Man dies after exercising while hanging by his neck in China

A man suspends himself in mid-air by the neck during a workout in Shenyang in China's north-east Liaoning province in this file photo from 2021. -SCREENGRAB FROM CCTV VIDEO

BEIJING: A 57-year-old man died after hanging by the neck on fitness equipment in Chongqing in south-western China on Wednesday (May 15).

According to an eyewitness, the man was likely performing an exercise which involves the person swinging his body while hanging from a rope by the neck.

“He might have used too much force,” the eyewitness told local broadcast agency Spot News.

This method of exercise became popular in recent years through social media, according to China Newsweek.

Experts have warned the public against attempting it, as the workout might lead to nerve and spinal cord damage or paralysis in the legs.

Police on May 16 confirmed the accidental death, which occurred at an outdoor fitness corner in Chengxi town in Dianjiang county, reported news outlet Jimu News.

The rope did not belong to the man and had been attached to equipment at the fitness corner.

Investigations are ongoing. - The Straits Times/ANN