The Jog Strip

A freezing wind whistled through the wooded area near Zurich last week. Thick snow covered the ground. Despite the weather, a few dozen hardy Swiss persisted in their strange activity. While jogging one after another, they suddenly stopped, did a series of strenuous push-ups--or energetic deep knee bends or vigorous hops into the air --and then resumed jogging.

The joggers were participating in Vita Parcours, the newest Swiss exercise craze. Invented in 1968 by Architect Erwin Weckemann, it consists of a mile-long jogging circuit with 20 designated stops suitable for installation in any convenient patch of parkland. At each of the stopping places, spaced about 500 ft. apart, a plaque instructs participants to perform a specific exercise that is repeated from two to 15 times--the hardest near the beginning of the course and the less difficult, relaxing ones scheduled toward the end. At some of the stops appropriate equipment, like chin-up bars, has been installed. The methodical Swiss say that the participants' pulse rate should rise to about 160 beats per minute by the time they reach the finish.

Each course costs about $700 to set up and is generally financed by the locality and Vita, a Swiss life insurance firm. Vita also contributes the exercise instruction plaques and "training cards" (for recording performance data and weight after each session), presumably in the hope that more fit Swiss citizens will mean a decrease in insurance payoffs.

The first Parcours (French for course) track was opened in Zurich four years ago and the idea spread quickly. The craze has already oozed over the Swiss borders; in addition to the 180 courses in Switzerland, there are 200 in West Germany and 13 in Austria.

Many of the Parcours participants are middle-aged businessmen and housewives striving to lose weight and restore their muscle tone. But the pastime has considerable appeal for the young as well. "It's a much better way to observe a girl's physical qualities than in a smoky, dimly lit cafe," said a student at Zurich's Federal Technical University last week, as he gazed fondly at his companion. "I met Susy at a Vita Parcours three months ago, and now we keep fit together."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.