These new centres give fitness a leg-up

Ever thought of having a little adventure and adrenaline while working on your fitness — something that helps you balance both body and mind? Indoor rock climbing is an emerging sport in Chennai, where one climbs artificial rocks on the wall, which resemble the experience that of outdoors. This sport helps in muscle building, spatial orientation and develops concentration. 

It requires a lot of strategising and will help evolve thinking skills among children. 

“The addition of indoor climbing to Chennai’s vibrant fitness culture has become a feather in its cap. The drive and motivation to train at a climbing gym is way more than a monotonous regular gym due to its puzzle-solving nature. We change the routes on a regular basis and this keeps people engaged and they can see constant progress in their fitness. 

One can burn up to 1,000 calories in an hour,” says Shyam Sundar, owner of Fit Rock Arena. Apart from being just an activity, it is regarded as a fitness routine as it targets your core to give you the balance and strength to hold your body close to the wall. 

“Your forearms get a real workout from rock climbing, and your upper arms and shoulders pull you up when your legs can’t provide enough pushing force. You’ll need the power of your glutes, along with your leg muscles, to propel yourself upward as rock climbing is a full-body workout,” he explains. 

It isn’t as easy as it looks but is a great workout and extremely fun, assures Shyam. 

“Fitness freaks would surely love it. It is an exhilarating experience and a great team building activity,” is what Ravi, a participant, has to say. Trampolining is another upcoming activity that requires no skill or training yet it burns calories and tones muscles through flips and somersaults. One has to use all the muscles in their legs, stomach and core to gain balance, which can help burn double the calories. 

“Most would assume that trampolining is a kids thing when, in fact, it can bear a person weighing up to 200 kg. It is in the Olympics too, so I thought, ‘Why not for the adults?’” says Mohammed Wasif, CEO of Airborne, The Trampoline Park. 

“When you jog, you pound on the hard surface of the floor, which often results in knee pain. Since the trampoline has low resistence, it gives you time to work out longer. It is also very effective — you can lose as many calories as you will in a 45- minute jog in just 20 minutes of trampolining.” 

Each trampoline has a different throw and jump depending on the size and number of springs and fitness classes here claim to be high intensity, full body cardio workouts. 

“The apt word to describe trampolining is fun! It tests your physical fitness and can be of particular benefit to those who have sedentary jobs where they sit for long hours,” advocates Venkatesh, an IT employee. 

It includes several benefits such as stress relief and increased oxygen circulation, so it comes as no surprise that an increasing number of Chennaiites can be seen literally jumping, tucking and springing their way to fitness!