Wearing an ‘age suit’ at BMW

We have reported on BMW in our blog before, as they have a specific programme to ensure the on-going health of their workers as they get older.  This article describes the range of initiatives in place include a programme as part of ‘Apprentice Fitness Week’ that sees apprentices trying a range of work tasks while wearing an ‘age suit’.  This is apparently designed to simulate reduced joint functioning and in the case reported here “His joints stiffened, and every step was an effort.  Gundel, blond, slim and boyish, was getting a taste of how it would feel when he was old and grey. It wasn’t a good feeling. In fact, “it scared me,” says the apprentice” (©Worldcrunch – in partnership with DIE WELT).

It is not clear that the apprentice was asked to don a grey wig but feeling ‘old and grey’ is here constructed in purely negative, physical terms.  It is also interesting to speculate what other sorts of suits could be invented and tried out in this way!