Getting high on exercise

A rage abroad, the outlandish idea of a 'morning rave party' is slowly picking up in India

Among the various things to get up at 5:30 in the morning for, a rave party is perhaps the least likely occurrence one can think of. After all, the things that you are likely to get up that early for would generally include an early morning shift at work, getting your child ready for school or going for a run in the nearby park. Adding a rave party to this list, however, might not be entirely a bad idea — despite its somewhat misleading name, this rave party is perhaps the healthiest option a fitness freak would want to take up.

In December last year, Growfitter (earlier Gymtrekker), an online portal that brings together structured health and fitness platforms in one place, organised India’s first “early morning rave party”: Dawn Trekker at Radio Bar in the Bandra (West) neighbourhood of Mumbai. The event started at 6:30 am with yoga and was followed by crossfit, zumba and mixed martial arts.

“When you go to a club, you go there to have a good time. So, we thought about creating the same environment with the same DJ, but with healthier eating and drinking options,” says Sambhav Jain, one of the co-founders of Growfitter. “More important, these parties are completely alcohol and drug free.”

Dawn Trekker was India’s first exposure to the concept of an early morning rave party — it became quite a rage in the US and UK some time ago. Among the events that are popular abroad is Daybreaker, a signature event that took off in New York before venturing out to other prominent American cities such as Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago. In London, a similar event called Morning Gloryville has been wooing fitness enthusiasts since 2013.

“In Mumbai, we love our nights but we forget that we have a large morning community too,” says Rakhee Mehta, co-founder of Wonderise, who organised its early morning fitness party earlier this year. “We were getting used to doing the same mundane things, which was a mitigating factor in organising this event.” She adds that you don’t always need alcohol to get high.

For those who have attended these parties, the experience has been enormously thrilling. Prerna Sinha, a full-time blogger who attended Growfitter’s launch event in December, says that it is a party for people who love fitness. Ruchi Kapoor, who earlier worked in the fashion department of brands such as Shoppers Stop, and now runs a yoga company, adds that the idea is to get everyone together — the energy on a Sunday morning is as high as it would be if you were attending a late-night party on a Friday or a Saturday.

So is the “early morning rave party” now a substitute for the regular gym? Mehta is of the opinion that gyms, because of their regimented and stereotyped nature, are becoming boring and people are crying out for change. The rave parties not only offer something different and bring with them greater energy, but they also make users meet like-minded people, which is good for their mental faculties.

The good news, though, is that while these parties have so far been restricted to Mumbai, both Growfitter and Wonderise are looking to spread their bases and explore the market in other metros. Growfitter has tied up with Supersonic and all its future events will now be called the VH1 Supersonic Growfitter Party.

While it’s still early days, one does hope that the success these events have found in Mumbai will be replicated in other cities as well. It may be in the best interest of people’s health.

WHAT IS AN EARLY MORNING RAVE PARTY?

• Takes place for three hours soon after dawn
   
• Same ambience as a night club but with healthier food options
   
• Energy bars and juice shots post workout sessions
   
• Creates an energy that resembles a party at the nightclub
   
• As of now just restricted to Sundays

BETTER THAN A REGULAR GYM?

• More interactive
   
• Presence of like-minded people
   
• Makes fitness and exercise feel like a party