Ten Squats can Fetch You a Free Subway Ride in Mexico

Mexican health officials have installed thirty squat-counting machines at various stations in the Mexican capital's metro system that, in exchange for 10 squats, will tell passengers how many calories they burned and give them a token for a free ride. The machines will also hand out pedometers to the first 80,000 users to help them track their energy output.

According to official figures, 70 percent of adults and nearly one third of children are overweight or obese in Mexico. These figures surpass the United States. The capital's health secretary Jose Armando Ahued Ortega said, "Levels of excess weight and obesity concern us greatly. For me, it's the number one public health problem."

With more than five million daily users, the subway is a vital means of transport in the megalopolis. Concerned officials hope to get residents in shape with these so-called 'health stations'.

Source: Medindia