Gym in the Park

In Delhi, we are very aware of how we look. Tight t-shirts showing off our biceps, are not offensive. We wear very tight jeans, which might make us impotent, but makes us feel very important. Females also have similar sensibilities. So one of the most lucrative business in Delhi, is running a gym. 

Colonies are replete with gyms – from air-conditioned, glass – walled ones through which you can see people panting on treadmills and they can see you stranded in traffic, to simpler ‘mom&pop’ gyms, where friendly aunties do a ‘yoga-aerobic-zumba’ kind of mashups, conducted by other friendly aunties. But gymming, in some form, has to be done. But these are moderately to prohibitively expensive. Not counting the sportswear cost. And not counting the poor RoI because the gym instructors only focus on the shapely, young customers, who anyway need least focus.

So the Delhi Government’s Gym in the Park initiative is a very welcome one. It is simple. Your neighbourhood DDA park, suddenly has these basic gym instruments installed and you can use them whenever you want. If your office is close by, you can extend your flexible lunch time, to include a quick tummy-twist in the park. You can come in sarees. You can come in safari suits. You don’t have to vie with pretty young things for the instructor’s attention, because there isn’t one. Pretty young things are there though, depending on the location of the park and your definition of pretty and young.

One may have started these for those who can’t afford fancy gyms. But this is Delhi. Here is an opportunity to flex one’s muscles in public. So tight t-shirt and jeans clad youth, are as frequent visitors to these open-air gyms, as the matronly neighbourhood ladies. Both co-exist in peace – muscles, pallu and all.