Quality Assessment of Gymnasia in Chandigarh

Background: Healthy people generally have a positive attitude toward fitness. Fitness is an integral part of life, something that is scheduled, prioritized and lived out. The use of fitness centers and gymnasia for keeping fit has diverse applications. Moderate to high intensity exercise training is known to ameliorate the coronary risk factors in relation to an improvement in body composition. Methods: To examine the trend of use of gymnasia use and fitness activities, this cross sectional study was conducted from March 2010 to May 2010 in 50 randomly selected gyms in and around Chandigarh. Satisfaction of clients was also ascertained during the interview. Results: Overall, 50 gyms, 130 trainer and 260 users were studied. Only 72% gyms were registered. Most of the gym members were male. Only 9 % of them came for reducing weight. Most of the gyms had no equipment for cardio and aerobics. Majority of the gyms did not maintain their first aid kit and very less kept any record or did medical checkup when anyone joined. Majority of users were satisfied with the gym facilities (76%). Conclusion: Very few gyms have proper and certified staff for providing services at gyms and health club