What was the secret of harmony and champion medals of citizens of the Soviet Union, Wday.ru found out.
At that time, there were no personal trainers and such a variety of effective methods for losing weight that are now. Nevertheless, in Soviet times, overweight people were much less than today. And at the Olympic Games, the USSR was ahead of the rest. We found out how our mums, dads, grandparents managed to stay in good physical shape.
This slogan was not only painted on posters, but also fully implemented in people’s lives. In every Soviet courtyard, horizontal bars, hockey rinks were installed, and places were set aside for volleyball courts. Each district of the city had its own stadium. Sports and a healthy lifestyle were actively promoted in the USSR. The sections for children and adults were free of charge. Everyone was given bicycles, skates, skis for free or for a small fee. Sports clubs have always functioned at schools.
From each radio receiver in the morning there was a call to get up to exercise. Men in white T-shirts, women in tracksuits performed the exercises while standing on the balcony or lined up in the courtyard. Collective charging was the norm. The enterprises employed special people who came to the workers’ shops at certain hours every day and performed industrial gymnastics. As Vladimir Vysotsky sang: “The breath is deep, the arms are wider, do not rush, three, four.”
The usual walking on foot also helped the Soviet people to maintain harmony. Not everyone could afford a car at that time, so, willy-nilly, they had to move a lot. In addition, transport stops were not always located near the house. Sad, but true that there was a shortage of food in stores and the population simply physically could not gain extra calories.
In the Soviet Union, it was called rhythmic gymnastics. It was shown on central television for seven years – from 1984 to 1991. The sets of exercises were done and shown by famous personalities: athletes, ballerina, actors and actresses of theater and cinema. The audience performed the exercises with music and at a fast pace. The releases were filmed not only in studios, but also against the backdrop of nature and the sea. The presenters of rhythmic gymnastics and their assistants were dressed in bright elastic suits and leggings, which could not fail to attract the attention of the inhabitants of the USSR and cause a willingness to practice in front of the TV.
The fashion for the hoop appeared in the USSR in the early 60s. And she came to us, as you might guess, from the USA. Hulahoop was played by everyone, regardless of gender and age. The hoops were made of metal; if desired, one could buy the heavier one, filled with sand. Rumor has it that the trend for classes with hula hoop reached the then head of the country, the first secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Nikita Khrushchev, who monitored weight and adhered to diets.
A metal rotating disc, without exaggeration, was (and certainly remains) in every home and center of exercise therapy. Small and lightweight, it fit easily under an armchair or sofa. By the way, this Soviet trainer for strengthening the abdominal muscles, improving the waist and posture is still sold in many sports and online stores. Its design and exercise technique have not changed at all. You need to stand on the disk and make twisting movements left and right.
Soviet children managed to ride it around the apartment and, in a sitting position, twist each other like a whirligig. Resourceful men put the disc under the TV so that when watching it, it was easy to turn the screen in the desired direction.
This simple simulator was also in every family. Men liked to work with the expander, because it allowed them to pump all the important muscles: arms, chest, back. For the brushes, by the way, there was a separate expander in the form of a rubber ring. Young people could walk along the road or read a newspaper and squeeze this tiny exercise machine in their hand.
A medical mat with many small needles was used for many ailments: back pain, neck pain, migraine headaches. The most daring practiced walking on it with bare feet. The rug, according to the assurance of its inventor Ivan Kuznetsov, had a preventive, curative, energizing and tonic effect, ensuring the body’s working capacity. By the way, rugs with plastic spikes are produced and sold now. Their action is also based on reflexology.
Cast-iron dumbbells and “tumbler” weights were also a frequent attribute in Soviet apartments and in all sports clubs. In terms of energy consumption, they easily replaced modern fitness training, because they had significant weight. Weights weighed 16, 24 or 32 kg, and they were produced by hundreds of Soviet factories! Each enterprise had its own marking, which was applied to the weight. By the way, not so long ago there was a stir on the Internet – they were buying up “tumblers” produced in the USSR. And all because, supposedly, valuable metals were used in the alloy of weights. But the information turned out to be false.
Another integral element of many Soviet apartments. The gymnastic roller was especially popular among women. They studied with him at home in between chores. However, many noted that the video is not as easy to use as it might seem at first glance: it was possible to perform no more than 10 repetitions of abdominal exercises, and then only for physically prepared people. And even now, some trainers note the effectiveness of the simulator and use it in their complexes for pumping the abdominal muscles.
Russian gymnast, two-time bronze medalist of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, two-time vice-world champion, five-time European champion, multiple champion of Russia, founder of a network of professional gymnastics academies in Moscow
www.instagram.com/anton_golotsutskov/
“In Soviet times, sport was an obligatory part of the life of, perhaps, every family. Charging, popular in those days, is still relevant today. These are the basics of a healthy lifestyle, the fashion for which will never pass, – says gymnast and two-time Olympic medalist Anton Golotsutskov. – There are many online video tutorials. People can study at home at a convenient time, the main thing is desire.
During the youth of our mothers and fathers, there was no particular variety in sports equipment. Indeed, the expander and dumbbells were and remain the bestsellers for sports at home and now. Of course, they have become more technological, modern, and now it is pleasant to take them in hand.
Also, I would not forget about fitness rubber. In Soviet times, medical tourniquets were used instead, which worked quite tolerably well. I wouldn’t ignore the rope either. The cost of this “simulator” is minimal, and the effect is infinitely positive.
All kinds of acupuncture mats (analogs of Kuznetsov’s applicator) are in demand today. And the Instagram feed eloquently reminds us of this. “
Alfiya Tabermakova, Daria Vertinskaya