Russians have found a novel way to dodge the subway fare and get fit at the same time. Riders in Moscow's Vystavochnaya station can bypass the thirty rubles charge for their journey simply by dropping and performing thirty squats. Yes, squats. According to an article in the Huffington Post, Moscow city officials and the Russian Olympic Committee are behind the clever promotion for the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, especially as it distracts from some of the barrage of negative press.
And don't think you can get away with a few half-hearted plies, either. A machine in the station can tell if riders are assuming the correct squat position.
"We wanted to show that the Olympic Games is not just an international competition that people watch on TV, but that it is also about getting everyone involved in a sporting lifestyle," said the Olympic Committee president, Alexander Zhukov.
A young woman named Lyudmila claimed it wasn't easy, but she managed the correct number of squats in two minutes. Hey, it's cheaper than a personal trainer.
As one Yummy blogger pointed out, it would be a nice if an upper body exercise could substitute for the squat in those with limited leg mobility.
Olympics notwithstanding, could this be an ingenious way to combat our growing obesity problem here in North America?
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