TIRUCHY: Swimming pools across Tiruchy are witnessing a rise in enrolment by work-from-home professionals and young office-goers this summer, with coaches attributing the trend to growing fitness awareness and increasingly sedentary lifestyles.
Trainers at the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu-run swimming pool in Anna Stadium, Kajamalai, said participation by people aged above 30 has increased significantly this year compared to previous summer camps which were largely dominated by school students.
The summer coaching programme, being conducted in multiple phases from April 1 to July 5, has been recording steady turnout across batches. The facility conducts three batches each for men and women every day, with around 25 participants in each batch where at least 10 members are above the age of 30.The coaching fee is Rs 1,700/person, inclusive of GST.
“Earlier, adults mostly came for casual swimming or accompanied their children. This year, several IT employees and private firm staff working from home have joined specifically for fitness,” a coach at the Anna Stadium pool said.
“I knew the basics of swimming, but did not pursue it seriously as a regular fitness activity,” said Kingsley Sebastian, who recently returned to Tiruchy from abroad for a vacation and enrolled in a summer coaching batch. He said, “Summer is the only period when I can attend classes consistently without work pressure. Swimming lessons and pool access are expensive abroad, so I wanted to use my time here to train properly and stay fit.
Trainers said swimming is increasingly being preferred over gym workouts as it is considered a low-impact exercise placing less strain on joints and connective tissues.
The trend is not limited to government-run facilities. Private swimming pools in Cantonment, BHEL township and suburban areas such as Vayalur and Manachanallur are also witnessing brisk registrations this season.
“Nearly one-third of the recent enquiries are from working professionals aged above 30, many of them first-time learners,” said a trainer at a private swimming facility in Cantonment. “Most of them are looking at swimming as a sustainable fitness activity rather than a seasonal hobby.”
R Suresh (36), a software employee enrolled at a private pool in BHEL township, said he opted for swimming after struggling to maintain regular exercise while working remotely. “After shifting to work-from-home, I gained weight and started having shoulder and back pain. Swimming felt easier to continue compared to gym workouts,” he said.
Students continue to form a major share of the summer batches following the completion of annual examinations.
