The gym is open from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
| Photo Credit: Srinath M.
On Fourth Trust Link Street at Santhome in Mylapore, a piece of vacant land cheek by jowl with a Greater Chennai Corporation-run middle school was being armtwisted every day into functioning as a garbage dumping spot by residents and passersby.That piece of land belonging to GCC now finds its hand strengthened having been made part of an arrangement that gets people to “twist” their bodies for their own good. GCC has established a modern women gym’s at a cost of ₹80 lakh, which was drawn from the Mayor’s fund as well as the Councillor’s Fund. Found in Ward 126, the gym was inaugurated by Mylapore MLA P. Venkataramanan on July 8, 2026. Councilor of Ward 126 Amirtha Varshini was present.The gym is around 200 metres from Santhome High Road (the point of the road where the old registrar office was located) and this would be among factors encouraging greater patronage.The timings of the gym have been drawn up in a manner that would benefit both working women who need to get their daily dozen before leaving for work in the morning and homemakers who would be strapped for time in the early hours having to attend to family members heading to school/ college and office. The gym is open at the following time periods: 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. There is a sentiment that the morning session can be extended by an hour or two making it even more convenient for homemakers who can stroll in conveniently after completion of household chores.The person in-charge, B. Thangam, is hugely flexible, being prepared to keep the gym doors open for a while outside the stipulated hours if doing so would help someone.At the time The Hindu visited the gym, Geetha Lakshmi, a teacher at the Corporation school in the compound, was working out in the gym. She observes, “The place where the gym stands now had gone to seed. Raising a gym there is the best thing to have happened to the place, residents and habitués of the area. For the last two days that the gym has been open, teachers from this school have been dropping in for workout, after school hours. Having this facility next door is a great convenience.”Felci Therese, a resident of the area, notes that all the other gyms in the area being paid facilities, the Corporation gym is a boon to the neighbourhood.Says Vanitha R., a resident of Santhome:“At this gym, there are dedicated weight training and strength sections, 8-10 cardio machines including treadmills, cycles, ellipticals, plus dumbbells, twisters, and training benches. There are yoga mats for terrace and outdoor yoga — a rare touch that encourages holistic wellness.” Published - July 11, 2026 04:52 pm IST
