Gymnasiums are still perceived to have only cosmetic benefits, fitness experts said citing the state government notification that has straightjacketed gyms with spas and salons while enforcing a shutdown.
The Gym Owners’ Forum of Bengal wrote a letter to the chief minister on Tuesday, requesting the government to reconsider the ban on gyms.
“We are also open to the idea of running the gyms on a 50 per cent capacity in a shift wise manner,” the letter said.
The blanket ban discounts the therapeutic effects of working out and building a strong immune system, the need for which was highlighted in a never before fashion by the pandemic, said trainers.
“At a time when regular exercise should be encouraged, it is frustrating to see a blanket ban on gyms,” said Ranadeep Moitra, strength and conditioning coach and the co-owner of Endorphins chain.
His gyms had several new entrants who realised the importance of a robust immune system in the course of the pandemic.
“How can you club gyms with salons and spas? Gym is not about good looks. It is about good health,” said Neeraj Surana, another strength and conditioning coach.
The letter from the gym owners’ forum also harped on the immunity factor but only after stressing that the shutdown threatened to rob the livelihood of almost “two lakh” people dependent on this industry.
Gyms “also develop immunity, which is the need of the hour to fight against the virus,” the letter said.
The Sunday notification from Nabanna said: “Swimming pools, spas, gyms, beauty parlours, saloons and wellness centres shall remain closed”.
While the threat to livelihood was equally grim across all the sectors, shutting down gyms would have an adverse impact on the health of tens of thousands of patrons, said owners and trainers.
Fitness experts also countered the argument that exercise could be done at homes as well.
“There is no one size fits all approach to working out. A person with muscular problems needs one kind of exercise. A person with cardiac issues needs another kind. Exercise without supervision can do more harm than good,” said Surana.
The pandemic has taught that training was not a luxury but a necessity, said several fitness experts.
“There is no such vaccine which is going to make a person fit from inside,” said Sunny Mishra, also a strength and conditioning coach.