The Hindu Business Line : The fitness mantra

Despite increasing awareness of fitness and its many benefits, there is still a sense of complacency when it comes to staying on an exercise routine, watching one's diet or going for a periodic health check-up. All these are a must.

When Susanna Joshua walks into an office, she usually looks at the layout - the cubicles, the cooler, the potted plants — to make her case to management that they do have room for a couple of treadmills and stationery cycles. That they do not need to knock down walls or build a fancy gym to get their employees to exercise, and benefit hugely from it.

Joshua, who is a fitness instructor at Chennai's O{-2} Health Studio and at Savera Hotel's Body Lyrics health club, has been in the industry for many years, and vouches that attitudes toward fitness have definitely changed. "Ten years ago, we just saw boys coming in to get pumped to look like (Arnold) Schwarznegger. Then, we saw women coming in to lose weight. Now we have more people who are aware of the need to be fit," she says.

Also, more people expect their employers to take care of their health insurance, and compensate for, or subsidise their fitness programmes. At the same time, companies also are more committed to the `well-being' of their employees. Many companies have a scheme for annual health check-ups, some MNCs and IT companies have set up gyms — and even meditation rooms — on their premises, or have tied up with fitness centres for corporate packages, or reimburse costs of gym memberships. "Companies are realising that fitness leads to fewer sick days, increase in productivity, less burn out and a more motivated and happier employee," says Joshua.

Satyam Computers, through its Satyam Club programme, has tied up with a gym and an aerobics centre in Chennai. About 30 employees take advantage of the programme, says D. Sharad, Executive - Corporate Services. "Given the number of hours they spend in front of the computer, they need these activities," he says. "They are more satisfied now, and it reflects in their work."

At Chennai's Arogya, the first aerobics centre, where Satyam employees go, founder Stina Vasu bemoans the sedate lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits that are to blame for many illnesses. "Exercise is not just good for the body, but also the mind, and it does not take long to see the results," she says. "We are living longer, so we have to take care of ourselves."

At the recently opened Body Lyrics, the gym is stocked with imported treadmills, elliptical machines and weight training machines, such as a swimming pool, a sauna and a massage room round off the holistic approach to fitness that is popular now. An annual membership for an executive costs Rs 18,000, as compared to the individual membership tariff of Rs 19,500, with the option of a lower tariff for more than five employees from the same company.

"Corporate packages are tailored to suit the executive lifestyle," Joshua says, "with personal trainers, flexible timings and the promise of a `total body conditioning' workout. There is a mix of newcomers and those who have been working out for years, with clients up to the age of 65 years." There are plans to introduce Aqua Aerobics and a poolside bistro with health food, as well.

At O{-2}, located in what is emerging as Chennai's `fitness district' in busy Nungambakkam, there are aerobics classes for those who prefer to work out in a group, or want to have more fun. There are step, taebo and kickboxing classes, for a monthly tariff of about Rs 1,500.

While there is greater awareness of fitness and its many benefits — as evidenced by the number of people walking on the Marina beach or joining the many gyms in the city — there is still a sense of complacency when it comes to starting an exercise routine, watching one's diet or going for periodical check-ups. In many cases, executives do not step into a gym until they are cautioned to do so by their doctor, because they need to lose weight, or because their cholesterol level is too high. And corporates are yet to fully embrace fitness as a way of life; in the West, it is not uncommon for people to keep a pair of running shoes at work and go for a run or shoot some hoops during lunch.

There is a pressing need to take fitness seriously: Indians are genetically pre-disposed to coronary artery disease, as we have more visceral fat. It is also expected that there will be a sharp rise in lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, heartburn and chronic fatigue syndrome by the end of the decade.

"Indians are more prone to coronary heart disease than sumo wrestlers," says Dr. Rajendran of Apollo Hospitals in Chennai. "And the fast pace of life, with skipped meals, long hours in artificial light and less sleep, is leading to major diseases." Besides, increased stress and psychological factors such as hostility and depression can lead to smoking, drinking and overeating, which again increase the risk of deadly diseases.

At Apollo, a special programme for executives, called DREAM, is designed to ingrain the basics of a healthier lifestyle: diet, relaxation, exercise, a positive attitude and motivation. "Stress, by itself, can kill," warns Dr Rajendran.

After the shocking death of NASSCOM's Dewang Mehta at age 40 last year, executives are certainly more aware of the dangers of a stress-laden lifestyle. In fact, given the amount of travelling that senior executives do, hotels are emerging as a vital piece in the fitness picture, offering options for burning up calories and for de-stressing, as also healthy eating.

