My interview in Times Of India

This is my interview in Times of India. The online link is this.

Kids in gyms: What parents should know

NEW DELHI: It's an uphill task for parents to keep their children occupied, creatively, during summer vacations. But now with summer camps and a host of other activities, including gyming, they can breathe easy.

Kids barely into their teens are lining up for intense workouts in city gyms during the break. Gyms too are wooing these young fitness freaks with summer special packages and discounts. "Nobody plays footfall, cricket and other outdoor sports due to space crunch. There are hardly good swimming pools. The better ones are either too expensive or too crowded. The way city's traffic has increased in the past few decades, it is not safe for children to go cycling. In the absence of outdoor activities, gyming is a healthy option. We get children between 13 and 17 years of age,'' said Kiran Sawhney, owner of Fitnesolution, a gym in south Delhi.

Gym owners claim that there has been a substantial increase in the number of schoolgoing children joining gyms over the last two to three years. "There's growing awareness about healthy living. Now, parents too prefer gym over television and videogames. As compared to last year, this year the response is better. Most of the kids who join are very regular. 

Students say it's a good way of shedding months of lethargy and weight gained during exam preparations. "I had put on a lot of weight in the last two-three months as I was studying for my class XII Boards. I have been gyming for the past two months now and have seen a visible change not only in the way I look but my stamina has also increased,'' said 17-year-old Shreyans Jain, who works out close to two hours everyday.