No one would guess that Boon Lay would be the first neighbourhood to have a bus stop-gym.
But what exactly is a bus stop-gym?
Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like. A bus stop where anyone commuting can squeeze in a quick workout – in the two minutes you wait for the next bus. As a bonus, “working out” also allows commuters to charge their phones on the go.
The prototype is called ‘Recharge’ and is a project between Singapore University of Technology and Design’s (SUTD) SOULab, Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Ministry of Health Office for Healthcare Transformation (MOHT).
The project started from a research study done by SUTD, MOHT and Boon Lay grassroots which found that the three main causes of inactivity are due to a lack of time, the perception that exercise is difficult and the unwillingness of people to go out of their way to exercise.
On top of that, SUTD’s SOULab stated on its website that sedentarism was “on the rise” and a study conducted by dairy nutrition company Fonterra found that 63% of Singaporeans do not exercise more than three times a week – making us the most inactive in Southeast Asia.
Minister for National Development Desmond Lee who was present at the launch, said in an Instagram post, “This is a simple but meaningful initiative to get our residents to carry out simple exercises and charge their handphones while waiting for the bus.”
The public is also more than welcome to get supercharged (and superfit) – Recharge is located at 20 Boon Lay Drive and will be there for trial until Dec. 5.
Lee also mentioned that vouchers would be rewarded to those who hit 150 minutes of exercise time a week.
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