QUEEN'S ROAD: Citizens have a newfound reason to wake up early and head to their neighbourhood park. In areas like Jayanagar, Malleswaram, R T Nagar and Thippasandra, parks have been converted into open gymnasiums, and they are attracting everyone from teenagers to homemakers.
Ten to 12 pieces of gym equipment have been set up at each park at an estimated cost of Rs 25 lakh. The equipment is specially designed and imported from Turkey. Entry to the gyms, set up under public-private partnership (PPP) between the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and a few real estate firms, is free.
The happiest are the senior citizens for whom morning and evening walks were often monotonous. Vijaytha T S, a housewife, said, “Earlier, my morning routine was to walk and do a little yoga. But now I spend 10 to 15 minutes working out. I have been using the equipment for four months now and there has been tremendous improvement in my weight training.”
S Sunderajan (68) of Thippasandra 5th Main said, “Open gyms are a good initiative for all. Working out in the park in the morning comes with the benefit of getting much-needed Vitamin D into our system. As entry is free, even if you don’t work out for a couple of days, it won’t pinch your pocket.”
Elizabeth, a resident of Malleswaram, said, “Five parks in our area have been renovated and gym equipment has been installed there. The move has been embraced by residents.”
In a city like Bengaluru, where unexpected rains are common, walking is not always an easy option. For the elderly, open gyms come in handy on such days as they find working out easier.
The first park to have an open gym in the city was in Sadashivanagar. The BBMP plans to install gym equipment in 1,011 such parks. A BBMP official said the initiative had received a positive response and they were on the lookout for more partners to cover the rest of the city.