Bhubaneswar: Odisha govt launches 10 open air gymnasiums

Bhubaneswar, Feb 11: Acknowledged the nation's first smart city, Bhubaneswar has found out a smart move to stay fit and healthy. What started with five parks last year on September 1, on the 33rd foundation day of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), another five parks were added.

These parks had outdoor fitness equipment like air walkers, sit-up benches, air swings, twisters, set backs or gliders, push and pull up chairs, knee/hip raise on parallel bars, big shoulder wheels, spinners, benches with fixed dumbbell, benches with fixed weight lift and poles with fixed weight lifts.

The parks that have these equipment include Buddha Jayanti Park at Niladri Vihar, Biju Patnaik Park at Unit VI, Guru Kelucharan Park at Gadakana, Madhusudan Park at Pokhariput, Kharavela Park at Khandagiri, Indira Gandhi Park on the Sachivalaya Marg, Dharma Vihar Park, Unit VIII Park, Harekrushna Mahatab Park near Arts Block of BJB Autonomous College and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Park near Utkal University.

The exercise equipment in the parks cost upto Rs 48 lakhs. Ashokananda Dhar, the BDA chief Horticulturist said,"the objective was to provide free Open Air Gymnasium facility for all age groups. The facilities are simple with no need for formal training and would be useful on the day-to-day basis. This will try to bring in better human behavioral changes to modify our attitude towards healthy ideas and exercising activities."

OneIndia News