Singapore – Want a free train ride? It’s yours for 20 squats.
Commuters can now enjoy a free MRT train ride if they can accomplish 20 squats in 40 seconds.
In partnership with SMRT, insurance company Prudential has placed a booth located in Tampines Station that gives you a single-trip ticket for the train.
You must be at least 1.2 metres in height and can accomplish 20 squats in proper form under the given time. The free ticket must be used on the same day.
The #DOsquatschallenge campaign is geared towards promoting health and fitness to commuters.
According to Lianhe Wanbao, Prudential Singapore Chief Customer Officer, Goh Theng Kiat, said that through the campaign, the organization hopes to promote and maintain a healthy lifestyle for Singaporeans.
Since it was set up on March 21, at least 600 commuters have taken the #DOsquatschallenge, reported Wanbao.
There is currently only one booth available at Tampines Station which will remain there until April 3 after which it will be moved to City Hall MRT station until April 17.
The first squats challenge
In a subway station in Moscow, Russia, the same initiative was presented back in November 2013 in light of the Sochi Winter Olympics. While the mechanics were a bit different (30 squats in two minutes), one could still get a free metro ticket upon completion.
During the same year, Mexico, in its fight against obesity, installed 30 motion-sensitive machines at subway stations that gave commuters a free ticket for ten squats.
We also have this video of a subway station in Sweden where regular stairs were converted into piano keys to encourage commuters to take the stairs instead of the escalator. To add fun to the experience, each step emitted actual notes, resulting in 66 percent more people choosing the stairs instead of escalators.
The Independent Singapore has reached out to both SMRT and Prudential for any news on projects that promote health and fitness, whether more booths will be set up and if they will become a regular feature at MRT stations.