Ever wished you could ride the subway for free? Well if you are living in Moscow and willing to do a little work, you can. The Moscow subway is allowing people who are willing to do 30 squats, to ride for free.

The subway station has a vending machine set up that will count how many squats are done. If the person is able to do 30, it will print out a free ride ticket. The tickets are not expensive, and usually cost less than $1, but who doesn’t like a freebie?

Sound strange? You might be surprised how many people are willing to attempt the 30 squats in a crowded subway station just to get the free ticket or maybe just to prove to themselves and others that they can actually do the exercise.

The reason behind the machines is not necessarily to help people save money, but to get them interested in exercise instead. The idea was inspired by the Winter Olympics, which will take place in Russia this winter.

“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,” Alexander Zhukov, president of the Russian Olympic Committee, told state-run news wire RIA-Novosti’s said.

Would you be willing to attempt to do 30 squats in a subway station to earn a free subway ride? Do you think more exercise machines will pop up around the country or is this just another fad?

Image from Wikimedia Commons.