Lumo Trainers are exercise professionals who lead diverse workouts for the tenants of Lumo homes out in the yards and local nature trails of Lumo properties. The workouts are open to all tenants: advance registration is not necessary and the workouts are free of charge.

The Lumo Trainer concept introduced last year has been so popular right from the start that the activities have been expanded this year and will continue to be expanded further. The concept is currently in use at approximately 30 Lumo properties in Helsinki. To make the Lumo Trainer services accessible to as many people as possible, joint workouts will be offered for the tenants of buildings located close to each other.

“The purpose of the Lumo Trainer activities is to get the tenants to exercise, improve their physical fitness, have fun and get to know each other. When the workout starts right around the corner from your home, the threshold for joining the activity is very low,” says Elina Silverang, who works as a Lumo Trainer in Helsinki’s Lehtisaari neighbourhood.

Silverang leads weekly outdoor workouts for the tenants of Lumo homes. Finnish and English are used as the languages of instruction.

“The number of participants has grown steadily. Some show up every week, but people are also free to join the workouts on a less regular basis,” she points out.

Silverang encourages everyone to be physically active.

“You can join these workouts regardless of your current fitness level. We take the participants’ individual wishes into consideration,” Silverang says.

The workouts include aerobic exercise as well as strength training.

“For example, we might go for a group run and mix in some running exercises and bodyweight exercises. Sometimes we have a kettlebell class in the building’s front yard or car park.”

The concept has been well received: the workouts led by the Lumo Trainers are appreciated and the service is widely used by tenants. According to Silverang, people with families have been particularly active.

“Families in a few of the buildings have put together detailed schedules to take turns watching the children so that everyone gets the chance to exercise,” Silverang points out.

While signing up for the workouts in advance is not necessary, Silverang says that her group members often confirm their attendance via WhatsApp.

“I usually have a fairly good idea of who will be there,” Silverang adds.

The workouts are suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels. Instead of aiming for extreme intensity, the goal is to have fun together while getting in better shape.

“Once in a while, I also try to get the participants out of their comfort zone. Many of them have said that working out in a group makes it easier to try new exercises,” Silverang explains.

Group workouts have also helped strengthen the sense of community at many Lumo properties. According to Mimmi Sundman, who works as a Lumo Trainer at Lumo buildings in central Helsinki, the tenants have clearly got to know each other better.

“I don’t know how much the tenants spend time together outside these workouts, but it’s been nice for me to see new connections formed between neighbours of different ages. Many of them have mentioned that getting to know the neighbours has been another positive aspect of joining the workouts. That’s a big deal in Helsinki, where people sometimes don’t even greet their neighbours as they pass by,” Sundman says.

Sundman — who is a physiotherapist by training — points out that joining the Lumo Trainer workouts is also easy because working out in a small group is a more individualised experience than working out in a big group.

“We can go at a slightly slower pace than a group in a fitness centre might. As a physiotherapist, I’m able to take the participants’ individual backgrounds into consideration and make sure they do the exercises safely,” she explains.

Silverang echoes the importance of individual instruction.

“As a personal trainer and nutrition coach, I can give individually tailored tips to the participants. Many of them have set goals related to achieving positive changes in life, and I’m always happy to help people discover the joy of exercise and spending time outdoors,” Silverang says.

As spring comes along, the workouts led by Lumo Trainers are increasingly held outdoors, but sometimes even a blizzard won’t stop the group from doing a outdoor workout.

“Many of the tenants have asked for group runs, with some hoping to get ready for the large running events held in the summer. We can make our workouts more goal-oriented if that’s what the participants want. Now that it’s light out — and hopefully warm as well — we can add more variety to our choice of running trails and get away from the usual trails that are closest to where we start our workouts,” Silverang explains.

Sundman points out that there’s a clear difference between exercising outdoors and indoors.

“Working out in fresh air is a liberating experience when you’ve spent the day indoors. Then again, the same exercises can be more challenging outdoors due to the uneven terrain and variable weather conditions.

While exercising outdoors is preferred, it’s not the only option available.

“Some of the Lumo buildings have very good fitness centres. Tenants can — and should — make use of those facilities, even in the summer. In small groups with a familiar instructor you can get a lot more out of gym equipment. In the case of less experienced gym goers, learning how to do the exercises correctly can give them the courage to go to the gym alone as well.

The last Lumo Trainer workouts were held in June 2021.