MUMBAI, India, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Taking a trip to a couple of gyms in various pockets of Mumbai and quizzing a few gym goers, and the answer you are going to get is this: "Who doesn't want to have hot bodies like that of John Abraham, Bipasha Basu or Priyanka Chopra?"
Is the fitness industry in Mumbai being driven by this narcissistic urge to follow celebrities?
Nutritionist and fitness consultant, and proprietor of Bodyworks -- Weight Management Specialists, Venu Hirani has been in this industry for the last 16 years.
"It is both -- awareness about fitness being a part of lifestyle as well as a desire to have super-slim bodies like that of celebrities -- that is taking the person out of his home to the fitness center," she said.
She pointed out that just take a look at what defines a successful actor today: having a well sculpted body is one of the most important criteria if one wants to succeed as an actor as opposed to erstwhile movie stars.
"It is this need that draws our celebs today to not only stay in shape but also promote being fit. Couple this with a better understanding of why it is important to be fit and you have your answer for the influx of not only regulars but also newcomers to fitness facilities,"she said.
"Besides, people in India idolize their celebrities, and this does not only hold true for Bollywood stars. One thing common among everyone featured on Page 3 -- whether it is on the sports grounds, on television or in films -- is that they are all fit. As health professionals, many a time, it is a challenge for us to convince people that being healthy must be a way of life. So when a celebrity endorses our views, it creates a better impact," said Hirani.
Diet and fitness go hand in hand. These days, books on diet and nutrition are being published to educate consumers about the food choices they should make for effective weight control and management.
Some recent examples are Don't Lose your Mind, Lose your Weight by nutritionist and fitness professional Rujuta Diwekar and Eat Right to Stay Bright by Dr Shweta Rastogi, a clinical dietitian and consultant in lifestyle medicine.
Rujuta's book has a foreword by film star Kareena Kapoor, who said Rujuta has not just changed her body but also her mind and soul.
"When a celebrity endorses a book on diet and nutrition, it implies he or she supports the views of the author, and that helps to take the message across to many more people, thereby also adding to the ratings of the book,"said Hirani.
Celebrity fitness videos, a trend started in the West and made successful by Hollywood actress Jane Fonda seems to be taking off in India.
Jane Fonda's aerobics video called Jane Fonda's Workout (1982) sold 17 million copies, making it the best-selling home video ever, DVD versions of this were re-released from the year 2005 onwards.
In India, Bollywood has toed the Fonda line with fitness and yoga videos launched by actresses Rekha, Shilpa Shetty, and very recently by Bipasha Basu.
"Fitness videos help to further the potential of this business because of two things: first, the celebrity in question knows what has worked for her body, and she wants to share it with the world, and second, marketing the video is not a challenge with a celeb in the package," said Hirani.
The only downside to this is the person watching the video may not be as experienced as the celeb performing it and in case of medical issues may end up doing the wrong exercise, which may harm his body, she said.
"Fitness enthusiasts and practitioners, however, will find such videos beneficial for the variety offered and professionals will get an insight into what works well for celebrities,"she added.
The potential of this industry according to Hirani is huge. There is more than one fitness facility in almost every locality in Mumbai, and an average of two people from almost every household in Mumbai are enrolled in these facilities.
Interestingly, today there are a dime a dozen options available for consumers -- ranging from parks and beaches, which are free for all, to small- and medium-sized facilities, to the more recent 200 plus square meters facilities.
"It's a consumer's market at far as fitness goes," said Hirani.
Franchise gyms of the likes of US-based Gold's Gym and recent entrant, again US-based Snap Fitness in India, apart, the small- size, affordable, neighborhood gym format too is taking off in a big way. A franchise player in the city such as Gold's Gym has 45 centers in Mumbai whereas another major, Talwalkars Better Value Fitness, has 51 branches across major cities in the country, boasting of 55,000 members.
Talwalkars has a training academy too that offers education and conducts equipment training workshops for fitness professionals.
Fitness must be taken seriously in India because of mounting health issues such as obesity and diabetes, both of which are rising at an alarming pace in the country.
Obesity is a huge risk factor for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It also disturbs menstrual cycles in women and can lead to infertility in both sexes.
Tags:bodyworks, gym franchise, fitness franchise, franchise gyms, gold's gym franchise, snap fitness franchise, talwalkar franchise
Editor: Bi Mingxin, by Sharmistha Dey, Englishnews.cn
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