Lucknow's new fitness fad: get out and workout

Lucknow's fitness freaks are choosing the city's parks over gyms not just for running and jogging, but also high intensity workouts abd free hand exercises.
Pumping iron at a state-of-the art gym isn't everyone's cup of tea. And Lucknow's fitness enthusiasts are discovering that working out in the open is like a breath of fresh air (literally) that can perk up a monotonous gym routine.These people are increasingly turning the city's parks into outdoor gyms, with running and jogging being complemented by high intensity cardio, free hand exercises and stretching routines.
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR!
People like Rajiv Agarwal, an entrepreneur, has been religiously working out in the open since the past four years, and has never stepped into a gym. "I make it a point to fit at least 3-4 outdoor workouts in a week. My routine typically consists of a run, basic fitness exercises and stretching to end the workout. I've been following this routine ever since I started working out, and it has really brought up my fitness levels. The amount of fresh oxygen I get during the workout is enough to keep me active and fresh throughout the day in spite of a 12-hour work schedule," says Rajiv, who sometimes takes help of a professional trainer as well for his outdoor sessions.
Similar is the case with Monika Sharma, a homemaker in her late thirties who we spotted engrossed in a hardcore workout at one of the city parks. "I used to go to the gym a couple of years ago, by virtue of which I learnt a lot of exercises for different muscles of the body . Now I utilise that knowledge and couple it with free hand exercises that I've learnt from the net, but I work out in the open. I jog for a while, do a couple of push-ups, crunches, etc., and again get back to my run. There's nothing like working out in fresh air and natural surroundings," says Monika.
Naveen Singh, a fitness trainer at Lohia Park, employed by the LDA, conducts outdoor workouts every day in the morning and evening for fitness enthusiasts who visit the park. "My morning class starts at 5.40 am and has about 100-150 participants right from 15 to 70 years of age.I make them do a combination of Zumba, aerobics, free hand exercises, yoga and stretching for an hour. Ever since the Lucknow Development Authority started an outdoor gym at the park along with fitness sessions, the number of participants has grown manifold, with plenty of people even quitting gym and coming just for these workouts," says Naveen, adding, "The gym routine is slightly repetitive, and the body gets used to it very easily and stops responding after a certain time. On the other hand, there's always something new to do outdoors. Fresh air makes workouts 80% more effective."
GYM TRAINERS ALSO HEAD OUTDOORS
Gym addicts too are slowly opening up to the idea of outdoor fitness sessions.In fact, most gyms in the city have even started dedicated outdoor sessions once or twice in a fortnight. Like Natasha Verma, manager at a popular gym in Gomtinagar, tells us, "Every fortnight, we have an outdoor activity wherein we take our members to a nearby park for a workout. We do different forms of functional and circuit training along with high intensity cardio. In a gym, cardio is restricted to the treadmill and cycle, so there isn't much scope for experimentation. We have approximately 50-60 members participating in the outdoor session, which is led by 5-6 trainers. In fact, the members keep requesting us to conduct such sessions," says Natasha.
A fact corroborated by Nitish Nautiyal, who heads operations at another gym in the city . "While the gym is really important for regular exercising and fitness, muscular endurance training once a week outdoors is very essential for shocking the body and making you strong. We promote bi-weekly endurance training outdoor sessions for our clients, and even offer refreshments to keep them hydrated during their workouts," says Nitish. He adds, "The only equipment used are the stairs at the park for cardio. We do a mix of core strengthening exercises like burpees, planks, crunches, dips, etc."
Lucky Jaffer, a freelance trainer in the city, often takes his clients for outdoor sessions. "It's for the simple reason that it makes the workout more challenging and exciting for the person.Instead of doing various forms of jumps and kick-boxing indoors, I introduce an outdoor session at least once a week. One cannot get bored or tired easily that way, and remains motivated," says Lucky .
Aviral Jain, an entrepreneur and fitness enthusiast in his twenties, adds rigorous cross-fit training out in the open once a week to his regular gym routine. "I do a form of cross fit called battle training, in which we run with heavy truck tires, and use hammers and ropes.It is a challenge every week that I look forward to, and it also gives me a fair idea of my fitness level. The benefits of my gym routine also increase by such sessions," says Aviral.
TRAINING OUTDOORS WITH FITNESS APPS
With a spate of fitness apps available for smartphones, a couple of workout enthusiasts are using them for their outdoor sessions. Like Shrishti Sahu, an entrepreneur in her early twenties, tells us, "I'm specifically training for the half Ironman triathlon, which is going to happen in November, so my workouts are designed for it. I run at city parks, bike around the city and swim, besides working out outdoors and also sometimes at the gym. I have almost three outdoor sessions a week, for which my trainer has specifically designed exercises, but I also use a couple of training apps to add to my routine," says Shrishti.