VOLOGDA, March 7 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he keeps in shape by doing the opposite of what Winston Churchill preached.

Asked about his ways to stay fit during a meeting with a group of Russian female weavers ahead of International Women’s Day (March 8), Putin gave a roundabout answer.

“They say that when Churchill was asked a similar question, he replied: ‘Never stand up when you can sit down, and never sit down when you can lie down.’ However, the rules I follow are somewhat different,” Putin said.

“I believe a person should eat less and move more, but everything is good in moderation.”

Positive thinking is also crucial to good physical form, he added.

Winston Churchill made his famous “economy of effort” remark when he was asked: “Sir, to what do you attribute your success in life?”