Noida’s green hotspots for fitness

Summer season and outdoor activities usually don’t go hand in hand, but there are several fitness enthusiasts in Noida who are proving this wrong. And they are doing this thanks to Noida’s sprawling and well-maintained parks, some of which have facilities like open-air gyms and meditation zones to offer. And they also serve as a perfect place to organise sports activities karate and taekwondo classes, and yoga, zumba and aerobic sessions.Here are the four most popular parks in Noida and why they are the favourites of fitness-conscious Noidawallahs.
Meghdootam park is a hub of activities like yoga, taekwondo and karate
An early-morning visit to Meghdootam Park and you will see scores of people doing yoga or meditating. The lush green garden is a preferred destination for yoga enthusiasts. Radhika Lal, a yoga instructor who lives in Mayur Vihar Extension, says, “The park is well-maintained and is dotted with flowering plants. It provides ample space for fitness activities like yoga, taekwondo, laughter yoga and more. My friend told me about this park, and when I first came here, I saw many people practicing yoga, which gave me good vibes.”
Ankita Sharma, another regular visitor, says, “This is a great place for beginners to learn yoga. I have been coming to this park for five years and have made many friends here who have taught me numerous yoga poses.”
Not only yoga, but this park is also a hit with the kids who come here for karate training. Vishwajeet Dey, a karate instructor, says, “The best thing about this park is that it is beautiful, well-maintained and guarded. Now that summer vacations are about to begin, more kids will join the classes.” Nandika Mattu, a karate student, says, “The park is huge and we get a lot of space to play games.”
Meghdootam park is a preferred destination for yoga enthusiasts

Open-air gym's well-maintained equipment a hit with youngsters
The open-air gym in Sector 36 is one of the oldest and most popular open-air gyms in Noida. The park’s gym area is well-maintained and attracts residents from Sectors 36, 37 and 31. JP Uppal, president, Sector 36 RWA Noida, says, “This open-air gym opened two years ago. People start coming here as early as 5am and the gym remains occupied till 8am. In the evening, many youngsters come around 5.30pm and workout till 8.30pm. We also have a yoga class every day from 5.30am that goes on till 7.30am.”
Mithali Sharma, a working professional, says, “I saw a video of this park online and I was surprised to see the number of fitness enthusiasts working out here. Though I live in Arun Vihar, I regularly come here as I got inspired by the huge number of fitness-conscious people thronging this gym. I rarely miss my workout session here,” says.
Kavita Sagar, a resident of A-Block, Sector 36, says, “I have been coming to this gym for the past six months. The best part about the gym is that it is free of cost yet so well-maintained. Also, one can work out in the open and breathe fresh air while working out. That’s not possible in the gyms.”
The open-air gym in Sector 36 is one of the oldest
Triphala Park is the popular laughter-yoga spot in the city
Not just any type of trees, this park is popular for its herbal trees like triphala, amla and harad. It is most loved by senior citizens. “What’s a better way to start your morning than inhale the fragrance chhoti harad, badi harad, triphala and amla? I come here every morning to rejuvenate myself,” says Manju Jaiswal, a homemaker and a resident of Krishna Apra, Sector 61 Noida. “Exercising in this park, among these herbal trees, makes me feel healthy, especially in summers. I have been coming here since 2003 to exercise and do yoga,” says CR Sharma, a 91-year-old resident of Sector 61.
“I believe that breathing this air increases your lifespan. I have experienced this personally. I love spending my mornings here, doing yoga and laughter yoga with my buddies,” says Virendra Kumar Jain, a resident of sector 61.
Triphala Parks known for its herbal trees like triphala, amla and harad
Stalls of health drinks outside Amitabh Park a hit
The lush green establishment attracts many joggers from Noida, Ashok Vihar and Mayur Vihar. Apart from providing a soothing ambience, the park is also popular for juice stalls selling lemon and honey juice, along with mixed juices of aloe vera, karela, amla, methi, kadi patta and pudina. Attached to a rose garden, its huge area gives kids ample space to play games.
Aashmeen Tyagi, a resident of Sector 15, says, “Jogging toh theek hai, but I come here especially to have the fresh aloe vera juice. It is very refreshing.”
Bhupender Singh, a resident of Mayur Vihar who has been visiting this park for the past 27 years, says, “After exercising for almost an hour, I find this juice very filling. It is a great way to start your morning and rejuvenate yourself. Also, since the price of these juices is minimal, one can afford to have it daily.”
Deepika Malhotra, a resident of Sector 14, says, “This juice contains a lot of fresh herbs which are good for health and help in reducing weight. They also serve a variety of juices that one can’t make at home. We have a small park in our sector, but I prefer coming here."
Santosh Gadekar, a juice stall owner from IP extension, says, “My home is far from the park, but I set up my stall at this park as the sale is good here. Many health-conscious people, who visit the park daily, love to have a glass of fresh juice after a rigorous workout session. The sale is good throughout the year, but summer is the time when I get maximum profit as more people visit the park in the season.”
The park is also a go-to place for youngsters who come here to play cricket. Shubham Tyagi, a resident of Laxmi Nagar who spends his evenings at the park playing cricket, says. “This is a huge park and it gives us a lot of space to play cricket. You rarely get such a huge space in NCR where you can play cricket without having to worry about losing the ball every time you hit a six!”
Juice stalls outside Amitabh Park help Noidawallahs rejuvenate