Training for all the money – Fædrelandsvennen

Training for all the money – Fædrelandsvennen

He came towards me down the hill from Rustadsaga by Nøklevann. Red face and sweat on my forehead, with a luminescent yellow, snug, and probably deer T-shirt, and its black running tights.

Around the easy bulging waist hung a belt with several bottles, around the chest and wrist heart rate monitor, on your feet two brand new, orange sneakers. As we passed each other, he gears up the pace a notch and snorted loudly.

If the price of running shoes and sports equipment to the middle-aged runner will provide value for money, is uncertain. But he is undoubtedly one of the many thousands of contributors to the sports industry’s rising sales curve.

Billion Sale

Norwegians bought sports equipment for 12.1 billion last year, according to figures reported by the sports shops to trade Sport Industry.

There is an increase of 404 million from 2012.

In general, sales of sports shoes, skis, bikes, fitness apparel and sports accessories increased for several years now . Over the past decade, sales almost doubled, from 6.5 billion in 2003 to 12.1 billion in 2013.

On Top Europe in equipment

One should not pushover of the modern sport of good quality provides a good training experience. That it is easier to motivate yourself with a pair of brand new sneakers standing in the hallway than a few old gray. And your conscience will send us out of the running speed when we left the gold card get hot in the store.

Sporting Goods for around ten billion each year is still a lot. Bård Kristiansen Sports industry believe the growth in sales figures is a sum of several reasons.

– In the Nordic countries, it has become trendy to be fashionable and to look sporty. It’s about raising awareness on health, but also that it gives status. Today it’s not cool to say that you are not exercising. Taking care of your body gives status. Exercise wave has recently become even more extreme in terms of competitions Birken and Triathlon. Thus, exercise equipment, more importantly, says Kristiansen.

Norwegians buy actually as much sports that we are on top in Europe in relation to population.

– The main explanation it is that we have both winter and summer sports, unlike most other European countries. In addition, the purchasing power among Norwegians good, says Kristiansen.

At ease

Ok, so we can afford it. With the acquisition, we may better Facebook photos of ourselves in running and skimodus and possibly a higher star or better self-esteem. But what conditions? Given doubled sales of sporting goods in the course of the last decade, we should be able to assume the shape of Norwegians in general has increased slightly.

According Jorunn Sundgot-Borgen, a professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, is not the case in general .

– When in surveys ask people questions if they are physically active, answer a large proportion yes. But when the activity level is measured directly on a representative sample of the population, it turns out that only one in five meet the daily requirement for physical activity for 30 minutes, says Sundgot-Borgen.

In recent years there has been a polarization of the population, she says.

– It appears that one group of the population has been very active and in good shape, while another group has become more inactive. So when we read about training wave and people who participate in Birken, so give it a slightly skewed picture of how active Norwegians in general really is, says Sundgot-Borgen.