#LIVINGWITHCOVID: A build-it-yourself gym by this engineer-YouTuber duo in Kashmir

Srinagar: As COVID-19 is here to stay for a long time, people across the globe are getting to terms with it, and some even finding creative ways to get on with their lives.

Two brothers in Kashmir, one a fitness freak and another a YouTuber, too tried their hands at something creative.

Twenty one-year-old Mubashir Bashir Wani of Beerwah in Budgam district had already spent two months of lockdown at home, doing nothing.

Eating, sleeping, internet browsing, and some music had bored Wani, a Medical student and a diehard fitness freak, till his elder brother Mudabir, an electrical engineer, returned from New Delhi on May 22.

As days passed chitchatting, the duo began recounting their gymnasium memories.

As the authorities had closed all such fitness centres to contain COVID-19, the brothers thought of something innovative – creating an open air gymnasium at home with whatever was available to them.

 “The idea was good but its execution seemed to be a difficult task. I had recently spent days in administrative quarantine and we both wanted to do something different. My brother needed content for his YouTube channel and I craved for a space to work out,” Mudabir said.

With the use of some electric tools, both the brothers shaped bricks into dumbbells, a normal pipe into barbell and tin box and bricks into a pull down machine.

“We initially did some paperwork and then it took us three days to execute the idea. We had some bricks, tin boxes at home and then some wood, sponge to make every equipment. A drilling machine, cutter and hammer was used to making and designing the equipment,” Mudabir said.

To fix the weight issues in every equipment, Mudabir’s engineering skills came handy so that proper exercises are done for good results.

“Weight balancing was a crucial task and we knew it can be harmful if not fixed properly. We weighed every brick and then followed centre of gravity principle in pull down machine. Similarly, a bench was made with due care taken to make it comfortable for us,” he said.

To resolve the space issues for the gym, both the brothers used the wall of a store room to give it an aesthetic touch.

“We had some leftover paint at home and used our hands to paint the wall. Then all the equipment was put in an array to give it the look of a gym,” Mudabir said.

During the course of time, YouTuber Wani made a video of manufacturing an in-house gym and shared on YouTube, which has evoked huge response from his fans.

“. People really loved this concept and response has been awesome. I got over 5000 views in just two days and the video is being widely shared on Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media networks,” Wani said.

The homemade gym has become popular in Beerwah locality, with many people requesting Wani to use it during the lockdown days.

“People want to use this gym and want to pay us. We haven’t allowed anyone yet as coronavirus threat has not subsided in Kashmir,” Mudabir said.