New Delhi, Feb. 28 -- Some exercises become popular because of the people who do them and succeed in their field or sport. Take for example the Arnold press, which everyone does because of Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Bruce Lee's dragon flag, or Virat Kohli's barbell thrusters. Sometimes it's entire countries or regions that inspire people to become fit.

The Japanese promote walking and balance work like no other country. And then there's Russia dominating sport in the Soviet Era. Whether it was Sergey Bubka excelling at pole vault, or Yevgeny Grishin at skating, the Russia used sporting success as a big way to show its dominance, with fitness becoming a cornerstone of the national culture.

An offshoot of this dominance was people looking ...