It is hard to tell just by looking at her that she is a mother of a 14-year-old son. [break]
Recalling her school years in Dharan, Anju shares how much she loved to play basketball and other games that are exhausting.
It has been more than 15 years since she started doing regular exercise. “I continued to exercise even after moving to Singapore after getting married,” she said.
She spends more than an hour on aerobic dance sessions and simple physical exercises every morning.
“It´s not just me; my whole family is into exercising,” said Anju flashing a radiant smile. “My husband goes for weight lifting in the afternoon and my son, who is studying O levels, is learning B-boying. My mother- in-law does yoga.”
Like Anju, an increasing number of women, most of them housewives in their middle-ages, are now flocking to fitness centers in the Kathmandu Valley. They are attracted to doing cardiovascular and light physical exercises or Zumba, a hip twisting aerobic dance, to remain fit and healthy.
PHOTO: RIWAJ RAI
“Mostly women above 30 visit fitness centers," says Sudip Dotel, owner of Shapes Fitness Center at Bishal Chowk, Nakhipot.
“It is housewives who occupy our morning aerobic sessions," says Dotel, who is also a Zumba dance instructor. “While most of them are driven by their own interest, a few come here following doctor´s recommendation.”
For example, Paro Gurung, 38, who goes to a health club with her close friend Asha Gurung, it was her personal physician´s recommendation that she take to exercising to deal with her weight problem.
“My daughter was also instrumental in getting me into aerobics. She was the one who approached my aerobics instructor. Now I am enjoying it to the fullest," says Paro. Happily, Paro has lost around 10 kg weight in the last six months.
She has always been passionate about dancing from her early age. "I love to dance despite my heavy weight. Now I can sway like young girls without any difficulty," says Paro.
Kalpana Karki, who is in her mid-forties, also shared how five years of aerobic and dance classes have balanced and enriched her health. Before coming to the club, Karki had been suffering from multiple health problems.
"I had a high blood pressure, joints that ached most of the time and despite dieting, my weight never decreased. But exercising regularly following the guidance of the fitness instructors gradually freed me of these problems,” said Karki. “I have become slimmer than before and I feel proud of the fact.”
PHOTO: RIWAJ RAI
According to Tika Limbu, aerobics instructor at Rage Fitness Center in Thasikhel, Lalitpur, women after motherhood and after certain age grow vulnerable to many health problems that can be prevented through regular exercises. "Exercising is the better way of curing health problems than taking medicines. It will make you feel lively and bolster your resistance against diseases from inside," said Tika.
All the women interviewed by Republica said that their husbands and in-laws are supportive of their taking to aerobics as part of their daily routine.
Rita Sijapati, 44, an auxiliary nurse, confessed that she has been working out regularly to maintain her figure.
Sijapati is taller and has a well-toned body that stands out from the rest of her fitness club partners.
"I like to have an attractive figure that looks appealing in beautiful clothing. Doing regular exercise has helped me fulfill that aspiration," said Sijapati. “But more than that feeling light and energetic after working out made me fall in love with exercising,” she added.
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INTERVIEW
´Women more serious about exercise than men´
Sandesh Palungwa Limbu
Fitness expert and proprietor of Rage Fitness Centre
How do you see the trend of women visiting fitness clubs in urban area?
More people visit fitness clubs these days. And, a significant number of people visiting fitness clubs are middle-age women. There are around 50 women above the age of 28 taking various aerobics and dance classes at two of my fitness centers. It´s not that women did not visit fitness clubs in the past. However, their number has increased drastically these days. They are more conscious about their health now.
In the past, cardiovascular exercises like cycling, running on the treadmill and warm-ups were popular. However, various forms of other exercises like Zumba dance and martial arts are also catching up.
PHOTO: RIWAJ RAI
What draws more women to health clubs?
Earlier, many came looking for cure to their health maladies and they did so on the recommendation of the doctors. But today, I see many self-motivated housewives approaching me and asking questions about the proper way to work out depending upon their level of stamina and body structures. It is a proof that the concept of a healthy lifestyle has taken root among urban women.
Moreover, in my personal experience, I have found women more serious and devoted towards exercise than men, particularly, when it comes to regularity and sticking to diet regimes.
How has the fitness club industry evolved in Kathmandu?
With the growing level of health consciousness among people of various age groups, fitness industry has certainly evolved a lot in the recent years. To my knowledge, today there are around 500 such recreational clubs in the valley with more are in the process of opening up. However, there is still the shortage of health experts and educated trainers. There very few people who have taken professional lessons to become a trainer.
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