I & I - 2011, Side 37

37I&I
When the banks collapsed in October 2008, a certain ma-
terialistic ideology collapsed with it. In the pre-crisis rat
race many Icelanders worked so hard to buy the all things they
fancied—such as shiny new Range Rovers—that they hardly
had any free time. Then people started rearranging their priori-
ties and changing their lifestyles; some were forced to because
they couldn’t afford the high life anymore, others out of con-
viction that investing more time in their health and wellbeing
would make them happier. And so in many households hearty
home-cooked meals were preferred over fast food, various out-
door activities gained increased popularity and the gyms were
crowded.
Jóna Hildur Bjarnadóttir, director of Sport for All at the Na-
tional Olympic and Sports Association of Iceland (ÍSÍ), explains
there are many reasons for the apparent post-crisis health-
awakening among Icelanders. “People have generally become
interested in their health and wellbeing and their awareness of
the importance of a healthy lifestyle has increased, how exercise
and a healthy diet help prevent most chronic diseases like car-
diac diseases, problems with the musculoskeletal system, type 2
diabetes and mental health.”
At ÍSÍ, Bjarnadóttir oversees two annual contests that have
seen a significant increase in participation over the past couple
of years: ‘Cycle to Work’ where workplaces compete in their
employees’ combined cycling distance to and from work; and
‘Life’s Run’ where workplaces and schools register each hour of
exercise performed by employees and students and then com-
pete among themselves. “In ‘Cycle to Work’ there was a 19 per-
cent increase between 2010 and 2011, up from almost 9,500 to
more than 11,000, and in ‘Life’s Run’ we were looking at a 23
percent increase with the number of participants growing from
over 13,000 to almost 16,500,” Bjarnadóttir says. “Employers
have been efficient in cheering their workers on and creating a
fun and positive atmosphere around these competitions, which
also explains this development.” Overall, running is gaining more
popularity among the public as the rise in the number of con-
testants in this year’s Reykjavík Marathon shows, and more and
more people climb mountains in their free time, as well as en-
gaging in lighter activities such as going for a stroll and bicy-
cling, she adds.
When asked whether the financial crisis may have spurred this
growing interest in exercise and outdoor activities, Bjarnadóttir
says she is certain it had some part in it. “The crisis brought us
back to the ground. People realized that striving for a fancy life-
style may have led them off track. The crisis got people thinking
and reevaluating things. They came to the conclusion that the
most important things in life are family and health.”
By Eygló Svala Arnarsdóttir.
gottA run
When the crisis hit in 2008, people
traded their dress shoes for sneakers.
Photo by Páll Stefánsson.