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Journalism of Courage
Celebrity fitness trainer Vrinda Mehta loves shopping. Especially if there8217;s a home gym on the list. And she8217;s the right company for this kind of retail therapy. After all, Amitabh Bachchan, Kajol, Dimple Kapadia and Twinkle Khanna take their exercise orders from her. 8216;8216;It8217;s amazing how many people have treadmills at home, not just celebrities,8217;8217; she says. She picks Fitness Planet they have 33 outlets across the country for the spree and chalks out a three-step plan to stock your exercise space
Square one
Rs 6,000
Mehta starts simple, with a few sets of dumb-bells. 8216;8216;Women need between 1 kg and 5 kg, while men should get weights from 3 kg to 10 kg,8217;8217; she says. Besides the metal powder-coated options approx Rs 200 per kg, there are also brightly coloured soft dumb-bells made of Neoprene Rs 290 to Rs 1,190 for a pair.
To work that ticker, all you need is an aerobic step for exercises like step-up-and-down and knee lifts. Make sure you choose a sturdy and non-wobbly one. The step can double up as a bench: Lie on it and use free weights to do dumb-bell flyes for the chest, pull-overs for the back, tricep extensions and crunches for the abs. Mehta recommends Aerobic Step and Reebok Rs 2,500 to Rs 8,000.
8216;8216;Spot jogging and skipping are also effective cardio workouts,8217;8217; she says. Fitness Planet stocks a digital skipping rope Rs 790 which records the time, distance, speed and calories burnt.
8216;8216;This basic equipment requires minimal investment and can be stocked anywhere,8217;8217; says Mehta.
Stepping up
Rs 55,000
8216;8216;Your next buy has to be a treadmill. There are plenty of foldable options in the market,8217;8217; says Mehta. Though prices start at Rs 22,000, she urges buyers to be a little brand conscious. 8216;8216;You have to pick a treadmill according to your weight. Most good brands can take upto 100 kg. If you weigh more, get a more powerful motor,8217;8217; she advises. Horizon and Vision Rs 45,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh are two brands she8217;s had good experience with.
Don8217;t buy everything at one go. Mehta advises buying one piece of equipment every six months. Next up is a cross-trainer. 8216;8216;Treadmills are everyone8217;s favourite cardio machine, but cross-trainers are becoming more popular,8217;8217; she says. An elliptical cross-trainer mimics a motion that8217;s between skiing and running and gives you a full body workout. 8216;8216;It8217;s mild on the knees; there8217;s absolutely no impact, like on a treadmill.8217;8217;
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Some stores and banks also offer EMI schemes for workout equipment. There8217;s no down payment and zero |
Prices for these evolved versions of exercise cycles start at Rs 25,000, going up to Rs 72,000. Brands like Horizon start at Rs 50,000.
Top notch
Rs 8 lakh and up
To complete the deal, bring home a multigym. It works out different muscles and weight trains them. Prices start at
Rs 15,000 and go up to a lakh. 8216;8216;And if you8217;re really splurging, you can buy a separate machine for each body part,8217;8217; says Mehta.
Stocking your gym with top brands like Life Fitness, Technogym and Precor is what could make it exclusive. And expensive. These treadmills and cross-trainers start at Rs 4 lakh. 8216;8216;The equipment is technically sound. It8217;s like buying a Mercedes. You can still get places in another car, but the ride is different,8217;8217; she says.
