Nordic tastemakers
My Nordics, as told by wellness entrepreneur Hélène Barkman
Wellness has become very good at giving us more things to do. Hélène Barkman has spent the past decade pursuing a different idea: making movement feel like a natural part of life. For the Becore founder, that life includes hard workouts and cold swims, but also art, long dinners and nights that end far too late.
Wellness has become very good at giving us more things to do. Hélène Barkman has spent the past decade pursuing a different idea: making movement feel like a natural part of life. For the Becore founder, that life includes hard workouts and cold swims, but also art, long dinners and nights that end far too late.
Barkman started Becore to bring boutique fitness to Sweden and create a place people look forward to exercising in. One Stockholm studio became several, followed by a digital platform and activewear. More than a decade in, she is still interested in what gets people moving – and what makes them feel good.
Her own life offers a clue. There is plenty of exercise, but not much interest in turning wellness into a full-time occupation. Sometimes feeling better means moving. Sometimes it means doing less. And sometimes it means staying out dancing far later than planned. Here, Barkman shares the places, people and rituals that make up her Nordics.
Table of Contents
Top photography courtesy of Becore
“Here, wellness feels less like something you have to schedule and more like part of everyday life.”
In the Nordics, my favourite country is …
… Sweden, especially the southern part, Skåne, where I spend the summers with my family. Skåne is very much associated with summer, family and a slower pace. I like the contrast with Stockholm – the sea, nature, the long light evenings and spending so much of the day outdoors. You move a lot without thinking about it, eat well, swim, walk and sleep better. My ideal summer day starts with a morning swim, a long breakfast and some form of training or a walk. Then it’s the beach, family and friends and a long dinner in the evening. That is really the best form of wellness – movement, recovery and social life in a very natural combination.
For a dose of urban pulse, I head to …
… Copenhagen. I love the cool, relaxed and international vibe. The city has a natural approach to lifestyle that I find very inspiring. People cycle everywhere, eat well and care about design and quality. There is a nice balance between being healthy and actually enjoying life. Here, wellness feels less like something you have to schedule and more like part of everyday life. That combination inspires how I think about Becore – training and health should fit into life, not take it over.
Photography courtesy of Becore and Unsplash
“There are fewer impressions and very little competing for your attention. We need more of that kind of recovery today.”
For the perfect close-to-nature experience, I visit …
… the Åland archipelago. I have family from Åland and go there for the peace and quiet – sauna, swimming and fishing. Life becomes very simple there, which is exactly what I like about it. You swim, take a sauna, fish, spend time outdoors and socialise. You are at one with nature. There are fewer impressions and very little competing for your attention. We need more of that kind of recovery today. Sometimes doing less rather than constantly adding more things in order to feel better. I notice that I sleep better and become calmer there, spend less time on my phone and more time with books.
For a memorable getaway, I check myself into …
… Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi in Swedish region Norrbotten. I went there once, ages ago, but it was an experience of a lifetime. What I mainly took away from Icehotel was how powerful an experience becomes when place, nature and design work together. The environment is the experience. As an entrepreneur, I find that very inspiring. The strongest concepts do not always need to contain the most – they have a clear idea and carry it through consistently. The cold, ice, light and silence also make you very present. That is central to wellness too: creating environments where people actually feel something.
Photography courtesy of Icehotel
“Meeting friends, laughing, having a good dinner, going out dancing and sometimes coming home far too late are also part of a good life.”
For a great meal, I go to …
… Pom & Flora in Stockholm for breakfast or lunch. My top choice is the 100% Eggs, the best scrambled eggs ever. I like places such as Pom & Flora because they are simple, delicious and work in everyday life. Good food is very much about energy and balance. A really good breakfast or lunch place should have good ingredients, food that feels fresh and gives you energy and an environment where you actually enjoy spending time. It does not need to be more complicated than that. And good coffee is definitely part of the equation.
For a fun night out, I head to …
… the little corner bar at Sperling & Co in Stockholm for a Spicy Margarita. Social life is absolutely part of wellness. Health would become quite uninteresting if it were only about training, sleep and what you eat. Meeting friends, laughing, having a good dinner, going out dancing and sometimes coming home far too late are also part of a good life. Sperling has exactly that energy – it feels social, international and fun.
Photography courtesy of Pom & Flora and Sperling & Co
“Beautiful and well-considered environments affect us more than we perhaps realise.”
For a dose of retail therapy, I shop at …
… Nordiska Kompaniet in Stockholm. I have always appreciated quality and design, and the department store is still quite unique in Stockholm because so much is gathered in one place. I am drawn to products that are well made and that you actually want to keep, rather than constant consumption. That applies to fashion, beauty, interiors and activewear. The boundaries between these categories have become blurred – how we train, dress, take care of ourselves and our homes are all parts of the same lifestyle.
For a dose of culture, I head to …
… Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark. There are always great exhibitions in a fantastic setting on the coast just north of Copenhagen. Louisiana is a very good example of how wellbeing can come from much more than exercise. The combination of art, architecture, the sea and the landscape does something to you. You walk a lot, look, think and take in new impressions, while the environment is incredibly calming. Beautiful and well-considered environments affect us more than we perhaps realise.
Photography courtesy of Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Mikael Lundblad and Nordiska Kompaniet
“These are very basic things, but together they provide enormous recovery.”
For a hidden gem, I recommend …
… Helenekilde Badehotel in Zealand, Denmark. What I think Helenekilde does so well is that they do not try too hard. The setting, sea, food and atmosphere are allowed to take centre stage. There is a simplicity that feels very luxurious. I have always liked seaside hotels because you adapt quite quickly to the rhythm of the place: you walk down to the sea, swim, have a long breakfast, walk, read and perhaps take a nap. These are very basic things, but together they provide enormous recovery.
For me, a quintessential Nordic experience is …
… a morning swim in the sea in the archipelago. It is the best way to start the day! The cold wakes the body immediately, but at the same time there is something very calming about the water and nature. Above all, I like the feeling of starting the day physically – the body first and the mind afterwards. You simply go into the water without thinking. It feels very Nordic: simple, uncomplicated and a little uncomfortable – in the best possible way.
Photography courtesy of Unsplash and Helenekilde Badehotel
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