Mobile outdoor gym changes places throughout the summer

At the beginning of May, a new kind of training place opened in Otaniemi, Espoo: a mobile outdoor gym. It will be a gym with six machines that will move around Espoo this summer, until the beginning of September.

According to studies, outdoor training increases motivation and improves mood. The objective of the mobile outdoor gym is to spread awareness that there are over 30 outdoor gyms in Espoo and to encourage new people to exercise.

“The idea of a mobile outdoor gym was born a few years ago. We have developed the concept with the guided exercise services, which have considered suitable locations for the gym,” says Juha Helminen, Area Manager in Espoo, who designed the set of machines used in the gym.

The mobile outdoor gym has a smaller selection of equipment than usual. The set consists of six different machines: foot press, a seated row machine, abdominal crunch machine, an adjustable backbench, a seated biceps curl and a seated triceps extension. The devices are mounted on top of plates for easy transfer from one location to another.

“The concept is intended for everyone who wants to develop their muscle strength outdoors. We have selected the machines so that you can train your entire body, that is, upper body, lower body and core, with these six machines,” says sports instructor Elisa Melkkilä.

You might have already come across some of the selected machines at other outdoor gyms in Espoo, and the manufacturer is the same.

“In the spring, the gym will stay in one place for about a month, but in the summer, it will move from one place to another every couple of weeks. This way, we can take the gym to more places during the high season. The locations, such as Viaporintori in the shopping centre Sello, have been selected because a lot of people move around them. This way we can reach as many potential new customers as possible,” says Melkkilä.

All the machines in the mobile outdoor gym are weight-stack machines, so you can use them independently and training is safe and free for everyone. According to Melkkilä, all machines in the mobile outdoor gym have a QR code you can scan to open the manufacturer’s tutorial video.

“There will also be guided sessions that are open to everyone. We have noticed that outdoor gyms in Espoo already reach a wide range of users of different ages. We hope that the mobile gym will encourage more young people and working-aged people to train”.

Elisa Melkkilä has a few tips for those using an outdoor gym for the first time.

You should always warm up before doing strength training. You should also start with light weights and focus more on the technique. As it is an outdoor gym, remember to dress in accordance with the weather and, especially in the summer, to protect yourself from the sun. If the machine handles feel cold to touch, you can wear training gloves,” says Melkkilä.

Text: Thea Ekholm

This article was also published in an Espoo liikkuu advertising supplement in the Länsiväylä newspaper on 22 April 2026.