A Ukrainian content creator living in India has gone viral after sharing her candid thoughts on how gym culture in India feels completely different from what she experienced back home in Europe. From the extra staff members to trainers offering free guidance, Sandra On’s observations quickly sparked conversations online, with many agreeing with, and debating, her take on fitness spaces in India.
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India vs Europe: Which gym is better?
In a now-viral Instagram video, Sandra admitted that Indian gyms initially felt overwhelming, especially as a foreign woman, but eventually surprised her in a positive way.
“When you walk into an Indian gym, it honestly feels like people are genuinely happy you came 😂 Everyone’s super warm, friendly, and always ready to help,” she said.
Comparing the atmosphere to gyms in Europe, Sandra explained that fitness spaces there are usually quieter and more individualistic. “In European gyms, people are usually more in their own world: nobody bothers you, nobody talks to you, everyone just does their workout and leaves,” she shared.
However, what truly shocked her was the sheer number of staff members present in Indian gyms. Sandra humourously pointed out how specific every role seemed to be.
“One person is responsible only for cleaning the bathrooms. Another one cleans the gym floor. Then there’s basically your free gym assistant — a guy constantly watching your workout, ready to help you the second you need anything,” she joked.
Check out the video below:
She also highlighted how trainers in Indian gyms often correct workout forms and offer advice without immediately trying to sell expensive personal training packages.
“If your exercise is wrong, they’ll correct you for free, give you tips, explain the exercise — without trying to sell you a personal training package first,” she added, before comparing it to Europe where, according to her, “First pay for 10 personal training sessions… then maybe you can ask a question 😭😭😭”
Despite appreciating the warmth, Sandra admitted one aspect of Indian gyms made her uncomfortable initially, the gender ratio. “In India, most gyms are mostly men, so as a foreign girl it felt pretty intimidating at first,” she confessed.
Still, the creator said the feeling faded once she found the right environment. “But honestly, once you find a good gym, you stop caring about it pretty quickly 💫❤️” She concluded her video on a positive note, saying, “Basically, Indian gyms surprised me in a good way 🔥."
