SIMPLY PUNJABI

Five giant gyms change the way Punjabis are living in Chandigarh and other places. Looks like they are having their paratha and eating it too, says India Today's Supriya Dravid.

Punjabis like to live large. They think big. They are large people whose voracious appetite for living life to the fullest reflects not just in their expansive opulent homes but also in their indulgent eating habits. And when they throw themselves into exercise, it's king size again in giant gyms. So here is a look at the five top gyms of Punjab that equip the locals to have their paratha and eat it too.

A fitness factory of sorts, Body Zone is as big as it can possibly get. Spanning three sprawling floors, this gym was set up by fitness freak Kalbinder Singh Gossal as a "means to get folks from Jalandhar out of their farms" and into the fitness groove. While the first floor is a cardio workout area with treadmills, cross trainers and a section to pump weights, the second floor, with ample natural light, has a spa area with a jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and a massage area that will be ready in a month's time.

The third floor is where the action is. Body Zone is the only gym in Punjab that teaches Bhangra aerobics, a high-intensity dance workout that combines the rustic folk dance with aerobics. "It's ironic really. Bhangra aerobics has taken the world by storm but is hardly used as an exercise regime in Punjab," says Gossal who himself is a Bhangra enthusiast, having represented his college at state dance competitions. Students are given colourful Bhangra jackets to help them get into the mood. Besides this, spinning, yoga-aerobics, body sculpting, body combat and pilates are offered at Body Zone.

Once a month, Gossal takes his students out for a rigorous aero circuit training at the nearby stadium. "Joining a gym is not just a one-off thing. You have to keep at it. Exercising is very important at all ages," says Gossal.

Look at him for inspiration. He is 43 and does not look a day older than 30.
Guilty after gorging on the mountain of chocolate cake at Mocha or the scrumptious spicy fare at Noodle Bar? No worries. Just head up to Flexity to sweat it out.

Strategically located above some of the most tempting eateries in Chandigarh, Flexity cleverly knows how to trap you in a guilt trip.
Step inside the 2,200-sq ft two-floor gym and take a look at the jawdropping tight six pack of the instructors pumping the 200-kg barbells. It's enough to make you want to re-examine your lifestyle.

"We try to encourage a high-intensity workout," says owner and instructor Amit Inder Singh who set up the gym in 2005.

If you are looking to do some serious bodybuilding, this is the place. "We have an ex-Mr India helping our clients to tone up," says Singh. There is enough equipment in the cardio bar so clients don't have to wait around to use them.

Singh prefers to have a young clientele at his gym. "I'm young and I want my gym to be a healthy space for the youth of this city," he says.

That he has managed. Actively engaged in the health industry since 1989, fitness consultant Roopa Pahwa was closely involved with Slimaid, one of Ludhiana's first women's gyms.

She branched out on her own two years ago to set up Addiction Fitness Centre along with popular lifestyle and weight-management expert Sachin Kalra.

"The sedentary lifestyle that most people lead is one of the main reasons for their putting on weight," says Pahwa, who is studying to get accredited as a personal trainer by the International Sports Sciences Association, US. Addiction sets specific targets for its clients and trains them to achieving their goals accordingly.

So most packages are custom-made for each client. "Every time I travel abroad, I try to observe the global fitness trends which I can incorporate here," says Pahwa, who is also taking online fitness training examinations to expand her knowledge.
Besides cardio workouts, pilates, kickboxing and Swiss ball training are also administered here.

"We have rigorous dance classes to add flavour to everyday exercising,"
says Pahwa. Martial arts and boxing classes are held for children as well. "It is very important to motivate children to start exercising early," she says.

Addiction is small at 1,500 sq ft but it makes wise use of its space.
It also contains a quaint little spa that offers aroma therapy, ayurvedic massages, body polishing, scrubs and packs that help clients look as good as gold.

"People in Ludhiana have only just started opening up to the concept of going to the gym. So what we need to work on first and foremost is giving priority to the fitness of the mind," says Pahwa. Trust her.
She knows what
she is talking about.

As one of the first few gyms in Chandigarh, Planet Fitness was set up 11 years ago and has over 900 members. It was taken over by businessman and fitness fiend Bobby Garg and his wife Priya four years ago from Kiran Chaddha, one of the earliest fitness proponents in Punjab. This climate-controlled 7,000-sq ft gym is fitted with Technogymbranded cardio and strength training equipment.

It offers aerobics, yoga, pilates, krav maga and kickboxing.
Reebok-certified instructors carefully chalk out fitness regimes and provide dietary counselling. "The aim is to provide result-oriented training to our members," says Priya. No wonder the gym has become a popular workout haunt with many of Chandigarh's expats.

To add spice to mundane exercise routines, salsa and rhumba are taught by dance tutors who come from Delhi every other weekend.
There are summer camps for children as well. Open from 5 am to
11 pm and seven days a week, Planet Fitness soon plans to stay open 24 hours. "We want to encourage a 'fitness culture' in Chandigarh," says Priya. Sounds good. Especially if you can unwind after a workout at the spa on the third floor with ayurvedic massages or just relax with a steam bath.

This plush gym at the Majestic Park Plaza hotel is popular among the see-and-be-seen set of Ludhiana. Spacious to say the least, what makes Reflexions most interesting is its boxing ring where clients can practice and learn boxing at the same time. With world-class fitness equipment fitted with a personal TV for every user, it makes for an indulgent workout area.

"We create a specialised diet and exercise regimen for every client.
This helps us keep track of their specific individual needs," says the gym's manager and trainer, Masood Khan. With over 14 years of experience in the fitness industry, Khan is also a champion bodybuilder, having won almost every bodybuilding title in his home state of Madhya Pradesh.

The only downside in this gym is that none of the extra frills like dance classes are offered. "We only encourage exercising on the equipment here," says Khan. Workouts here end with a refreshing lap in the outdoor pool, or some downtime at the jacuzzi. Go, get yourself the sculpted look.

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