‘I would rather put on warm clothes and go outdoors, than take off clothes to be indoors’ – Norwegian lay men’s notion of being outdoors during physical activity

Abstract

Current literature shows that different values and meanings are attached to physical activity in different contexts and by different individuals. In this article, we approach meanings and values in a discussion of physical activity using data from a series of 18 interviews. The participants were middle-aged and elderly men, with different education and ethnic backgrounds in contemporary rural Norway. The main finding is that the men preferred to be outdoors when undertaking physical activity. They emphasized the sensory experience of nature, enjoyment of the pleasure of outdoor activities, and the importance of fresh air as meanings and values related to being active outdoors. The talk about being outdoors when participating in physical activity is doxic (in the Bourdieuan sense), both at the individual level of habitus as well as the societal level of field. Nevertheless, there are some differences between individual habitus despite general agreement at the field level.