Gyms muscle in

A man works on fitness equipment at the gym of Dhaka Sheraton Hotel. For many, a daily workout is a must. Photo: Shawkat Jamil

The courtyard of a gym at Sonargaon Road buzzes round the clock.
Inside, Morshed Alam works on bodybuilding instruments and multi-gym equipment.
“A workout gives me the stamina to face the day and relieves tension as well. If I do not exercise, I feel lethargic," says Alam, 30, emerging from the gym to catch his breath.
He joined the gym about a month ago. Every day, he pulls down the shutter on his small tiles outlet and joins the band of health-conscious people from all professions.
The tiles seller is now one of the 500 members of the fitness centre -- Platinum Gym -- established nearly a year ago, to the benefit of fitness lovers of both sexes, irrespective of age.
Thanks to health and fitness consciousness among the urban population, a new avenue for business has sprouted. More fitness centres are opening up from the densely populated Old Dhaka to the upscale neighbourhoods of Baridhara and Gulshan.
Based mainly on membership fees, these gyms offer fitness seekers and beauty-conscious people a series of services from aerobics and fat reduction to bodybuilding, spinning, sauna and swimming.
The gyms also promise extra attention for members with conditions such as cardiovascular ailments or diabetes.
A mere decade ago, fitness and bodybuilding was only considered a hobby and there were only a handful of gyms around, mostly in Old Dhaka.
Parks and other open spaces served as the only source of physical activity for the health conscious people then.
As city landscape changed, with fewer playgrounds and clustered high-rises, residents slowly adopted the gym as an option.
“Any sort of sport is an exercise. But a decline in the number of playgrounds limited the scope and gave rise to gym culture,” says yoga expert Dr Abdul Wadud, managing director of Platinum Gym, which was established with a Tk 80 lakh investment.
Hollywood, Bollywood and fitness related programmes on satellite television have also influenced growth of the culture.
“Healthy living and looking attractive by being fit was mainly fuelled by the satellite media," says Shahidus Sadeque, marketing and communication manager of Dhaka Sheraton Hotel, which expanded its gym capacity last year to meet increased demand.
Five-star hotels like Dhaka Sheraton charges Tk 95,000 in annual membership fees for a person.
Yearly membership fees for other fitness centres range between Tk 2,000 and Tk 50,000, with Gold's Gym, an American franchise, charging the highest.
Gold's Gym, established in June 2004, boasts around 2,000 members.
Operators say they enjoy profits with a constant rise in the number of members, from businessmen and service holders, to students.
“Gyms have become the latest hub for socialisation. Here you may hear discussion on business deals, jobs and in some cases, weddings,” said Sadeque of Dhaka Sheraton Hotel.
Encouraged by the surge in members, beauty saloons are also keen to start-up gym facilities and there has been a considerable rise in the number of shops catering to the needs of this industry.
Sports item sellers meet the rising demand for gym products, like treadmills, bikes and multi-gym equipment.
“Demand for sports goods was once high, which has been outpaced by the demand for gym equipment,” says Masum Billah, salesman of Royal Sports at Maolana Vasani Hockey Stadium Market.
An increasing number of gyms have also created work for orthopaedic doctors and body builders, who are hired part time to stay on the gym floor to inform members about the correct way to exercise and avoid exercise related injuries.
“I maintain a tight schedule as I work as an instructor in three gyms and give time to members at my gym as well," says Sohel Rana, one of the three hundred body-builders in Bangladesh.
“I instruct people on different needs, like reducing belly fat, tightening muscles, losing weight and burning extra calories," he says.
“I joined a gym to remain fit and steer clear of age-related complications," says 40-year old housewife Fatima Laila, who previously walked around Dhanmondi Lake to be active. "I stopped walking there as I no longer had time in the morning and also for security reasons."
Fatima now bears a Tk 2,000 membership fee a month to Platinum Gym by cutting shopping expenses.
“I can go exercise after completing all my household chores in the day time, as the gym remains open till late at night."
Such flexible timing not only helps Fatima, but many others to be able to exercise after long hours at work.
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