Srinagar, Aug. 7 -- When people wake up to relishnamken chai and kander tchot,a rhythmic thud of sneakers on gym floors echoes through a modest fitness center tucked away in posh Rajbagh.

Inside, 24-year-old Insha Ahmad (name changed) wipes the sweat after completing another set of squats.

Just six months ago, Insha was curled in bed, exhausted and frustrated from irregular cycles, facial acne, and unexplained weight gain. The diagnosis was PCOD-Polycystic Ovarian Disease-an increasingly common condition among women in the valley.

"I thought something was wrong with me, that maybe this was how my life was going to be. Then a doctor friend suggested that I should join the gym. Look, how it changed my life. I was desperate enough to try ...