The ‘first open gym of the State’ is coming up at the Adventure Park in Asramam in the city.
The gym will be available free of cost to all. Morning walkers arriving at the Asramam maidan and the adjacent Government Guest House compound in the city are expected to be the biggest beneficiaries. The gym is being set up at a cost of Rs.15 lakh. CPIM) district secretary K.N. Balagopal allocated the money for it last year from his Local Area Development (LAD) Fund when he was a Rajya Sabha Member. The gym is being set up with clearance from the Kollam District Tourism Promotion Council that manages the park.
The idea for a gym struck upon Mr. Balagopal during a visit to Istanbul where he noticed lots of morning walkers using open gyms there. He told The Hindu that 19 fitness equipments were being installed at the gym. The work was in the final stages and the gym would be open for the people by next month end.
All the equipment would be weather-proof and fit to remain in the open during rain or sun. It would also include a manual treadmill. He said that at a time when health clubs were charging huge amounts for offering such equipment, at the Adventure Park, it would be totally free.
This could attract more people to become health conscious, he said. “The only requirement is that people will have to use the equipment responsibly. A person will also guide those using the equipment and ensure that they are carefully used,” he said.
