In it for the long row

In Norway, making the outdoors part of everyday life has a name: friluftsliv (pronounced free-loofts-liv).

Often translated as “open-air living”, it can mean skiing or hiking through mountain landscapes, but it can just as easily mean walking the dog, picking berries or spending an unhurried afternoon in a hammock.

Access to nature is even written into Norwegian law. The Outdoor Recreation Act gives people the right to roam across much of the countryside, including some privately owned land, so long as they treat the surroundings with care.

Singapore’s version might be a loop around the nearest Park Connector, a morning at MacRitchie before the midday heat arrives or a walk along the Southern Ridges. It could just as well be lunch outside or taking the slightly longer route home when time and weather permit.

Mention Nordic food and the mind may wander towards smoked fish, dark rye bread and berries gathered somewhere suitably photogenic.

Norway’s official dietary guidance is more down to earth. It encourages avaried diet made up mostly of plant-based foods, including fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans and lentils, alongside choices such as fish and seafood.

It also recognises that food is not only about nutrition. Pleasure, culture and the simple act of sharing a meal matter too. Recreating a Nordic menu at home is hardly necessary. A few balanced choices can fit into what is already on the plate.

In Singapore, that might mean giving vegetables a little more room on the caipng plate, choosing steamed fish or tofu now and then, keeping fruit within reach or opting for a familiar whole grain choice when it is available.

No superfood hunt required. No need to forage for lunch.

The emphasis on enjoying food together feels familiar too. We already have the makan table, the shared dishes and the meal that somehow runs long because nobody is quite ready to leave.

The Viking Row works because everyone moves together. One person’s movement may be simple, but a whole crowd finding the same rhythm creates something much bigger.

Norway also has a concept rooted in shared effort: dugnad (pronounced DOOG-nahd), or voluntary work carried out for a common purpose. That might mean neighbours maintaining shared spaces, parents helping at schools or sports clubs, or volunteers looking after hiking trails and cabins.

That sense of community may take a different form in a city like Singapore. Group chats, neighbourhood pages and interest-based communities can help people exchange advice, rally around a cause or keep one another going.

It need not involve a large community either. Sometimes, support is simply a friend who keeps the weekly walk from falling off the calendar, a family member who shares the load or a partner who works through a longer-term

Norway’s outdoor culture comes with a well-worn saying: there is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.

Some weather, of course, is perfectly capable of ruining the afternoon. Still, the thinking behind the saying makes sense: we cannot control every change in conditions, but we can consider how ready we are to meet it.

Life has a habit of changing the forecast too.

Healthy routines can support our wellbeing, but they cannot prevent every accident, illness or unexpected expense. Being prepared might also mean setting aside some emergency savings and knowing what medical support is already available through work or national schemes. It may be worth checking whether existing health, hospitalisation or accident coverage still suits your current needs and budget.

Living well and preparing for the unexpected do not have to sit at opposite ends of the plan. Both can be part of looking after ourselves over time.