8 GOODLIFE XXCE THE TELEGRAPH TUESDAY 29 OCTOBER 2019 9 FITNESS A FIRST LOOK AT THE PILATES STUDIO P ilates has gradually shifted from being a ‘FITNESS A QUIC K ROU Pilates A-Z ND- UP limbs, by sliding against the mat. It engages more muscle fibres in the body and makes you work IN CALCUTTA fitness fad to one of the ... harder. Again, it’s a tough workout but no impact on IS HOLISTIC; with Benefits of most favoured ways to Namrata... the joints. It’s excellent for the core, stability and Pilates, in a stay fit. What started off as A: Alignment developing deeper muscles. nutshell... Some a way to keep soldiers in Core Stix involves sticks that you put on different IT’S NOT A good shape in the 20th century now has B: Breath z Strength. misconceptions holes on the mat. There’s a mat which has holes fans ranging from Bollywood stars like C: Control Pilates can make about Pilates, where you put the sticks and generate different Kareena Kapoor Khan and Malaika D: Discipline you really strong exercise and fitness... workouts working every single muscle in the body DESTINATION BUT Arora to sport stars. And championing as it works on z More is not better.Working out but it’s extremely important to stabilise the core, E: Energy its magic qualities is 26-year-old your muscles more doesn’t mean you’re going to get which is why it’s called ‘Core’ Stix. The reason you celebrity trainer Namrata Purohit. t2 F: Form directly. better results. have to stabilise the core is because the workout is so A JOURNEY’ — caught up with Namrata at the G: Grind z Flexibility. z Eating less does not ensure better results. challenging that if you’re weak at the core, you’ll be opening of her Calcutta studio H: Harmony Fitness is not about eating less but about eating rocking. Whatever forms of exercise we do, we make z Improved recently, where she shared her love for I: Intelligence right.You shouldn’t be starving your body of nutrition sure that there is no possibility of injuries involved. posture. fitness, her journey as a trainer and NAMRATA J: Joy and nourishment because that is extremely important. her tips for Pilates beginners. z Better balance What are some of the biggest mistakes that you What: The Pilates The Pilates Studio spread K: Calories control and z Pilates is not just for women. over 1,000sq ft, is stocked see people doing when they’re just starting off Studio by Namrata Welcome to Calcutta! Is this your with a K! stability. z Pilates is not just about stretching and flexibility. with Pilates? with Pilates equipment, Purohit first time in the city? No, I’ve been here before. I was here for a squash tournament almost 12 PUROHIT L: Life M: Movement z Weight management. z Never try out a new exercise on your own until you’re absolutely sure about the form. & People need to understand that the first five principles that you learn are the most important — correct breathing, concentration, postural Where: 44/6, Hazra Road, 2nd floor including six reformers, stability chairs, a Cadillac and a mini stability ball.The & years ago. I used to play squash N: Namrata! alignment, control and centering. One has to state-of-the-art facilities DO... DON’T... Timings: Monday nationally when I was in school. O: Optimism understand that Pilates is not a form of exercise to Saturday, 7am to aim to provide a holistic P: Power z Make sure you do Pilates under a trained z Attempt difficult exercises on that you can do and leave. There’s a lot of mind- 10pm fitness experience. The Calcutta one is the 17th centre professional. your own, especially on the body connection. You have to focus on your Pocket-pinch: “Recently when I asked Q: Quest of The Pilates Studio. What took Cadillac because it has a lot of breathing and understanding the movements. Rs 9,000 and people online to guess R: Relaxation z Focus on the five principles — correct breathing, you so long to come to the city? much more than that. up-and-down movement, so make The most important thing I tell people is that Rs 7,000 for group which city they think we S: Soul concentration, postural alignment, control and First of all, we try hard to maintain the There’s this joke I always sure your trainer is with you. it’s not about quantity but quality. It’s not sessions (12 would open next, Calcutta centering. quality of the studio no matter which crack that women can do T: Training about how many reps you do, it’s about classes and eight was named most often!The z Understand your body before you do an exercise z Train with a trainer who doesn’t city we go to. It is the most important Pilates better than men U: Unique how well you do the reps. There’s no point classes a month, studio has a very ‘homely’ because there’s a lot of movements in Pilates. understand the anatomy of the human part to find the right partners so that because it’s too tough doing an exercise if your form is incorrect respectively). vibe, something that we V: Variations body. we can make sure they can take care of for them (laughs). I’ve z Follow the principle of KISSS — keep it safe, simple because that is what leads to injuries. Rs 15,000 for make sure all our studios the brand, take care of the studio and come to realise this is W: Wonder and smart. z Train on the equipment alone People who sign up for Pilates should have,” said Namrata. private session for take care of the people working out at true actually X: Excitement at home. If you are doing home-based also have patience. They need to z What you do when you’re not at the studio is equally both 12 and eight the studio. What also took time was because men are so without E! workouts, make sure you still understand understand that it takes two or three important.You have to make sure that you’re eating classes a month. finding the right trainers. used to working the form. classes to understand how the Y: Yield well and resting well.The one hour at the studio bigger muscles of doesn’t compensate for the other 23 hours in a day. z Rush into anything, take your time. equipment works and how your body Z: Zest What makes Pilates so popular? their body that works on the equipment. For me, the most amazing aspect of when they come to Pilates is that it’s very customised. So, no matter your body type, your injuries, your goals or your past stabilisers or other tinier muscles of their QUICK 7! 