From planking to the ice buckets, social media challenges have become viral sensations in America and throughout the world.
A new challenge has appeared in China, where shower gel and tile floors are turned into low-cost treadmills. A challenger drips shower gel on a wet tile floor, then starts running on the slippery surface while holding on to the nearest stable object to prevent from falling.
Videos of these lost-cost treadmills gained popularity on Weibo, with the social media tag “treadmills beaten by shower gel.”
The original video was shared by Weibo user “Rainbow Mother.” Her video is included in the above YouTube video. The original post was made on April 15.
The slippery treadmill has been viewed over 200 million times.
Like all viral challenges, after seeing the initial version, many other people wanted to try their hand, or their feet, at that discount treadmill.
One of the most popular comments came from user “adajk,” who wrote: “Those who defeat you are not necessarily from the same business, but [those who] step beyond boundaries.”
Weibo user Wu Jingbo wrote in his shared video: “A use for expired and useless shower gel! No waste, and even exercise [too]!”
User “Rescue Popcorn” wrote a comment that received many likes: “It’s just a matter of time before someone slips.”
Other people made jokes about the safety of the challenge. User “Charming Jam without a Cat” sarcastically joked that “a gym membership card is 1,000 yuan ($150), fixing a tooth is 1,500 yuan ($225).”
Using soap on the floor appears to not have originated in China. A video was posted to Weibo on March 27 showing a man speaking a non-Chinese language, explaining how to do such an exercise. The woman recording him laughs while he does it.
