Increase in number of people taking up yoga: ASSOCHAM

There has been a 30 per cent increase in the number of people taking up yoga in the country, according to an ASSOCHAM survey.
"There has been a spurt in number of people that have taken up Yoga. The number is up by 30 per cent. Most of those performing it have been inspired by celebrities and media attention that it has garnered," noted the survey 'Yoga or Gym' conducted by ASSOCHAM Social Development Foundation.
The survey was conducted in 10 metro cities - Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai during which 100 gym trainers and fitness professionals and about 1,000 people working out in gymnasiums were asked what they considered a better workout regime.

The survey was conducted over two months in the run up to the second International Yoga Day to be celebrated globally tomorrow.
A majority of the gym trainers said there has been an increase in number of female clients by over 50 per cent since they began conducting yoga sessions at their establishments and in general the number of yoga practitioners has gone up by around 25-30 per cent during the past one year.
About 25 per cent gym regulars said they had switched to yoga after the first few sessions owing to increased flexibility, toning, strengthening and other such benefits of asanas meditation and breathing exercises, the survey said.

"Many even said that yoga has helped them fight everything from addiction and lower back pain to diabetes and aging, in addition to boosting overall well-being and stress relief," it said.

Additional benefits like improved digestion and concentration with reduced fatigue and tiredness has helped people to perform better at work. Some people say they do not feel guilty if they skip gym for a day or two as yoga can be practised at home and even at office.
However, majority of gym trainers advised combining yoga and gym sessions to get desired results of physical benefits and mental stimulation.

Gymnasiums and yoga studios in Lucknow have seen robust rise of up to 45 per cent in number of yoga practitioners, a majority of them being women.
"One of the key reasons for increased popularity of yoga is that of late it has developed as a panacea for the ailments of modern society - tech overload, disconnection and alienation, insomnia, stress and anxiety," said DS Rawat, secretary general of industry body.