Corona, Photo reportage, Photo Special, Rewind

The green gym

Parks turning into playgrounds: How Amsterdam is staying fit during the lockdown

Text by Jelle Voort
Photos by Iben Schmidt

While primary schools, dentists and barbers have re-opened, Amsterdammer’s are waiting for Dutch gyms and sports fields to open 1st of July.

We took it to Amsterdam’s Vondelpark – the park that has been around since 1865 and one of Amsterdam’s most favored public workout spaces – to see the athletes of Amsterdam in their new habitat.

Man playing football — A man living a football dream out among exercisers.

Man playing football in Vondelpark — Vondelpark are not only for kettle bells and running. Some use it as a football field in the middle of the city.

Four men having a beer in Vondelpark — Four men having a beer in Vondelpark after a bike tour: “We used to go to the gym everyday. I honestly think it would be possible to re-open them as long as there are hand sanitizers nearby,” says the guy on the left.

Man playing tennis in the park — Since the tennis lanes are all booked now because they just re-opened, tennis people got to find alternative ways to play.

Two girls training in Vondelpark — Over three million people in The Netherlands have a gym membership, so this means they cannot work up a sweat in their usual fitness center. This picture was taken in Oosterpark in Amsterdam.

Young girl doing sports in park — For many people, the parks became a free space to work out.