Gym is a Choice, Choose Fitness and Health

If ‘six pack’ does not mean six cans but the nature of torso, if the word ‘gun’ has nothing to do with ammunition but implies a buffed arm and an ‘hour glass’ is not an ancient time measuring device but the shape of a body, then you must either be in a fantasy school where dictionary has a strange purpose or you could still give yourself the benefit of doubt that you are sanely present in a fitness centre. Health, well being, fitness are often on New Year’s resolution list where the undercurrent is wanting to look good and wanting to feel good. So when Medindia’s quest on choosing a gym began it led straight into 99° F Fitness Studio, Chennai.

Meet the Physiotherapist: The first step to fitness is analyzing overall health through screening. “Measurement of the clients and fitness assessment are recorded. Before we suggest any workout, we request client’s goals which usually have to do with weight loss, toning, weight gain, body building and general fitness,” explains Anitha Bharathkumar, the Physiotherapist. Following this a schedule card is prepared and given to the clients.

A periodical assessment is done every month wherein the card changes depending on the progress of the client. Some clients with physical ailments such as back injury and disc problem are exempted from certain exercises. Rehabilitation services are also provided on request.

Dietary Regimen: In house dietician must be available for counseling where each client gets one’s own independent diet file, one retained in the gym and the other given to the client. Prior to offering a diet counsel, the client’s personal profile such as height, weight, BMI (Body Mass Index), lifestyle, food habits, current diet and goal are collected. After thorough examination, Megala Anbazhagan, Dietician, provides customized Diet Counseling Sheet and encourages her clients to follow the prescribed food habits for at least a month. Then considering the commitment and progress of the client towards the goal (weight loss or gain), the diet schedule undergoes modification. The diet prescribed varies according to the clients and their goals, such as weight gain, weight loss, body toning, muscle mass increase. When the weight goal changes where a client must have lost weight and now looks forward to toning or women who are underweight and want to increase their stamina level, then the diet is altered accordingly.

Basic Build: A fully furnished gym has the Cardio Vascular Section, Weight Training Session, Steam Bath, Diet Counseling, Physiotherapist Counseling, and other activities in the likes of Yoga, Aerobics and Table Tennis. The Cardio Vascular Section comprises of the Treadmill, EFX, Cycles and the Water Rower. One uses the treadmill for slow walking, brisk walking, jogging and running. It increases endurance level, burns calories and takes care of the general fitness. EFX is suggested for the upper body and lower body and Cycles are for lower body workout, the benefit being increase in cardio vascular endurance and burning of calories.The Water Rower, an indoor rowing machine is meant for the whole body workout.

The weight training sessions improve flexibility, strength and endurance. The Leg Press equipment is for the lower body workout, the Latt Pull Down is for machine chest press and the Smith machine is a multi-purpose machine. Other equipments include Abs Machine, Cable – a multi-purpose machine and free weights with Dumb Bells.

Trainer: The duty of a trainer is to ensure the client has a suitable workout session, assist in movement, explain the techniques of the workout, demonstrate how to regulate breathing, help maintain the posture and keep the client motivated. The client must be informed why a certain workout is done in a particular manner, for example the focus on posture, breathing while moving, etc. Trainer also serves the purpose of a role model and an inspiration, hence is expected to be fit.

Some clients prefer a personal trainer because they like personal attention, or have specific requirements and feel more dedicated when the trainer is present with them.  

Commitment is Key: Sengu, the Club Central Manager advises that when selecting a gym, the foremost criterion is hygiene. The gym should then enquire about client satisfaction and probably even request feedback. Any dissatisfaction including choice of music should be rectified as early as possible or maximum within two days. Motivation is yet another key factor and the trainer should have a positive influence on the client through constant encouragement. Finally the environment must be peaceful. Sengu also insists on an Endurance Test and a Cardio Endurance Test to be carried out and the rest to be trusted in the hands of the personal trainer. In return for the flexible services provided a certain level of commitment is definitely expected from the client. Attendance must be regular or ‘courtesy calls’ are made to irregular clients. Any genuine issue raised by the client, should be taken up and alternate arrangements made if possible.

Watch Out: Sengu classifies peoples into three categories: the Sedentary, such as the IT employees glued to computers without much or any physical work, the Moderate, people who strike a balance between physical and stationary work, and the Active, such as the Sports people. If desired results are delayed, clients should also take the responsibility in case of irregularities in diet, use of steroids especially the ones used for animals and understand the impact medicines have on health, recognize the fact that alcohol consumption and smoking result in the increase of calories and unexhausted food due to lack of work out also contributes to increase in weight.

Going to the gym was once considered a luxury and later was seen more as a fad. But today’s concept of a gym and the self-motivated urge to go to a gym on a regular basis is definitely finding a place in a week’s schedule. The healthy food served in the canteens of fitness studios deserve a special mention since they steer off committed clients from being tempted. So, if health and fitness was on this year’s resolution list, there’s no better time than now to ‘hit the gym’. Medindia thanks 99° F Fitness Studio, Chennai, for the delightful encounter and lauds their commitment in encouraging people to stay healthy and fit.

Source-Medindia