Northern Eye: Naked in the gym

The Greek word gymnasium means "place to be naked", and here, as well as studying, young intellectuals performed handstands and somersaults completely in the nude.

History maintains that the Greeks and Spartans were the original fitness freaks, until, in the 12th century, the Indians took up serious bodybuilding and spread the pastime worldwide. By the 1500s, fitness fanatics around the globe were pumping dumbbells made from wood and stone.

The first sophisticated gymnasium apparatus arrived in 1740. The chamber horse was a wooden contraption of boards and springs, on which participants bounced as if riding a pony - presumably fully clothed.

Sweden's Dr Gustaf Zander introduced adjustable weights and levers when he opened his training institute in 1865, and by the 1920s, bodybuilding celebrities like Eugene Sandow were making their mark. The Canadian Weider brothers followed suit with their fitness magazine "Your Physique", and it wasn't long before schools everywhere recognised the importance of building a gymnasium.

Shortly after World War II, American draftees into the armed forces were found to be grossly unfit, and president Eisenhower took great pains to promote physical fitness in the US. Later, John F Kennedy deemed it necessary to encourage government to start youth fitness programmes by writing an article in Sports Illustrated called "The Soft American".

The trend was set, and today gymnasiums are within most people's reach - in shopping malls, hotels, city centres, stadiums and schools. And according to the National Sporting Goods Association, home-gym equipment achieves sales in the region of US$4.7 billion (Bt157 billion) per annum.

Pumping up business

Fitness became commercialised in Britain when Eileen Fowler produced a keep-fit radio show in 1954 and followed it up two years later by forming the Keep Fit Association. She went on to write a book on the subject, make recordings and appearances on TV.

Meanwhile, back in the States, Charles Atlas was peddling "Dynamic Tension" and bodybuilders-turned-actors like Joe Gold, John Grimek and Arnold Schwarzenegger hit the scene. The modern keep-fit craze caught on, and today it's not unusual for an American household to own $20,000 worth of fitness equipment.

Here in Chiang Mai, Powerhouse Gyms International recently opened its first Thai branch off Nimmanhaemin Road, offering "excellent facilities, state-of-the-art equipment and outstanding service".

Powerhouse also provides an "Optimum Performance Training" workout model, which in everyday English means there is an individualised fitness course that suits anyone in any condition. After sorting out your kind of programme, sessions are supervised by qualified instructors from the US National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Other activities involve pumping iron in the Bodypump class to tone up muscles, raise metabolic rate and burn off fat; while a Bodybalance session helps to restore the connection between mind and body to control muscle movement.

A more strenuous session aimed at burning off excess fat and cholesterol is Bodycombat - a combination of moves, stances and self-defence disciplines done to music.

And after all that, the PowerBlends juice bar is waiting to serve you with a variety of health and energy drinks.

KickFit and fashion

Meanwhile, the people at California Wow Xperience staged a girl-on-girl battle between sexy superstars "Odette" and "Nui-Kessarin" for the March launch of their the explosive KickFit programme.

California Wow adopts a hip promotional style to create a way-out image, and the fitness centre's CEO and founder, Eric Mark Levine, has recently teamed up with Michel Adam's Fashion TV.

 "California WOW Xperience produces healthy, fit and beautiful people in everything that we do. So this is a perfect partnership," says Levine.

Pop up to the top floor of Chiang Mai's Central Airport Plaza to join the beautiful people in a multitude of fitness programmes that include Intro Aerobics, Shapeups, Body Pump, Bums and Tums, Dance Rhythms, Go Lo, and Planet Yoga for body and mind - and KickFit.

Like Powerhouse, California Wow will customise courses to suit the individual, and while some activities follow a similar pattern, they probably attract a different kind of clientele.

Raising the bar

Staff members at both gymnasiums are friendly and helpful, but how much you pay is not straightforward - it depends on the activities involved, periods of time and promotions. But, expect to shell out around Bt15,000 per year.

If that seems expensive, then Chiang Mai offers cheaper alternatives to those willing to shop around, with some hotels being a pretty sound bet. The municipal stadium will let you use their track and equipment for just a few baht, and the fitness park off Nimmanhaemin Road is free.

And what do I do?

Walk briskly down to the pub every night, lift a few jars and stagger home along the pavement obstacle course - usually with my clothes still on.