Roth’s Nordic-inspired fitness concept is set to make its official debut in NYC this fall, powered by a patented machine and elements from Danish and Norwegian culture
It’s hard to create something unique in the highly saturated boutique fitness market these days, especially in New York City, where many of the world’s best studios call home.
Nicoline Roth is doing just that with Nordic Strong, a Copenhagen, Denmark-founded studio fitness brand that’s set to open its doors this fall in NYC’s Flatiron neighborhood following a summer pop-up in The Hamptons.
Nordic Strong’s workouts are built around the Nordic Trainer, a patented fitness machine designed to simulate the motion of cross-country skiing. According to Roth, her classes offer a full-body, low-impact workout for people of all fitness backgrounds, regardless of their affinity for winter sports.
True to its Nordic Strong name, the upcoming NYC studio will also feature touches inspired by Roth’s childhood spent in Denmark and Norway, including Northern Lights-style lightning and Danish design elements.
Roth sat down with Athletech News to discuss her vision of bringing a Nordic-inspired fitness concept to the United States, what makes the brand’s patented machine special and her plans to disrupt NYC’s competitive boutique fitness market.
The following conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Athletech News: Can you tell us about your background and why you decided to create Nordic Strong?
Nicoline Roth: I was born and raised in Copenhagen, so I’m Danish, but my mom’s side is Norwegian. Growing up, I spent a lot of time both in Denmark and in Norway, and I did a lot of outdoor movement like cross-country skiing and hiking, played golf, and I also played handball at an elite level. So I’ve always been an athlete, but my background actually isn’t in fitness. I did a business degree from Copenhagen Business School, which took me to an exchange semester in New York, at Columbia University, in 2016. That was the first time I got introduced to boutique fitness, and I absolutely fell in love with it, especially SoulCycle. I loved how intentional their whole brand experience was. That left a big impression on me because boutique fitness didn’t exist in Scandinavia at that time.
During COVID, I moved back to Copenhagen from London, which is when I tried our machine for the first time. I loved training on it — I felt like I was using my body in a way I hadn’t before. I started developing a business plan that I pitched to my family. It was basically to take this machine and create a studio concept around it.
I spent around a year creating the brand, which became Nordic Strong — everything in the studio is inspired by the Nordics. And of course, it’s centered around this machine that I found incredibly effective. We opened our first space in Copenhagen as a proof of concept in November 2022. But I always knew I wanted to take it to the U.S.
ATN: What is the Nordic Trainer, and what separates it from other fitness machines like reformers or ski trainers?
NR: The machine was developed by a doctor and former cross-country skier who I know quite well. It was developed to support the training of cross-country skiers by mimicking the natural movement of “double poling.” Cross-country skiing is a full-body, low-impact workout — you’re using your arms, core, even your glutes, and you have to push against resistance to glide forward. It’s also a great cardio workout.
But it’s a multi-functional fitness machine. You have your two poles at the front, so you have two positions at the front, two positions at the back and side positions to do rotational movements. We’ve created more than 50 different exercise combinations on the machine that combine strength, cardio and mobility training — three core pillars for longevity fitness.
ATN: Besides your machine, what else separates Nordic Strong from other boutique fitness concepts?
NR: I think Norway has the most beautiful nature in the world, so I wanted to create a studio experience that took a lot of those elements. I also wanted to bring together some of the elements that I think define the Nordics the most: when you come into our space, we have light, sounds and scents from the Nordics. That means you won’t see any white walls anywhere in the space; everything is mountain-gray or Earth-tone colors. Our reception is very cozy: it’s called “hygge” in Danish, which is a special vibe or ambience. We’ve created that through Danish design elements.
We offer three different types of classes, all centered around the machine: strength, cardio, and “Sculpt,” which is more Pilates-based. Each class features different lighting (that’s inspired by) the Northern Lights. It’s important to note that while our inspiration is from cross-country skiing, the workout itself has nothing to do with skiing. It is a full-body, low-impact workout.
ATN: Nordic Strong has been open in Copenhagen for almost three years now. How have things gone so far?
NR: It’s been going very well. We’re a very popular studio in Copenhagen. I think what drew people in in the very beginning was that it was so different. But we see that when people come in and they try the machine, they see it’s effective and it’s low-impact, which makes people come back. We have a lot of former runners who come in with knee injuries.
I also think our space is very known for having a very strong sense of community. I’ve always tried to make the space feel like coming home to a family. The way we’ve trained our staff and our instructors makes people feel very welcome inside the studio.
ATN: Why is now the right time to bring Nordic Strong to the U.S. market?
NR: I started traveling to the U.S. around a year after we opened (in Denmark). I knew a few people here, but not too many. I started attending some conferences and approaching people in studios — not to hire them, just to get to know them.
I was very fortunate to be introduced to Jay Siano of Sabre, and he’s become a very trusted advisor for me and a dear friend. They found the space for us in Flatiron, and also our space in the Hamptons. Finding those key people has been crucial in terms of deciding that now is the time to do it.
ATN: What’s your experience been like as a European coming to America to open a boutique fitness concept?
NR: I think New Yorkers — Americans in general — are incredibly open and helpful when you come in as a young entrepreneur. I’ve met so many people who have been like, “Oh, wow, this is absolutely amazing. How can we help? Who can we introduce you to?” I’ve never experienced that openness in Europe. It’s been incredible.
ATN: When can we expect to see the Flatiron location open its doors, and what are your goals for the future of Nordic Strong?
NR: We’ve started construction, and we’re due to open right after Labor Day in September, if all goes well. Of course, you never know, there could be delays, but that’s our goal. So far, we’re on that timeline.
For now, our focus is purely on opening the first space in Flatiron and creating a strong community around our studio. We want to get the doors open to the first space before we start thinking about what should happen next. After that, let’s see what happens.
