Fitness fever has gripped the women in the city as many are flocking to the gyms. Over the past two to three the years the number of women hitting the gym has considerably gone up, an indication that health and body awareness has awakened among women here. Though most women even today consider looking chubby and plump as a sign of being healthy this concept is slowly taking a backseat among urban women.
Renjusha Jaichand, a model and mother to a twoyear- old daughter said, “I had put on ample weight after pregnancy. My profession demanded a more petite figure. I felt that I should maintain my health and body. To me it was not just about looking slim, I had no plans to slim down to size zero either. It is more about being healthy and having a toned figure.”
Rohit Thayyil Managing director of Belly Gym and Agile Aerobics says, “Since the city is growing with more families and women preferring to settle down in cities, more women have registered at our gym and aerobics centre.” Agile aerobics which started five years back had very few takers initially. “Women used to join out of curiosity and for time pass initially. However, there was a change gradually. 70 to 80 per cent who join here are health conscious today,” he says. Raj Rasal, Manager at Talwalkar, has a different observation. “Though the number of women joining gym has gone up, it is quite low as per requirements of the city in terms of obesity and hypertension.” Close to 100 women have registered at Talwalker but their regularity is a matter of concern. “We have a combination of working women and housewives. But mostly housewives. During vacations hardly any of them turn up at the gym.” Raj has also observed that for most women come to the gym as a way to pass time. “There are quite a few who come here to relieve their tensions, gossip and hangout.”
RMCO fitness, which opened a year ago, has a whopping 200 female clients. Fitness Manager Deevak Cherian says, “It might come as a surprise, but women of Kozhikode are finding time to maintain their fitness. They even prefer personal trainers. That is how focused women here have become.” Most women who have joined RMCO are married with children.
Mini Anand , Secretary at RMCO says “ The awareness level about maintaining health was quite low here. With flats springing up most women did not have to take the trouble of doing chores such as clearing the yard.” She goes on to add, “Many women who have joined here are Muslims. There was a time when Muslim women were not quite concerned about their body figure. These women are giving in their best to loose the extra flab and cellulite.”
