🏋️‍♀️🏊‍♂️📚 Oslo and Bergen: gyms, swimming pools and quiet lounges after work

After 5 p.m., you want to stretch your legs and finish a couple of tasks. Below is a list of places where you can quickly work out or swim in the capital region and the ‘city of seven hills,’ and then find a quiet place to focus for an hour. Plus, checklists and a mini backpack kit.

🏋️‍♂️ Types of venues: chains, municipal, student, hotels

💳Chain gyms: drop-in without a membership

• SATS — honest drop-in ~200 NOK: pay at the reception, access to the gym and free group classes (if there are places available). Convenient when you're in town for a week.
• Fresh Fitness — drop-in ~150 NOK, often open 05:00–24:00 (check the specific club). A budget option for a one-off visit.
• EVO Fitness — no club membership required, open 05:00–24:00; sometimes offers a trial period (check the website for promotions).

Tip. If you need a gym within walking distance of your office/co-working space, check the nearest SATS/Fresh/EVO clubs on the map rather than by how central the address is — in Oslo and Bergen, micro-location is key.

🏊 Municipal swimming pools: predictable and businesslike

• Oslo. A list of city swimming pools is available on the municipality's website (convenient for checking addresses and weekly opening hours).
• Bergen. The flagship is AdO Arena: long evening hours on weekdays and current lane schedules on a separate page (check before you go).

🎓 University networks (if you have access)

• SiO Athletica (Oslo) — a network for students and those with a SiO profile (check your membership eligibility).
• Sammen Trening (Bergen) — there is a ‘regular membership’ for non-students; single payment options are also available, which are convenient for a month or two.

🧖 Hotels/spas with access for external guests

• THE THIEF (Tjuvholmen, Oslo). External guests can book day passes to the spa (usually Mon–Wed; prices on the website). A good place to relax before an evening notebook slot.
• Sommerro — Vestkantbadet (Frogner, Oslo). Renovated historic bath complex: external guests are allowed according to the schedule; check the hours/access to the pool and saunas.

🤝 How to combine ‘workout + hour of silence’

🔄 Where to sit with your laptop right after a shower

• Deichman Bjørvika (Oslo) — quiet reading areas and evening hours until 22:00 on weekdays; usually until 18:00 on weekends.
• Deichman branches with Oslonøkkelen. Some branches are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a digital key 15+ (self-service). Convenient for ‘quiet windows’.
• Bergen Offentlige Bibliotek. Summer hours are more modest, but several branches are open in the ‘meråpent’ format from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (registration required).

Recovery ritual (20–30 minutes). Water + short stretch → light snack → noise-cancelling headphones → one clear task in your notes.

📌 How to choose a place: travel time, one-time visit, lockers, ‘evening routes’

🚇 Travel time

Choose a gym/swimming pool near ‘your’ transport hub (Bybanen in Bergen, metro/train in the capital region) — this saves 20–30 minutes every evening.

🎟️ One-time visits (guidelines)

• SATS drop-in ~200 NOK; Fresh drop-in ~150 NOK; EVO — check current promotions/trial periods. Status as of 14 August 2025 — check before you go.

🔒 Lockers, showers, power outlets

Bring your own mini padlock for the locker and a cable for your bike (if you are combining with cycling). For a place to charge your laptop after training, it is better to choose places with guaranteed power outlets (libraries/hotels/some clubs).

🕖 Evening lanes

At AdO Arena, the tracks and areas are divided by time, so it's easy to plan your ‘swimming window’ between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. In Oslo, check the active pools and weekly schedule.