Of Gym and Tonic

I must confess... I love to gym. As a matter of fact, the gym bug has bit me so badly, that a week's rest gives me severe withdrawal symptoms. Some of these include imagining that i have a cold, lost weight or have enough facial hair to grow a Spanish beard. But seriously, the gym fever, which has hit the city of Chennai seems to have burgeoned far beyond any one's expectations.

The word gym comes from the Greek word gymnos meaning naked. Gym is also an abbreviation for gymnasium which, in Greek, means place to be naked. It owes it's origins to the ancient gymnasia (is that right?) present in Ancient Greece. These were a locality for education of young men. The Greeks believed that physical exercise was as important as learning. Hence, specific locales were set up where physical exercise was performed, customarily naked. Gymnasia also had other features such as baths and even libraries with extensive collection of books.

Nowadays of course, physical exercise either comes at a premium(either due to time or financial constraints) or is simply a part of physical labor that comes with the job (this in most cases is more detrimental than beneficial). But, amusingly(i couldn't get a better word, ok?) the scenario seems to be shifting gradually. These days, there are all sorts of gyms catering to all strata. On one end are the swanky 3 storey, tiled “fitness centers” which give one the right mix of aerobics, aroma-therapy, weight-training and eucalyptus baths. These come with professional trainers and imported equipment thrown in as added appendages. On the other end of the spectrum, are those corporation gyms lying in the nooks and corners of every 5^th street. These have just enough equipment and even have their own share of “professional” trainers. As such, ergo, it isn't very difficult to find a place to work out and develop one's physical prowess(or simply try for those six-pack abs like me).

Yours truly first joined a gym right after my last competitive exam (read JEE). It was a whim with my father. I merely suggested that i join some gym to develop my body. Unfortunately for me (it was unfortunate then), he took my words seriously and immediately proceeded to enlist me in the finest gym that side of Mylapore. I was provided with a trainer (somehow all these trainers are called George). Basically, this guy had biceps the size of my torso (complete with curves). He looked at me the way people see road kill after it has been served along with pink frog legs. But I was a legal customer and so he had to smile at me. He asked me to try out 5 push ups. I couldn't. He then proceeded to 20 squats. I couldn't. 50 Lunges. I couldn't. One pull-up? What's a pull-up? At the end of it all, I was down with enough aches and pains to last me my entire life as an eligible bachelor. I cursed my self for opening my mouth and muttering that 3 letter word! But then, I went again and again and again. Each gym class I went, tortured myself went home wondering all the way whether I would make it back in time. And each time i would rise like a phoenix from the ashes waiting to conquer all that the trainer could throw at me. Gradually, i improved, moved on to weights, barbells, plates and what not. I dropped the trainer (I WAS THE ONE SMILING THEN!!!). I even developed a small paunch from eating too much(my dad would scoff at that)! Gymming made me feel good about myself and when i would look into the mirror searching for that little muscle, it made it all seem worthwhile. Now, it seems to be the opposite as far my reaction to gyms are concerned. When i finally got into the college i wanted, i simply used the gym facility available to provide a means of respite from my typical day which consists of sleeping 14 hours.

I would strongly encourage everyone (regardless of what social strata they belong to) to exercise in some way or another. Based my limited personal experience, i can safely say that exercise (to be differentiated from the stereotypical weight-training images conjured up when the word gym is mentioned) is healthy. it helped me to relax my mind at a time when i was using it the most (that is a subject of another blog). it provided me with a means to feel good and gave me the confidence to switch over from loose, long shorts to better fitting ones (you know... the ones which read - “Shut Up and Squat!”). Even a 15 minute walk is enough. Though a large portion of the population of India is not even in a position to earn 1 square meal a day, it would be necessary for us as responsible citizens to develop exercise or recreation facilities that could be accessible to all. As is said,

'Money is the most envied, but the least enjoyed. Health is the most enjoyed, but the least envied.'
cheers
>>harsh
mad.physicist@gmail.com