 1000-Lb Sisters are available to stream on Max. Next: Tammy Slaton's Excess Skin Removal Before & After Photos: See Her Transformation (Exclusive) first appeared on Parade on Jun 11, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
World fertility rates in 'unprecedented decline', UN says
Namrata Nangia and her husband have been toying with the idea of having another child since their five-year-old daughter was born. But it always comes back to one question: 'Can we afford it?' She lives in Mumbai and works in pharmaceuticals, her husband works at a tyre company. But the costs of having one child are already overwhelming - school fees, the school bus, swimming lessons, even going to the GP is expensive. It was different when Namrata was growing up. "We just used to go to school, nothing extracurricular, but now you have to send your kid to swimming, you have to send them to drawing, you have to see what else they can do." According to a new report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN agency for reproductive rights, Namrata's situation is becoming a global norm. The agency has taken its strongest line yet on fertility decline, warning that hundreds of millions of people are not able to have the number of children they want, citing the prohibitive cost of parenthood and the lack of a suitable partner as some of the reasons. UNFPA surveyed 14,000 people in 14 countries about their fertility intentions. One in five said they haven't had or expect they won't have their desired number of children. The countries surveyed - South Korea, Thailand, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Brazil, Mexico, US, India, Indonesia, Morocco, South Africa, and Nigeria - account for a third of the global population. They are a mix of low, middle and high-income countries and those with low and high fertility. UNFPA surveyed young adults and those past their reproductive years. "The world has begun an unprecedented decline in fertility rates," says Dr Natalia Kanem, head of UNFPA. "Most people surveyed want two or more children. Fertility rates are falling in large part because many feel unable to create the families they want. And that is the real crisis," she says. How should countries deal with falling birth rates? Why a nation of 1.45 billion wants more children The influencers who want the world to have more babies - and say the White House is on their side "Calling this a crisis, saying it's real. That's a shift I think," says demographer Anna Rotkirch, who has researched fertility intentions in Europe and advises the Finnish government on population policy. "Overall, there's more undershooting than overshooting of fertility ideals," she says. She has studied this at length in Europe and is interested to see it reflected at a global level. She was also surprised by how many respondents over 50 (31%) said they had fewer children than they wanted. The survey, which is a pilot for research in 50 countries later this year, is limited in its scope. When it comes to age groups within countries for example, the sample sizes are too small to make conclusions. But some findings are clear. In all countries, 39% of people said financial limitations prevented them from having a child. The highest response was in Korea (58%), the lowest in Sweden (19%). In total, only 12% of people cited infertility - or difficulty conceiving - as a reason for not having the number of children they wanted to. But that figure was higher in countries including Thailand (19%), the US (16%), South Africa (15%), Nigeria (14%) and India (13%). "This is the first time that [the UN] have really gone all-out on low fertility issues," says Prof Stuart Gietel-Basten, demographer at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Until recently the agency focused heavily on women who have more children than they wanted and the "unmet need" for contraception. Still, the UNFPA is urging caution in response to low fertility. "Right now, what we're seeing is a lot of rhetoric of catastrophe, either overpopulation or shrinking population, which leads to this kind of exaggerated response, and sometimes a manipulative response," says Dr Kanem. "In terms of trying to get women to have more children, or fewer." She points out that 40 years ago China, Korea, Japan, Thailand and Turkey were all worried their populations were too high. By 2015 they wanted to boost fertility. "We want to try as far as possible to avoid those countries enacting any kind of panicky policies," says Prof Gietel-Basten. "We are seeing low fertility, population ageing, population stagnation used as an excuse to implement nationalist, anti-migrant policies and gender conservative policies," he says. UNFPA found an even bigger barrier to children than finances was a lack of time. For Namrata in Mumbai that rings true. She spends at least three hours a day commuting to her office and back. When she gets home she is exhausted but wants to spend time with her daughter. Her family doesn't get much sleep. "After a working day, obviously you have that guilt, being a mom, that you're not spending enough time with your kid," she says. "So, we're just going to focus on one."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Millions of Eggs Were Just Recalled due to Connection With Salmonella Outbreak—Here's What to Know
Millions of Eggs Were Just Recalled due to Connection With Salmonella Outbreak—Here's What to Know originally appeared on Parade. As far as crisis PR goes, eggs are having the worst 2025 so far, and they might want to consider new representation. The humble, complete protein, versatile kitchen ingredient, and inspiration behind puns aplenty has been marred with bombshell reports of record price hikes, bird flu contamination, and shortages, causing consumers to search for alternatives to the eggcellent breakfast staple. What seemed to be a minor blip in the food supply chain has since ballooned to a full-scale catastrophe of epic proportions, and things don't seem to be getting any the fact that reporting has all but halted, the bird flu is still running rampant, and although the exorbitant prices have started to level, it's still a good idea to consider that you might have picked up a carton of bad eggs as opposed to good ones. We'd hate to see you end up with egg on your face—or worse. Not to egg things on, but the latest blind item might make you reconsider making that frittata for breakfast altogether or even swear off eggs for if they needed any more salacious gossip to hide from, the latest word on the street is that eggs sold at Walmart, Safeway, and several other stores were just recalled due to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened dozens of people across seven states and put 21 people in the hospital. Talk about being a rotten egg. On June 6, the August Egg Company of Hilmar, California, issued a voluntary recall of 1.7 million dozen eggs produced at its facilities after discovering that the eggs were potentially contaminated with salmonella. The affected eggs were distributed between February and May to Walmart, SaveMart, FoodMaxx, Lucky, Smart & Final, Safeway, Raley's, Food 4 Less, and Ralph's. So far, the only confirmed cases are spread across seven states, including Arizona, California, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, Nevada, and Washington. Of the states, California has the highest number of cases at 63, while the remaining states all have four cases each. It's worth noting that some people's Salmonella symptoms resolve without the need to contact a medical professional at all, so the actual number of cases could be even higher. You can find the full list of recalled items here, along with photos of their cartons, and if you happen to have purchased any of the impacted products, it's recommended that you discard them immediately. We've never done it before, but we think we'll skip egg day for of Eggs Were Just Recalled due to Connection With Salmonella Outbreak—Here's What to Know first appeared on Parade on Jun 9, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
