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Anjali Prayag

They put top-notch corporates and celebrities through the paces. They are the personal trainers.

Gitanjali Kirloskar with her personal trainer Babu.

The fitness fad that hit urban India in the 1990s is only getting stronger, influencing all classes and age groups and, of course, witnessing newer trends every day. It all began with huge enrolments for aerobics and, later, a fancy membership in an exclusive gym or health club was one's ticket to social climbing. And now it's the age of `personal trainers.'

Executives, hard-pressed for time, hire fitness advisers and trainers, who chart out an exercise regime suited to individual needs and convenience.

Gitanjali Kirloskar, Chairperson of India-Japan initiative from the Kirloskar group and wife of Vikram Kirloskar, Vice-Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor Ltd, has worked out with a trainer for about five years now.

"I'm not a socialite-worried-about-looking-good type," she says. As she was keen to exercise right, she decided to hire a trainer because "if you exercise on your own, you tend to experiment and make mistakes that may result in injuries." Besides, it helps to have company when you exercise, she says.

Gitanjali works out three to four times a week with her trainer, Babu. His fitness regimen for her includes floor exercises, weight training, sand bags on ankles, and jogging. He gives her technical inputs on exercises, determines her strain levels and recommends changes in schedule. "When I want to change my fitness programme, he gives me professional help, which gyms cannot," she says.

Subir Shah, Director - Operations, Blue Label Scientifics, exercised with a trainer for a year, until his wedding last month. He hired a personal trainer because he did not have the time to go to a gym every day.

"Moreover, personal attention helps, you see... I lost 11 kg in one year," he says. Shah exercises two to three times a week under the guidance of his trainer, who is an employee of a leading chain of health clubs.

Though fitness trainers mainly help clients chart an exercise schedule, they are also equipped to advise on diet and nutrition. Shah's trainer, for instance, advised him on his diet and eating patterns.

But in Gitanjali's case, she feels that being a vegetarian, teetotaller and a non-smoker, it's easy for her "not to binge. I'm not at all a foodie. I prefer my food cooked in olive oil. This does not mean I do not eat from roadside stalls. I do eat chaats to make my body immune to all kinds of foods," she says with a smile.

Are personal trainers an expensive proposition? Most charge around Rs 300 per sitting, though some celebrity trainers bill up to Rs 600 per sitting.

Bangalore-based fitness specialist and personal trainer Kamini Patwari feels most gyms lack a personal touch. And some of the trainers are not adequately equipped and this can have dangerous consequences. "Most trainers are bodybuilders and not qualified for personal training in weights or cardio exercises," she says. This results in clients feeling exhausted and having little orno energy for other activity.

Kamini graduated from Dallas' Institute of Aerobics Research in Texas, US, which was set up by Dr Kenneth Cooper, considered the `Father of Aerobics'.

Her outfit, Body Beautiful, offers complete fitness solutions in diet, nutrition and exercise. One programme for all is awrong approach to fitness, she says. She does a fitness analysis of each person before recommending a fitness programme.

At Body Beautiful the clients undergo a cardiovascular endurance test and a muscular strength test to assess strength levels in the upper, lower and middle body. A training zone is recommended after testing the body mass level. "Ours is a progressive programme which ensures that you reach your goal gradually." In fact, a client sets her goal and is accountable to herself, she says.

Gitanjali intones the new age fitness mantra when she says: "Fitness should not be a fashion statement, but a healthy state of mind."

Picture by G.R.N. Somashekar

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