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Do you want to exercise more — or what's holding you back? According to Thril's survey, as many as 60% of Finns say they want to be more physically active.

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Topias Marjamaa

14 Jul 2026
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5
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According to a survey commissioned by Thril, as many as 60% of Finns say they want to be more physically active. But why does exercise so often stay at the level of intention, even when the motivation is there?

Do you want to exercise more than you currently do? What’s stopping you? These were among the questions we put to Finns. One thousand Finns took part in the survey.

Six in ten respondents said they want to exercise more. That tells us that many people don’t feel they move enough. It naturally got me thinking, what would actually help people follow through on those intentions?

Over 40% exercise at most twice a week

Despite the motivation and desire, more than a quarter of Finns currently exercise only one or two days a week. Nearly 13% exercise less than once a week, and 8% don’t exercise at all.

As noted, six in ten say they want to be more active. Looking deeper into the results, we also found that the single biggest barrier to exercise is the familiar culprit: lack of time.

These findings are naturally of great interest to us. After all, we exist to make everyday exercise easier for everyone and to lower the threshold for trying something new, even in the middle of a hectic life.

The results got me wondering whether lack of time might only be part of the story. Could it also be that finding the right activity simply isn’t easy enough. That the familiar gym is too far away, or just not appealing enough when life gets busy? If it were easier to find the right activity and the right place for any given moment, maybe getting active in the middle of a hectic day could become a little easier too.

Sport as a way to connect

Perhaps somewhat surprisingly — at least to me — only around 30% of Finns prefer exercising with others rather than alone. At first glance that number feels low, and I would personally have expected it to be higher.

On the other hand, nearly half of respondents see exercise as a good way to meet new people.

It seems exercise is viewed as a great social activity in theory, but it often stays just that: a theory.

Is this a reflection of the Finnish character?

A community-driven sports culture isn’t entirely foreign to us, but it’s still taking shape. And a culture in the making is, of course, a great opportunity for us at Thril, for venues, businesses, and clubs alike. We can play a role in encouraging low-threshold social exercise and inspire people to meet new faces.

Open games that anyone can join are already a fairly popular concept in many parts of the world. In Finland, we’re still a little hesitant about inviting strangers to join us. That said, for many sports enthusiasts, group games, social runs, and shared training sessions are already a normal part of life.

So how do we move the culture forward?

The survey paints a picture of a Finn who wants to exercise more, is looking for a good experience, and is open to new connections, but hasn’t quite found all of that yet.

As mentioned, the culture is developing, and it won’t happen overnight.

I do believe, however, that we can influence it in many ways. We can create memorable experiences, make it easier to find both exercise and exercise companions, lead by example when it comes to moving with new people, and support the growth of communities.

Survey: 65% of Finns want to exercise more and among young adults, the figure is even higher