A 57-year-old man died after hanging by the neck or chin on Wednesday, May 15 from an exercise apparatus commonly used in Chongqing, in the south west of China.
Speaking to the country’s Spot News, an eyewitness said the man was most likely doing the activity that involved swinging his body while hanging from a rope around his neck.
“He might have used too much force,” he was quoted as saying.
On Thursday, May 16, authorities supposedly confirmed the unintentional death which occurred at an outdoor fitness zone in Chengxi town, Dianjiang county, according to Jimu News.
The rope did not belong to the man and was attached to equipment in the exercise corner. The investigation into the death was still ongoing.
Older people are the ones who usually go for this type of training. In a video from the South China Morning Post, the elderly can be seen swinging by their necks at an exercise park.
WATCH:
“These elderly people have a unique way to exercise by dangling themselves from trees. They place their neck on a special harness. Then, spin their legs constantly,” said a reporter for news outlet.
They went to mention that some people stay stationary on the device or do leg exercises. Another man apparently adjusted the neck gadget, claiming that it alleviated his neck problems.
“Experts warned that such exercise could cause spine injuries and even paraplegia (paralysis that affects one’s legs) because the human neck can only hold up to 25kg,” said the South China Morning Post.
The case has gone viral because of its bizarreness with netizens chiming in with their own opinions.
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