Another year is about to end and it is time for those same old ‘new year’ resolutions
to be resurrected – especially the ones that involve ‘getting in shape’. Trend
suggests that while the first few weeks of every new year witnesses a spike in
gym membership purchases, by mid-March most of the enthusiasm has died off and
the gym membership, along with the desire to get in shape, is pushed aside and
ignored. It’s also interesting to note that a whopping 67 per cent of gym
memberships are never used, according to a popular survey.
Experts believe that most of it boils down
to basic psychology. Retaining the membership allows the future possibility of
working out regularly, and cancelling it would be to succumb to failure. Which
is why, people continue to pay the monthly or annual fees even when they
haven’t set foot in a gym for months.
However, the ever-evolving fitness
industry is trying to change that and redefine the way people look at fitness.
Goa is witnessing a new wave of fitness where gyms are offering ‘something
different’ to do away with the monotony of boring traditional workout
techniques by introducing newer and more interesting ways of staying fit.
Furthermore, even the interiors of the gym are sporting a more upmarket look
that lends the gym a much more enticing and inviting overall feel.
Fitness Bar, a new gym that is expected to open its shutters in
December in Panjim, is bringing in a whiff of freshness to the fitness industry
in Goa. The multi-level gym is expected to sport radical interiors and décor,
featuring DJs with videotheque on multiple TV screens inside the gym. The
fitness centre also features a fitness bar offering a host of salads, smoothies
and juices, and an in-house nutritionist. The gym sprawling across around 5500
sq ft will have state-of-the-art fitness equipment and a dedicated space for
Zumba, Yoga, Crossfit, etc.
Amit Bakhale, one of the partners of Fitness Bar, says, “We want
to make going to the gym a fun experience. The idea of Fitness Bar stemmed out
of my own experience of being unwilling to step inside a gym out of boredom. We
have noticed a huge gap in the market, which we want to tap into.”
Fitness Five, another gym in Campal, may be a year older, but is
doing things differently by being perhaps the only gym in Goa to have fitness
drills that change constantly. In a week, there are three different drills and
the clients do the drill twice or thrice a week, depending on personal goals.
On other days, weight training proves to be exceptionally beneficial in
building muscles. Danees Kazi, an ISSA certified trainer, says, “People need a
lot of motivation to stay consistent with their workouts. A change in schedules
can cause a curiosity, which builds up interest. The drills proved to be a
great way of not only maintaining the consistency but also increase team work.
The same workout that was once seen as a compulsion, is now being seen as a fun
filled activity. The members compete with one another and research suggests
that this can lead to a lot of motivation that is healthy.”
The
upcoming Fitness Bar is also going to be the first Les Mills certified gym in
Goa. For the uninitiated, Les Mills workouts are based on the philosophy of
merging physical fitness with digital. The workouts are a mix of great music
and cutting-edge science to help people fall in love with fitness. Looks like
fitness is finally getting in optimum shape.