"Strictly speaking, a health club and a five-star hotel don't seem to go hand in hand because we are about a lifestyle of indulgence," says P.K. Mohankumar, COO, Oriental Hotels Ltd., and GM of Taj Coromandel. "But today, when corporates look at our facilities, the health club is as essential as the business centre or the coffee shop."

Luxury hotels such as the Taj have always had these facilities — imported equipment, trainers, dieticians and masseurs — long before they became available at the neighbourhood gym, says Mohankumar. At the Coromandel, for example, at least 50 per cent of the guests have always used the massage and the steam room; while more men used the gym, that trend is changing now. Many of the Taj resort hotels now also have spas and Ayurveda centres. In many of its restaurants, too, there is a move toward healthier cooking — grilling and steaming rather than frying, and using organic ingredients.

There is a possibility that hotel's health club may be opened to non-resident guests, as well, at a premium to the price commanded by local gyms. But in the meantime, a Talwalkars or a Reebok is no less in terms of snob value. The Talwalkars chain, which is over 70 years old, operates more than 18 centres across the country, and was the first to introduce personal trainers.

At its first studio in Chennai, which opened in March, there are 11 personal trainers, and a long waiting list of clients who want one.

About 50 per cent of its over 1,000 clients are executives or professionals, estimates Timothy Bello, the fitness manager. They prefer to work out early in the morning, from 7 a.m., or late in the evening, after 8 p.m. There are an equal number of men and women, and a mix of old hands, people new to working out, and those who combine their gym routine with weekend tennis or golf.

"Despite the bad economy, there have been no cancellations," Bello says.

Talwalkars is just signing on corporate clients, such as Star Vijay; the packages are for 10-15 people. The basic Complete Health Club Facility package costs Rs 13,000. "Some people come to keep fit, others come to lose weight — so we have different packages, such as Weight Management and Shape Up," Bello says. "They look better, feel more active, and can work longer hours."

That benefit is certainly relevant in the IT industry; in Bangalore, which has long had a `walk in the park' culture, it could be the reason why there are so many health clubs. According to Vidya, Business Development Manager at Talwalkars in the Garden City, Bangaloreans are a little conservative when it comes to spending on fitness. Also, most people, especially women, were wary of using some gyms because they lacked trained instructors.

Facilities in the Bangalore centre include separate gyms for men and women, weight loss and weight maintenance programmes, a beauty clinic, a cardiovascular studio and fitness managers who record medical histories and customise programmes. There are about 2,200 clients, most of whom are 25-45 years old. The ratio of men to women is 40:60, according to Vidya.

Talwalkars has a corporate package for groups of 10 and more employees; 18 companies have signed on, including Motorola, Cisco, Sun Microsystems, Tommy Hilfiger and Yahoo. "We make people develop fitness as a habit and, more important, keep it up," says Vidya. "We make it more of a social activity than a physical regime."

At Affinity International, which has just opened a second branch in Bangalore, facilities include personal training, spa, speciality massages, weight loss programmes and stress buster programmes. A three-month corporate package, for a minimum of five employees, costs Rs 16,100. There are also special packages for couples, priced at Rs 6,480 for three months; many youngsters, aged 18 to 22 years, come for the weight loss and maintenance programmes, according to Ms Bushra Fiaz, the nutritionist at the centre.

At VLCC, which has 50 weight reduction centres across the country, the clientele ranges from high school and college students to 65-year olds. There is a 60:40 ratio of women to men.

In the nation's capital, too, fitness is a way of life, although it is hard to believe that by looking at our portly politicians. People are more aware of the benefits of keeping fit, and are prepared to shell out big bucks, according to Nina Gulati, who heads the new fitness chain, The Perfect Ten Academy.

Sports and fitness major, Reebok India Company, launched The Reebok Fitness Club, which takes a holistic approach to health through its programmes, personal trainers, creative workout options and state-of-the art equipment, according to Subhinder Singh Prem, Executive Director of Sales and Marketing, Reebok India. Facilities include the latest treadmills, cycles, cross trainers, Reebok Step and the Reebok Coreboard. There are group exercise options in body sculpting, kickboxing, aerobics, flexible strength training, martial arts, Pilates, Power Step and Power Yoga.

All Reebok trainers are certified by Reebok University of Boston, or the American Council of Exercise, the American Council of Sports Medicine and the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America.

Yoga has made a comeback — to flamenco music — and is popular with students, housewives and executives alike. The monthly fee is about Rs 2,500.

Be it yoga or cardio kick, fitness is in — and, hopefully, here to stay. People are discovering its many benefits, and corporations are discovering that a fit and healthy employee is a real asset, in more ways than one.

With inputs from Anjali Prayag in Bangalore and Richa Mishra in New Delhi

Picture by Shaju John

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