Indian Railways have found a new way to keep its travellers fit! To encourage the Fit India Movement among passengers, railways have installed a squat machine at the Anand Vihar Terminal (ANVT) railway station in the national capital. The machine dispenses free platform tickets if one does squats in front of the kiosk. Inspired from 'squat and ride' machines at Russian railway stations, Indian Railways has introduced ‘Fit India Squat Machine’ first-of-its-kind facility at the railway station in India.
Now, you can get platform tickets for free after exercising on the squat machine. If you have come to see off or receive your near and dear ones and want to save the hard-earned money then do 30 squats in 180 seconds (3 minutes) at the kiosk and get a free platform ticket worth Rs 10.
To earn a platform ticket, a person needs to stand on a spot marked with footprints in front of the kiosk and perform the squats. After completion of 30 squats, the machine will generate a platform ticket.
Squats are a vital part of core strength-training. It helps in strengthening and toning of thighs, buttocks, hips, hamstrings and quad muscles. Similar machines were installed at the subway stations in Moscow in 2013 which dispenses free tickets for metro rides if a person does 30 squats in 120 seconds (2 minutes).
In addition to this, railways have also launched other facilities for passengers like ‘Dawa Dost’ a medicine shop that offers upto 85 percent discount on medicines, a massage kiosk equipped with 3D massage rollers, a pulse health kiosk to measure health and wellness parameters (blood pressure, body composition analysis) at Anand Vihar station.
‘Fit India campaign’ was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 29, 2019, to make people healthier and fitter. Fitness has always been an intrinsic part of Indian culture but nowadays people are hardly indulged in physical activities. Decades ago, people used to walk and run regularly. With the advent of technology, physical activity has been reduced and led to several health issues. In order to promote the culture of fitness among the people, “Fit India” movement was launched across the nation.
Don’t you think it is an innovative approach of Indian Railways to harness technology and make Indians fitter? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below. For your one-stop solution, book your train tickets easily through Trainman app. Download Trainman App to check PNR Status of your ticket, Seat Availability in any train, Train inquiry and a lot more.