If you go to YouTube and search for Callisthenics Park, hundreds of videos will come up before you get anywhere near seeing any in Kazakhstan.
This is not surprising in a way, but very much so in another, given that some of the newer such additions to the main cities over here are at least on a par with those featured in videos getting millions of views. This, in terms of both size and quality.
Then there’s this one, making its bold claim, one which many residents of the southern Kazakh city of Almaty might dispute, given some of the options available on their own doorstep.
Since a recent large-scale refurb in the city of Almaty, dozens of areas set aside for physical training, of all sizes and description, have sprung up, in residential areas or recreational zones, some of which have incredible views.
The main options are for people who prefer to work with their own body weight and are happy to train on parallel bars, pull-up bars, monkey bars, and abs benches, as well as other standard options that can be beneficial for people of all ages. These can be as small as a few metres across, to about half the size of a basketball court.
Callisthenics is a far more traditional form of training than the equipment-heavy gym-based approach that has helped fitness clubs establish themselves as an integral part of economies all over the world.
It is a very extensive series of exercises using little or no equipment, rather, utilising the bodyweight of the practitioner to enhance strength, fitness, and if done as part of a healthy lifestyle, more generally, it can improve the individual’s overall well-being.
Although you can find gyms anywhere today, this option is making a comeback partly because it is free, but also because of the magnitude of information available online, teaching the best ways to train.
Responding to the demand, the authorities in Almaty recently upgraded and expanded the existing outdoor gym infrastructure enormously, and thousands of people now work out at one of the choices available.
The entire path alongside the Esentai River has up to a dozen, most of them compact, but its main training area wouldn’t look out of place in a major Western capital city.
A handful of actual gym zones, with weighted machines, are also to be found in park areas, and have proved popular, many fitness enthusiasts choosing to do their entire training programmes, taking advantage of the basic equipment that is free for all to use.
Rinat is in his mid-20s and clearly in very good shape. He trains regularly at the site at the top of the Terrenkur trail, a riverside walk in one of the most popular weekend spots in Almaty.
“I come here almost every day.
“It’s not just about the money, although the chance to train for free is nice, but on a nice day, what could be better than working out in the fresh air and sunshine, with views like that?” he said, gesturing towards the lake and woodland, the peaks of the towering Tien Shan mountains just visible through the trees.
Galiya echoes his views, although she is less committed to training and comes from time to time, using the wonderful Kazakh phrase, anda sanda, to explain that she only works out once in a while.
“I like this equipment, because you can achieve as much with it here as you can in an upmarket gym. And you don’t feel that you are wasting money on those rainy days when you just want to stay at home with a book, ” she added, with a smile.
According to Wikipedia, callisthenics is a blend of the ancient Greek words kállos, which means ‘beauty’, and sthenos, meaning ‘strength’, and since the very first days of humans understanding the value of exercise to health, it has been a part of life in some form or another.
Harvard Health also sees the value beyond the cost, claiming that convenience, adaptability, efficiency, and effectiveness are the key pluses, each of them worth considering for those who like the idea of working without equipment.
There’s also something to be said for the fact that your body quickly adapts to the movements, improving posture and balance alongside strength and cardiovascular fitness. And while the benefits vary from person to person, after consulting a medical professional, this could become a great plan for many more people.
By now, Kazakh cities give people the chance to give it a go, either callisthenics itself or actual weight training, without spending a tenge.
