CHANDIGARH, April 13: Catching on the mantra of selling fitness, a majority of health gyms in the city are doing brisk business. Ninety percent, or so, of the visitors are people who are overweight, and want to trim down. The rest are the real health-conscious, who use the weight-training to tone up their muscles.With charges ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 300 per month, the rush is to be seen to be believed. Off the various centres, two claim to have the latest equipment for physical fitness. These come with a heavy price, off course.To have a workout at the Nirvana in Sector 10, the annual fee is Rs 6000. Apart from the gym, if someone wants to work on the computerised treadmill and excer-cycle, it will cost more.Says Puneeta, who manages the Nirvana: ``We have got the latest equipment for the customers, which has been procured from abroad. So we charge more.''Planet Fitness in Sector 8, is another centre, which has the latest equipment for exercise. ``All the machines have been imported from Italy,'' disclosed Darshan, the manager at the centre.Most of the other health centres are fitted with multi-purpose gym and also have free weights. On an average, each centre has more than one hundred health freaks including females. The numbers exceed at some centres.The gym owners, however, admit that most of the people who come for workout at the centres are not regulars. ``Generally people come to lose weight,'' informed Sunil Walia, who runs Bon Sante in Sector 17.This came to light on inquiring from a young girl who was sweating profusely at one of the gyms. ``I just want to look trim and fit into my favourite jeans,'' she revealed.But it is not the same for Dinesh Dahyia, who is a national level swimmer: ``I do heavy weights when the pools are not functional. It has helped me improve my strokes.''There was, however, a different kind of atmosphere at another gym. Few youngsters who were pumping iron were not looking serious and were exercising in their casuals. ``I want to flaunt my muscles by wearing tight T-shirts in the summer,'' said one.Out of the dozen, or so, gyms in the city, 6-7 are the real popular ones. ``This is due to lack of proper trainers at some of the centres,'' said a teenager, who had to change two centres before she landed at the right place.In the past two years more than seven to eight health centres have closed down for want of a qualified coach. Still the number of qualified trainers are very less. Most of the gyms are either run by the owners themselves or managed by unqualified staff.Says Sunil Walia, who is also secretary of the Chandigarh Body Building Association: ``Weight training is very complex. It should be done under supervision otherwise it can lead to injury.''Similar views were also held by Rama Kant, former Mr Chandigarh, who is involved in body building for the past decade and is also coaching youngsters at Body Knit in Sector 40. ``The concept of weight training is often misunderstood. It is not just lifting weight. It should be done scientifically.''
