I’ve had it with being teased about my prosperous belly and have decided to do something about it - besides those long walks at Carter’s which invariably end up with a Choco Frappe at Coffee Day at the end of the promenade! To wit, I’ve been looking for a good gym around the Bandra area. These days you’re spoiled for choice, a while back there was just Flex near Almeida Park. Anyway, a friend and I decided to do the rounds and check out four gyms namely the new Talwalkars near Tavaa, Forever Fit near Jogger’s Park, Body Opus near the Khar Telephone Exchange and Nirvana behind the Khar Tel Exchange.
From the time we walked into Talwalkars Bandra, you could see it was a snazzy place and a place to keep fit, look good and be seen. In fact, you can usually find some local Bandra and beyond celeb or the other there. The day we walked in VJ Yudi was working out in the corner somewhere! The interiors are post-modern stone and glass and the lighting is really tastefully and well done. The combined effect is to give it a look which really deserves the name ’’exercise studio’’. The equipment is state of the art and the gym is planned out very well. It is on two levels with the treadmills and free weights and stuff on the ground level (including an oddly named ’garden gym’ which is very much indoors) and the machines and other equipment in the basement level. There’s also a nice steam/sauna room. The trainers seem to know their stuff and promise to plan out an exercise regimen for me, should I join.
And now for the catch. You probably knew this was coming....it’s really pricey compared to the other gyms. Not very pricey in this age of disposable incomes and DINKs; but certainly at a substantially higher price point than say even a comparably good gym like Body Opus. When I calculated, including the sordid 8% service tax, it works out to be about 8 to 9 k pricier than the other gyms. They had some really good concessional rates some time back (and I’m still kicking myself for not going in earlier) but now it’s about 19k (not incl taxes) for a year’s membership. Till the 25th of August it was only about 13k or so. I’d love to join but oh the price....