TORONTO -- With winter on the way and the pandemic keeping people apart, some Canadians may be planning to hibernate indoors this year, but according to the Norwegians, that鈥檚 the opposite of what they should do.
Instead, they鈥檙e being encouraged to bundle up, head outside, and embrace the cherished Scandinavian concept of friluftsliv.
Hahn Vincent, an outdoor educator and guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, described friluftsliv as a 鈥渨ay of life,鈥� in which adherents embed themselves in nature.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a cultural philosophy for Scandinavians,鈥� she said during a telephone interview with CTVNews.ca from Vancouver on Thursday. 鈥淭his idea of literally being part of nature and that鈥檚 done experientially.鈥�
Vincent studied friluftsliv when she was completing her master鈥檚 degree in outdoor education in Norway and continues to follow it back home in Canada. She said it鈥檚 not about getting the perfect sunset photo or conquering a mountain, but rather, feeling connected to nature.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like when you go out and you look up at mountains or hills or the beautiful cedar trees and you take a big breath in and you feel that peace. For some people, that鈥檚 a spiritual feeling,鈥� she said.
The term friluftsliv translates to 鈥渙pen-air living鈥� and is generally thought to have been first coined by the Norwegian playwright and poet, Henrik Ibsen, in the 1850s.
Lasse Heimdal, the secretary general of Norsk Friluftsliv, an organization representing 5,000 outdoor groups in Norway, said friluftsliv is one of the most important aspects of Norwegian culture. He said that nine out of 10 Norwegians participate in it every year, during every season, regardless of the weather.
鈥淭here is no bad weather, only bad clothes,鈥� Heimdal said during a telephone interview with CTVNews.ca from Oslo, Norway on Friday.
Friluftsliv isn鈥檛 only for extreme adventurers, either. Heimdal said anyone can participate in the lifestyle, whether that means camping or skiing or just going outside for a brief stroll.
鈥淚 think it's very important to find the joy of being outside,鈥� he said.
In fact, Heimdal said friluftsliv is so important that it is actually protected by the 鈥溾�� or 鈥渞ight to roam鈥� law that is in effect in a number of Nordic countries. Under the law, people are allowed to walk or camp nearly everywhere, even on other people鈥檚 properties, as long as they鈥檙e respectful of the environment.
鈥淣orwegian law secures the people living here to be outdoors and enjoy the marvelous nature that we have been given,鈥� he explained.
Vincent added that education on friluftsliv starts early for Norwegians who are taught at a young age about the importance of respecting the environment and how to stay healthy outdoors. There are even full courses and degrees dedicated to learning about the lifestyle, as Vincent knows when she studied the subject in Oslo.
鈥淚t became such a big part of my identity,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o ice-climbing, canoe-tripping, backpacking, and just spending time in nature. It totally changed my career path.鈥�
MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS
Beyond the obvious physical health advantages that come with any form of exercise, Heimdal said friluftsliv also offers some significant mental health benefits that are particularly important this year during the pandemic as increased financial stress, social isolation, and health concerns take a toll on people鈥檚 well-being.
鈥淔resh air, activity, and also being with your friends or family improves your mood, reduces depression, and has many positive effects on your health,鈥� Heimdal said. 鈥淚t's so good to have a kind of escape room or a place to forget all the problems with the coronavirus disease and be outside, get fresh air, sunlight and be together in a good and healthy way.鈥�
Heimdal said Canadians can adopt friluftsliv in a safe way during the pandemic because the coronavirus doesn鈥檛 spread as easily outside and people can physically distance from each other.
鈥淚t鈥檚 鈥榗orona-safe鈥� because in Norway, at least, we haven't found, as far as I know, any infection history from friluftsliv,鈥� he said.
Vincent agrees that friluftsliv would be beneficial for Canadians at any time, but especially during the pandemic.
鈥淐anada has this weird identity that we are like, quote unquote, outdoor people, but then we don鈥檛 act like it. Like Norwegians, they don鈥檛 complain about winter. They embrace winter and we complain about it,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a paradigm shift that in Canada would be so beneficial if we just embraced our 鈥楴ordic-ness.鈥欌��
The outdoor guide said she believes that friluftsliv can be helpful for those who are suffering from depression because it鈥檚 good for the mind, body, and soul.
鈥淚 believe that the outdoors and spending time outdoors is our key to having more positive thoughts and feeling better about our bodies and staying active,鈥� Vincent said. 鈥淵ou feel nourished when you spend time in nature.鈥�
HOW TO EMBRACE FRILUFTSLIV
For Canadians who haven鈥檛 grown up in the friluftsliv way of life, Vincent and Heimdal recommend going online and reading more about the concept. Vincent suggested visiting as well as the for more information on the topic.
In addition to learning more about the concept, Vincent said it鈥檚 always a good idea for beginners to connect with a local outdoors group or connect with a guide in their area who can take them out.
鈥淗iring a professional or somebody who knows what they're doing is a great way to have a positive first impression because they can teach you the things to do,鈥� she said. 鈥淎 lot of people, they're not prepared for the outdoors, then they go and they have a horrible time and that really turns them off.鈥�
Finally, Heimdal said people shouldn鈥檛 be intimidated by the concept and that Canadians can start embracing it by simply going outside and appreciating their surroundings.
鈥淐anadians, you have so many enormous areas, beautiful nature,鈥� he said. 鈥淒ress up and get outside.鈥�
