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 Gone
are the days when flab ruled. Chennai, which once looked at paunches
as a sign of prosperity, has suddenly become health and body conscious.
This is easily noticeable by the number of Gyms sprouting up all
over the city.
 When
it comes to fitness programmes, Chennai has an unprecedented array
of choices - Tai Chi , Kalaripayattu , Dancing, Aerobics or
good old weight training. People are becoming increasingly
diet-conscious also. The sudden increase in the number of juice
shops is also a reflection of this phenomenon.
There are shops, like Afton, which offer body building supplements
like powders and capsules for amino acid supplementation, herbs
and herbal extracts, weight management, longevity, general nutrition.and
other fitness accessories. Ten years ago, they were unheard of.
 Fitness
Centres, in Chennai, providing a wide range of facilities, to its
members. Most of the gyms provide a steam bath, aerobics and weight
training. The Ambassador Health Spa, at the Ambassador
Pallava, goes the extra yard to provide the most comprehensive
fitness programme for its members. Fully equipped with imported
machines, the spa offers facilities like Cardio vascular training,
steam bath, sauna, Jacuzzi, billiards, squash and swimming. Body
Fit, a Fitness Centre at second avenue Anna Nagar, has tie up
with equipment manufacturers in Singapore and has state-of-the-art
equipment.
With the array of gyms available here, Chennai is becoming more
and more trim and trendy. And these Fitness centres have membership
fees to suit every pocket - right from Rs 1,800/- per year to Rs
24,000/- per year. Corporate membership programmes and discounted
package deals have now become staple. A reflection of the increased
heat of competition among gyms in the city.
Where Chennai got its inspiration from, is a debatable question,
a part of the worldwide panic about obesity or the urge to be one
of those images portrayed by the media. Whatever it be, the fitness
mania is a good thing happening, especially with the new generation
jobs generating as much hypertension and anxiety as foreign exchange.
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