Jolly good Amdavadis are sadly callous about their fitness...

As the world gets ready to celebrate World Health Day on Saturday, those in the 'health business' say Amdavadis are still callous about the matter.

According to them, the concept of staying fit to lead a healthy life has not yet caught up with the citizens here. The theme for this year's World Health Day is 'Ageing and health: Good health adds life to years'. "Only 30% of our clients come to us because they are bothered about being fit and staying healthy. The rest come because they want to build their body, are about to get married or want to attend a function. The concept of ensuring a fit body to live a healthy life has not yet caught up," said Anand Jaiswal, Branch Manager of Gold Gym.

He said that most of the people in the 40+ age group join the gym because they were sounded a warning by the doctor. "This is particularly true for those who are in their 50s and 60s. Very few elderly people come to us on their own just to stay fit," said Jaiswal.

Geeta Patel, a kick-boxing instructor, too said that most of her clients particularly in the 40+ age group come to her after being advised by doctors to start exercising.

"Around 20% to 30% of the women who come to me are in the 40+ age group. A woman recently came to me after her doctor advised her to starts exercising," said Patel. Emphasising that eating healthy and exercising slows the aging process, Patel said, "The benefits of investing in your health and fitness are best seen as you age, because that is when it matters the most."

Sangeeta Sinha, a freelancer and a regular yoga practitioner, said it was her fear of getting fat and not being healthy that propelled her to take care of her health.

She, however, believes that awareness about fitness and health is on the rise. "I think more people these days are opting for some or the other forms of workout to keep themselves fit," said Sinha.