It’s an exclusive space for women. It’s where they can work out without worrying about discomforting stares. It’s the Madambakkam Balaji Nagar Women’s Gym. Established five years ago at a cost of Rs.9.5 lakh, this all-women’s gym has an array of equipment, include sitting as well as standing twisters, cycles, flat bench, Olympic incline bench, biceps preacher curl bench, slimming equipment, abdominal decline bench, swingers, Swiss balls, weight lifting barbell and T-bar row exercise equipment. Clearly, a collection that could make a private gym proud. Now, here’s the incredible part of it.
The highlight is that all of these equipment could be used for free. For this reason, the gym draws many women who cannot afford training at a private gym. Functioning from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., the gym offers its services for free. However, it lacks one thing — a treadmill. V. Shanthi, who is in-charge of the centre, says that many women have made a request for a treadmill and we have learnt that the authorities concerned are planning to provide a treadmill as early as possible. In the beginning, around 50 women joined the facility. And the number has gone up gradually.
Apart from the regular workouts, Shanthi teaches aerobics, floor exercises, dumbbells and leg work-outs. Pregnant women are taught certain special exercises. There are also exercises tailor-made to address uterus-related and thyroid problems. She teaches the women for free, and she gets only an honorary amount ranging from Rs.500 to Rs.1,000 every month from the authorities, depending on the expenditure during a month.
There are plans to introduce yoga too. Vasundhara, a senior, says, all-women’s gym is a godsend for women who may feel uncomfortable working at a common gym. But for all-women gyms, such women would reject the idea of working out at a gym. Though the gym services come free, a few women pay a nominal amount of Rs.150 towards maintenance of the equipment, electricity and drinking water facility.
