Already been there: 4 modern gadgets for sports and health that are actually from the USSR

Already been there: 4 modern gadgets for sports and health that are actually from the USSR

Of course, everything looks much more stylish, but the essence hasn’t changed.

The trend towards a healthy lifestyle, activity and longevity is getting stronger and stronger. Modern people in Russia prefer to engage in fitness and monitor their health. And if for some reason there is no desire or opportunity to visit a gym, then home workouts or workout are the way to go. There are plenty of free outdoor exercise areas.

Many people want to supplement their workouts with something special: compact exercise machines, sports gadgets and other “helpers”. And then marketing specialists get involved in the work, who often pass off technologies known back in the USSR as something innovative and fashionable. This works, produces results and generates demand.

Founder of Done Media PR-bureau and Done Media Kafedra educational platform

In the USSR, sports were loved and successfully promoted at the state level, despite the fact that there was no such variety of advertising sources as there is now. Soviet people exercised at home and on the street. What kind of equipment did they use? The retro list will surprise you.

What home exercise equipment and sports gadgets came to us from the past and now, thanks to competent marketing, seem like something new?

“Health Disk.”

Fitness disk, which is designed for twisting the body, used to be seen in almost every Soviet family. Such a gadget was called “Health Disk.” You could simply stand on it and twist the body left and right while watching TV. In the modern version of the disk is sometimes supplemented with massage modules for feet, espanders and even calorie counters. But in general, there have been no global changes either. As with the medical tourniquet, the transformation has only touched the aesthetic side of the issue.

“Health disk”

Medical tourniquet

Yes, the medical tourniquet was used for home workouts. Now it’s called a fitness rubber band. Of course, unlike the unsightly gray-green tourniquet, it looks stylish. It makes you want to hold it in your hands. But the essence remains the same: it is used for squats with a load, working on the development of triceps and biceps muscles.

If you get into some old Soviet apartment, which has not undergone global changes, you can see that the handle is screwed to the platband of the door. Why? The very medical tourniquet was put through it and practiced (pulling the rubber band). The exercise was aimed at developing the muscles of the arms, chest and shoulders.

Modern fitness resistance bands

“Grasshopper”

Pogo stick, or “Pogo stick” is occasionally used for outdoor workouts. This is a device for making jumps, consisting of a spring, a handle and a platform. In the Soviet past, the simulator was called “Grasshopper” and, of course, was inferior in design to its modern counterpart. Well, we again have changes, which touched mainly the visual range.

“Grasshopper from the USSR

Kuznetsov’s Iplicator

Acupuncture mats or yoga mats are actively advertised in social networks, positioning them as a means for relaxation, massage and improvement of lymphatic drainage processes. The mat can be taken on a plane, in a car and even at work (sizes and colors abound). In Soviet times, such mats were also popular under the name of Kuznetsov’s Iplicator. Now it is also called an applicator.

Modern Kuznetsov Iplicator SPORT4YOU / Wildberries

Interestingly, this invention was originally intended to improve the work of the central nervous system. Then it began to be used in an extremely curious way. The applicator was recommended for sleepwalking. It is simple: it is placed under the feet near the bed in order to bring out of the state of sleep.

It is possible to continue listing sports gadgets that have migrated from the USSR to the present day for a long time. Dumbbells, espanders, hoops, rowing machines and other devices were presented in abundance, but they did not look as bright and attractive as they do now. They looked more like products of the state defense order enterprises… But this is a matter of taste and a completely different story. The main thing is to exercise! It helps in life and business.