Fitness clubs around the city are leaving no stone unturned in encouraging people to get into shape. Fitness, however, should be for all, says avid runner and fitness enthusiast Babita Xavier. She runs a fitness centre in the city and loves to indulge in the excercise regime even on weekends, by way of giving back to the society, especially to women.
Quoting the bible, Babita says, “A man may be the head of the house, but it is a woman who is the neck and if the neck is not strong enough, it affects the head as well as the family.” Which is why she has started a fitness group solely for ladies, who meet at the Sanjeeviah park, every Saturday morning.
The group now comprises about 80 people, and every weekend, a minimum of 20 ladies are in attendance, with almost 90 per cent being housewives.
Elaborating on how it all started, she says, “The seed for the idea was sown two years ago when I won a few medals in the Athletics South Asian Championship. Women would say to me, ‘I wish I was like you!’ And, I would say, ‘why not? You can be!’ I began the group last year in June, with just two others. We would go to the park and would run and exercise. Gradually, I started sharing our pictures and spreading the message on social media and, through word of mouth, several people joined. The turning point was when we created a WhatsApp group, where we encourage and help the ladies to exercise regularly,” she says.
Priyanka Jain, one of the group members, says, “ I was walking in the park with a friend one day, when I saw Babita exercising with others. I was so pleasantly surprised with the concept and even more surprised to know that it was all free of cost! We jog or walk almost three kilometres, do the stretches, and sitting exercises, using proper techniques.”
The best part about this group, she says, is “they may wear saris or salwars, but they understand the importance of fitness. Some mothers even bring their kids, so the age group ranges from eight to 62 year olds.”
