Interview by Jennifer Thomé, photo by Sui

Linus Holmsäter is hard to miss. He jokingly describes himself as a Swedish guy who wears pink shorts for a living and never fails to mention that he’s the General Manager at Heyrobics International, and the founder of Heyrobics China. We spoke with him about how he’s managed to bring this unique form of exercise to China and the business of fitness.

What is Heyrobics and how does it benefit people psychologically and physically?
Heyrobics is a set of movements combined with music, and it follows the Heyrobics Intensity Curve into a group exercise. In the group exercise, we’re constantly shifting muscle groups, making the training more effective for both improving heart capacity and providing a full-body exercise.

As for the psychological benefits, I really think this is why people come to Heyrobics. Our classes can be done by anything from ten to 1,000 people at once, so it’s easy to blend in and socialize. We even did a class in Tiananmen Square for almost 30,000 people one time. It’s ok not to be the fittest one in the room – people smile and encourage each other no matter what. Many other group exercises are so much about perfection – here, smiling is the most important, as that’s why people can forget that they’re exercising, and focus on having fun. But regardless of fitness level, they all feel it the following day.

Your dad Johan is an inspirational figure. How long did it take him to develop Heyrobics and how did you bring it to China?
Yeah, he’s awesome! He was a pentathlon and fencing athlete in Sweden, competing for a spot in the Swedish Olympic Team when he injured his back. Doctors told him to wait and rest, and he did so for almost two years, barely being able to walk. When he realized he was not recovering, he did the opposite – designed a set of active rehab exercises, and did them with music to make it less boring. Eventually, other joined in, and it grew into this huge thing among students in Stockholm in the late 70′s. After that, he refined the movements, and started Friskis&Svettis (Healthy&Sweaty in English), the organization that promoted this new type of training.

We started out in Beijing with a bunch of friends in Chaoyang Park and it spread just through word of mouth. As things progressed we were invited to do it at The Shanghai World Expo, at the Swedish Embassy, at race warm-ups throughout China and more. We’ve never done any real marketing in order to bring more participants: instead, we’ve let our participants become our ambassadors. They’re the ones spreading the word – and they’re doing it well!

Speaking of China, how did you end up here?
I came to work at a Swedish investment firm in the Fall 2009 and my job was to bring concepts and businesses over from Sweden to China. I worked with business development, mainly within retail and distribution, but I quit in the summer of 2011, because I felt Heyrobics had too much unrealized potential (and because I prefer wearing shorts to suits!)

Agenda deals a lot with business. Have you ever seen people make business deals of form guanxi through Heyrobics?
What we offer, apart from great training, is an unbeatable social platform. It’s hard to stay uptight when wearing sports clothes, which is the case at many networking events. We’ve seen people forming both formal and personal relationships at our sessions – some are even now dating. People also like bringing new friends or partners, as it’s something that anyone can do, so the group is always changing.

Heyrobics democratizes exercises by offering cheap classes to everyone. Is that your business model?
For us, the basic classes are not about making money, it’s about offering everyone an opportunity to stay healthy and have fun regardless of fitness level or wallet size. Our ambition is to build a big community, and eventually have our own facilities, focusing on group training. In Sweden, our training form is offered throughout the country – and we will also have our own gyms as soon as we have enough participants and instructors. Now it seems like we’re growing fast, so that should not be too far away.

Do you have any plans for promoting Heyrobics around the globe?
Of course! But for us right now, focus is key, and we need to build a good base in Beijing first. Then maybe Shanghai, then… We’ll see.

What are your favorite sports venues for exercise?
Unlike other group exercises, we want big spaces for our exercise in order to move freely and attract more people. For Heyrobics, I love some of the rooftops, including Nali Patio, as well as the parks. In a city like this, few open spaces exist, so you’ve got to find and appreciate those that do exist. We also hope to get more exercise done in 798, and perhaps the Dashilan’r art districts, which are also non-conventional areas for sport.

Do you have any favorite books that you’d like to recommend to our readers?
Definitely. One is It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be by Paul Arden. It’s a great motivator for any entrepreneur. I also love Nextopia by Micael Dahlén, which is about trends and how we’re always looking for the next thing. Finally, everyone should read Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach. It’s on the importance of daring to follow our dreams.

Kickstart
These high kicks train glutes, calves, and to some extent the lower back. This is a great combined cardio and agility exercise for the hamstrings.

Active Thigh Agility
This move stretches the inner thigh and gives strength training to thighs at same time. Make sure to keep your chest up and good posture to avoid putting stress on the back. Hold for two to six seconds per side for agility, 20 to 30 seconds for a stretch.

Side Superman
This is a great full-body exercise, which trains the full side, from ankles, outer thighs, side abdominals, and back, all the way through the shoulders and triceps. You can either do it statically, like in this picture, or raise yourself from lying on your side. If it’s too tough, stand on your knees instead of your feet.

Low Running Pushups
This is running, but trains the whole body. Run with your legs kicking towards butt, and alternate between extending and contracting arms.

Hunter’s Rest
We normally do this in Heyrobics, but you can do it in office too. The Hunter’s Rest is a static exercise for the glutes, thighs, calves, and it works the core, too. Dig your heels into ground, stick your butt out, and try to keep your chest up.

Linus’s Playlist
‘Hora Andalucia’ by Fanfare Ciocarlia，
‘Linda’ by Martin Solveig，
‘Superstition’ by Stevie Wonder，
‘I Got My Mind Set On You’ by The New Merseysiders，
‘Tallulah’ by Tobias Norberg，
‘Safari Disco Club’ by Yelle，
‘Inga Kläder’ by Veronica Maggio，
‘Kamouflage’ by Timbuktu，
‘Hitten’ by Those Dancing Days，
‘Hello’ by Martin Solveig and Dragonette，
‘Down on My Knees’ by Ayo，
‘När Vi Var Unga’ by Newkid，
‘Galvanize’ by Chemical Brothers，
‘Tangerine’ by Big Boi，
‘Different Sound’ by Teddybears Sthlm，
‘Fire’ by Kasabian，
‘I’m Good, I’m Gone’ by Lykke Li
‘Kids’ by MGMT，
‘Get Ready for This’ by 2 Unlimited，
‘Ingen Kan Alska Som Vi’ by Étoiles Filantes，
‘Flex’ by Dizzee Rascal