Viraja Ramanujam
Bollywood has epitomized the ideal male and female physique in recent times. Six pack abs and muscle-building among guys and Kareena Kapoor’s zero-size figure among girls has become a huge craze. Bhopal has slowly been catching up with the trend of working out in gyms and has ultimately fallen prey to the so-called ‘fitness mania’. There has been a growing emphasis on toning the body and getting into shape, and a substantially large number of gyms have mushroomed in the city in the last couple of years or so. You find people from an early age of thirteen wanting to join gyms these days. “Contemporary Bhopal has seen a lot of lifestyle changes and people are becoming more aware about the importance of exercising,” says Amit Sapru, fitness trainer at ‘Fitness Mania’.
Hiring personal trainers for constant guidance is newly in vogue. Though priced on the higher side, gym-goers don’t mind shelling out that extra buck to get personal attention in terms of the exercising regime and diet control. Notwithstanding sensitivity with regard to physical appearance, a major part of the society is not yet self motivated to shed the extraneous fat. Be it curing obesity, an ailing body or just toning the muscles, individuals, mainly belonging to the upper-middle class and the rich strata of society, prefer to have a professional trainer to push them to cross their limit. “People want personal attention and want to be guided all the time to be on the safer side. They don’t want to end up over-stretching or over-stressing any muscle. Also, a personal trainer would know exactly what machines you need to work on to achieve your objective,” says Rajan Bawa, Manager of ‘Fitness Mania’. Huzefa of ‘Phoenix P3 Power Club’ echoes the same thought. “One-to-one fitness training is way more effective since the body position, movement, repetition are continuously monitored,” he says.
A lot of students, who have just finished their schooling and waiting to get into college, are vigorously trying to get into shape. Since they don’t have much time in their hand, they have hired personal instructors to quicken the process of losing weight and toning their body. “A personal instructor provides focused training and speeds up the results,” claims Vishal Verma of Vishal Fitness Center.
Some trainers feel that Bhopal still lacks awareness about personal fitness training. The current trend is such that more men than women go in for personal trainers. “Individualized training is a better way to treat clients. The general public comes to know about personal training only when we counsel them. Women agree to try out a personal trainer only after a lot of counseling,” feels Janvi, a personal fitness instructor.
Heritage hotels like Jehan Numa Palace have a wellness centre which includes not only a gym, but also a swimming pool, Spa, Jacuzzi and much more. Though they allow very limited public membership, these wellness centers are mainly for their highly health conscious room guests. “Folks don’t want to apply their mind and like a personal instructor to shoulder all the responsibility. He/she charts out a programme, schedules exercises and is constantly monitoring the client,” affirms Suveer Bajpai, Manager Wellness Centre, Jehan Numa Palace.
Teenage Clientele Speak
Ashima, a class 10 student- “My trainer gives his 100% to me alone. It has proved very effective since I have
lost 6 kgs in a month.”
Mayank Kapoor, 19 years- “I went for group training initially for six months but realized that good health is my priority and wanted the best possible training for overall physique. I left personal training for a couple of months, but haven’t gained weight. I plan to rejoin.”
Nikita, just finished with class 12- “My trainer makes me do exercises according to my body. It is very effective and I am satisfied with the result.”
Yoga and Gymming
While working out in the gym tones the body and helps in building muscles, yoga concentrates on a rhythmic breathing style and helps in maintaining the metabolic rate.
Buck Talk
Fitness packages vary from client to client depending on their needs. On an average, personal trainers in the city, charge anywhere between Rs. 25000 to 35000 annually. Rates also change according to the period of training.
Benefits of going to the gym other than body toning
- Stress buster
- Prevents future ailments
- Builds stamina
- Keeps you fresh
- Psychological motivation and confidence building
- Anger management
- Strict discipline
No comments:
Post a Comment