The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) will be soon opening its first gym for women. The gym is being built in sector 20 of Belapur. The gym will be located at Belapur Community Center’s third floor.
The civic body is setting up all the required infrastructure and equipment for this pilot project. The administration has floated tender bids for acquiring gym equipment worth INR 94 lakhs.
An official from the sports department said, “The third floor of the community center was previously leased to a private gym, but for a long period of time now, it is lying vacant. The same venue is now to be developed by NMMC as a health center for women.”
The concept of the gym was proposed by the former corporator of ward no 106, Poonam Patil. She said that women often neglect their health while looking after the needs of their families.
She further said, “Due to the high membership costs, women are hesitant to use the gym. I had noticed that hundreds of women would show up enthusiastically for even a day-long Zumba or yoga session. I had put out the notion last year after realizing that ladies would respond well to NMMC's offering of a gym.”
In a country where the Mental and Physical health of women is being neglected widely, this stem pf NMMC will be beneficial for women’s health care. The residents of the locality have welcomed the decision.
Nerul resident Varsha Datta, said, “It is a novel concept which will help the women of the city tremendously. A community center exists in every node and NMMC should consider allocating some space exclusively for women’s health.”
Dumbbell racks, women Olympic 7 ft barbells, Elliptical cross trainers, commercial treadmills, commercial air bikes, stair climbers, squat equipment, wrist curls, leg extension and leg curl machines, etc. are some of the equipment of the gym which the civic body desires to install in the gym.
Sports officer, RH Gurav, said that they have invested a lot of thinking into the acquisition of the appropriate equipment that will suit women who are likely to train in the gym. “Some of the equipment will be utilized for another common gym in Belapur city,” he added.
An option for managing and maintaining the gym must be chosen with the equipment purchase. According to the corporation's 2012 policy decision, gym patrons will be charged 300 monthly rupees. Gurav further stated, “Whether the rates will be revised or the whole setup will be outsourced to a private entity will be determined once the equipment gets placed.”
Once the gym is functional, it depends on whether women choose to work out or not. Even after crossing over covid pandemic, women hesitate to prioritize their health. According to a survey conducted by Emcure Pharmaceuticals, working women over the pandemic have shown that a staggering 93% face a conflict of interest while balancing family responsibilities, health, and professional obligations. Over 68% feel pressured to prioritize family over work.
General physician Ketaki Joshi quoted that women tend to ignore health issues. Women tend to go with home remedies or off-the-counter medication and delay taking tests till it becomes a serious cause for concern.
She further added, “Stress and unhealthy lifestyle choices are major contributors to cardio-related ailments, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), diabetes, hypertension, and infertility, all of which are on the rise.”
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