On the roof of a building on Tt. Vasumweg in Noord, there’s a sauna next to an ice bath, with the IJ River as a backdrop. That’s the image that best sums up The Light Side. This isn’t a gym you just pop in and out of after an hour on the treadmill. The concept revolves around something most gyms don’t address: the balance between exertion and recovery—and by recovery, we mean true recovery, including that of the nervous system.
The team consists of trainers, breathing coaches, physical therapists, and martial arts instructors. Names aren’t made public, but the breadth of the program says enough about who’s involved. Here, physical therapists don’t work separately in a small room in the back, but collaborate with breathing coaches and trainers as part of a holistic approach to recovery. This is a different approach than what most places in the city take, where sports and physical therapy are two separate worlds.
The space itself features a martial arts dojo, a training floor for group classes, and that rooftop terrace. The sauna and ice bath aren’t just nice extras—the Sweat & Shiver sessions are a regular part of the program. When the weather is nice, martial arts training also takes place outside on the rooftop, overlooking the water. That’s a pretty different setting than a room with mirrors.
You work out, you breathe, you step into an ice bath, and you look out over the water. Few gyms can match that.
In recent years, Noord has seen more places like this that deliberately go beyond just physical training. The Light Side fits into that picture, but the rooftop terrace on the IJ makes it something special. You work out, you breathe, you step into an ice bath, and you look out over the water. Few gyms can match that.