THE GYM CULTURE IN CHENNAI

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.

|