Night-time running, new fitness trend

Night-time running, new fitness trend

Night-time running, new fitness trend

It's taking off in parts of the world at night. And now, Mumbai's catching up with the late-night exercise fad.

Next time you eat your dinner, make it light and early, for you can now engage in a new late night exercise instead of just flopping into bed or the sofa to watch TV. It's the night-time running trend that's creating a furore everywhere. Dubbed as the 'dark race', it seeks to bring out fitness-savvy folk, who jog or run on dimly-lit pavements and roads, for health. Mumbai, too has its own set of night runners. Says expert Althea Shah, "Lots of people — couples or groups — have started running at Carter Road and Worli Sea Face at night. It's a great workout trend as nights are cooler and it's bringing about a great community feeling."

It has advantages
Clearly, it works perfectly for those with a task-laden work schedule. Plus, the post-running endorphins leave one feeling good. Not just that. Having zero daylight too, seems to have no effect on the popularity of the workout. If anything, the number of night-time runners have tripled across the globe, suggest reports. The workout takes place post sunset so obviously, you won't be buckling under the harsh rays of the summer sun. Shah busts the myth that late-night exercise can disrupt sleep. "No", she says, "You don't sleep immediately after a workout, there is at least a two-hour gap. I would say a workout actually gives good sleep." Agrees city-based hula hoop expert, Swati Shah, "Since I have started to keep the hula hoop class post sunset, more people have loved it. They say they managed to sleep better with it. The late exercise idea is certainly getting popular."

The world loves it
In New York, night-time running has actually become the new party mantra, with people dressed carrying glow sticks accompanied by pulsating music, taking part in a huge street run. These series of night-time 5 km and 10 km runs are announced on social networking sites. Another series is to take place in London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Milan, and Paris, with the race starting in the night at 10 pm in a few cities. They are slated to end in a party.