A gym has opened at AE Block community hall with only a treadmill but the authorities are hopeful that it will be enough to get residents to turn their focus on health. 

“People are not very health-conscious in this neighbourhood and few go for morning or evening walks around the park. But a sophisticated gym at affordable rates would make it fashionable to work out,” said Tapas Sengupta, secretary of AE Block Samaj Kalyan Sangha that is running the gym. 

The gym was set up with a fund of Rs 2 lakh that former councillor Swati Banerjee helped procure from the state youth affairs minister Aroop Biswas and Banerjee said that should she get re-elected, she would apply for funds again to buy more equipment. 

“I myself have often thought of joining a gym but the timings never suited me. Hopefully, I can join this one now,” said Banerjee, after a trial walk on the treadmill. She also inaugurated the gym. 
Besides buying the automatic treadmill, the Rs 2 lakh allocation was used to renovate the first floor and make it fit for a gym and to procure two 2-tonne air-conditioners. “All private gyms are air-conditioned and no one would come to us if this wasn’t. But since it is a block community initiative, we shall keep the rates lower than at other gyms,” said Sengupta.

The rates will be decided after a gym instructor is recruited and till then no one would be charged for using the treadmill. Membership would be restricted to members of Samaj Kalyan Sangha. 

The authorities are not worried about the flight of stairs deterring senior citizens from joining the first floor gym. “If someone’s legs ache to climb stairs, they should not try to get on a treadmill in the first place,” said Sengupta.  
Besides the gym, the first floor of the community hall has a library, dance, yoga and astrology classes. “If the teachers of the other classes wish they may use the air-conditioners,” said Sengupta.