Residents of Istanbul do not have much time for a morning workout routine amid the hubbub of big city life. A new project aims to help them during the precious time they have during their day. “Sports in Ferry” launched by Istanbul City Lines, a branch of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) overseeing ferries operating on the Bosporus, has introduced ferry commuters to basic physical exercises they can do while traveling. Exercise instructors from Spor Istanbul, the sports department of the municipality, accompany passengers on their morning trips, teaching them exercises they can do without leaving their seats.
The project currently runs on ferry services between the Beşiktaş and Kadıköy districts on Monday between 8:45 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. and between Üsküdar and Eminönü between 9 a.m. and 11:05 a.m. on Wednesday. The IBB plans to expand it to other services soon.
Sinem Dedetaş, director of Istanbul City Lines, said in a written statement on Friday that the project sought to demonstrate easy physical exercises for passengers who can do them at home or at the office. “We ran a pilot project earlier and was motivated by the high turnout,” she said. Renay Onur, director of Spor Istanbul, said their purpose was to introduce sports to larger masses, and they were already running similar exercise programs in more than 60 parks and squares across the city.
