Exercise clubs are believed to have been developed first in Persia, called "meels," which were used in individual and group exercise routines. They later became popular in India where Colonial British soldiers discovered and adapted them for their military fitness regimens. It was at this point that they began to be called "Indian Clubs." English Commonwealth and American civilians embraced them during the Late Victorian age. The clubs range in weight from about a pound (for use in calisthenics) to very heavy (up to 100 pounds, for resistance training). After World War II, and the advent of more sophisticated exercise equipment, Indian Clubs lost their popularity. Today they are most often used as a decorative accent for a clubby, athletic interior. But they could still be used to augment a calisthenic exercise routine. Click on the photo above to learn more about them.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248