Fitness fanatics have no option but to work out indoors during the monsoon months. A Telegraph picture

Rohit Magan, a fitness fanatic and a regular at the Punjab Club gym, couldn’t fetch up at the club for his daily exercise regimen during the recent spell of heavy rain. He had to stay cooped up at home, feeling restless.

He isn’t alone. Waterlogged streets and parks have left morning and evening-walkers in the city frustrated, while also thwarting the avid gym-goer. The result — Calcuttans are sweating it out at home and retail outlets selling home fitness equipment are making hay while it rains.

“The monsoons are the peak season for us,” confirms Gagan Sachdev, the director of Bodyline Sports, with stores at Ballygunge Circular Road opposite AAEI and Metropolis Mall at Hiland Park. “This is the time of the year when we make new customers, especially those who are regular morning-walkers or gym-goers,” Sachdev adds.

Foldable treadmills and exer-bikes have emerged the most popular buys as they occupy less space, a critical consideration in today’s apartment-living scenario.

“I’m very happy that I bought a treadmill for home use and now my entire family can work out every day irrespective of the weather,” says Sanjay Rungta, a recent buyer.

Rachit Mata, a regular gym-goer, also bought a home gym with 24 different workout options and considers it the “right investment”, given the bad roads and parking hassles. “This will save me a lot of money, which I would have otherwise spent on my annual gym memberships,” he smiles.

A recent analysis shows that during the rain months, sales of domestic fitness gear goes up by 60 per cent across the country, points out Dinesh Kapoor, owner of the Fitness World chain of stores in Delhi.

“Yes, the rain god has always been kind to this business and during the monsoon months, sales pick up by more than 25 per cent in my store,” observes Kuljit Singh of Pioneer Sports, an old favourite on Chowringhee.

Sachdev’s Bodyline Sports has also rolled out a Monsoon Magic Offer to make the most of the domestic demand, with easy purchase options on over a hundred models that include motorised and manual treadmills, home gyms, cross-trainers, abdomen-exercisers, exer-bikes, steppers and cycles.

Even Tollywood is hit by the home fitness bug, with actors like Jeet and Tota Roychoudhury relying heavily on their treadmills and other personal equipment to stay in shape as it pours outdoors.