Rat exercises on escalator

Working out is vital – even for a rat.

Train commuters in Los Angeles filmed one plucky rodent using the handrail of an escalator as a makeshift treadmill.

The tiny creature can be seen scurrying near the edge of the black conveyor belt in a frenzied effort not to fall off.

A number of onlookers can be seen in the background smiling and giggling at the rat's persistence.

The exercise routine is brief but intense, lasting only 40 seconds or so, with a female passer-by eventually flicking the creature off the handrail and back onto solid ground.

It's enough to make you want to give up the rat race.