3 A celebrity client with whom you really have to work hard... Again, no one! Everyone’s pretty disciplined Tell us the story behind your book, The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Being Fit. history in fitness, it can be very body, they’re when it comes to fitness. I wrote the book when I was 17, so I customised. On one piece of equipment often struggling. was really young. What inspired me alone, say the reformer, you can do a was when I used to go to college, I thousand different exercises. So, it What are the used to find a lot of people who are never gets monotonous and you’re health lost when it came to fitness. At that always learning something new. It problems that time, nobody knows what to do in doesn’t work only on one aspect of can be taken fitness, fitness but it’s a very holistic way of care of with where to go, looking at fitness. You’re working on Pilates? or they start your strength, flexibility, endurance, A lot of things! finding it Namrata Purohit at The Pilates Studio, Calcutta balance, stability, mind and body For example, my boring, or connection, concentration and dad has start treating coordination. rheumatoid it as a job that arthritis and he’s they have to You said even 75-year-old people been feeling a lot of Namrata Purohit at do. I wrote that can try out Pilates… better after trying the Calcutta outlet of book to get Absolutely. There’s no age limit as out Pilates. You can The Pilates Studio people thinking such for doing Pilates, because there’s take care of knee on October 19. about what they no impact on the joints. There’s even a saying, ‘If you do Pilates and you do it correct, there’s almost zero chance of injuries or hip injuries with it. You can do it to deal better with tennis 1 Your first celebrity client... Manasi Scott and Malaika Arora.They joined around the can do and show people that going to the gym is not the injury’. In fact, it even helps prevent injury and is great for rehabilitation. I elbows, shoulder dislocations and hip same time. 6 The fittest celebrity 7 A celebrity you want to only way to work out because about 10 2 discovered Pilates after I fell off a horse replacements and in years to go, India was still at a nascent stage 4 The most disciplined 5 A celebrity Celebrities you you’ve met... work out and had a really bad knee injury. After prenatal and postnatal care. celebrity client... you have fun Malaika Arora and when it came to fitness, and gym or aerobics have fun training... with... trying a bunch of different types of We have also been training I don’t think there’s one that isn’t. working out Akshay Kumar were the only two options people had. And that is For buddies Alia Bhatt, Janhvi Tiger exercises, it was the only form of people diagnosed with Everybody is very disciplined, as with... even though I’ve exactly what I’m telling people with my book that Malika Sachdev Kapoor, and Varun Shroff exercise that got me to be pain-free. It Parkinson’s disease. In fact, they don’t have a choice (laughs). Malaika Arora. never met him. if gym is not for you, there’s Pilates, Zumba, dance, (left) and Sanjana Dhawan. was the first time in a year that I was everything, even arthritis and swimming or even playing a sport. It essentially tells Singh, bringing pain-free. osteoporosis, can be dealt better people that you can have fun while working out. the franchise to Rather than strengthening your with Pilates. Like I have said before, Calcutta was a muscles and making them shorter, there’s a lot of exercises that can be three together. So, my aim is to show people of our and Core Stix. Can you decode them for us? What does fitness mean to you? way of giving back you’re strengthening your muscles to customised in accordance with the country what Pilates is all about. Showing them The Calcutta studio doesn’t have them yet. We’re In one word, fitness is life. When I work out, I’m to Pilates.“I make them longer, which makes them injuries and health conditions one has. through movement, through education, which I going to go one step at a time. That being said, Electro always in a good mood. It helps me feel positive, discovered Pilates more flexible and leaner. You think is the most important thing, and expansion Muscle Stimulation is basically where you wear a grounded and empowered. Fitness is holistic; it’s not about two years strengthen the deeper muscles of the You’ve been training for almost a decade to different parts of the country. The song is close full-body jacket that transmits electric impluses in a destination but a journey. We keep evolving with ago in New Delhi body. So, when that happens, it and have also written a book. How else to me because I’ve always said that ‘life should your body. It mimics the electric impulses that your fitness. There’s no limit to fitness, there’s no limit to and protects your muscles and your joints are you passing on your love for Pilates flow’. The song was about training being flowy, brain sends your muscles, when you move. So, when what you can achieve. Fitness is in everything that recommended it much more than any other form of to others? something that you enjoy. It is something that not that happens, your body can’t differentiate between you do — whether it’s how you sleep, how you to Malika,” said exercise. I released a song called Flow earlier this only makes you strong but also calms your mind. the impulses sent by your brain and ones sent by the breathe, what you eat and how you exercise. Sanjana.“I tried year, with Manasi Scott. The song is all The song is shot on various Pilates equipment machine. That in turn makes you work your muscles Namrata’s father, Samir Pilates for a while You’ve been training in Pilates for about Pilates, dance and music... putting all along with Pilates moves so that those who a lot harder by stimulation... almost 95 per cent of the How does Namrata Purohit stay fit? Purohit, also dropped by before my the last 10 years. What are some of haven’t understood what Pilates is all about, can muscles of your body at once. So your whole body is I do Pilates four times a week and EMS, Core Stix at the launch.“I’m glad marriage. After I the changes you have seen in watch it and understand it. Being able to reach so working for 20 minutes non-stop at one go. It is said and Flowin once a week. Sometimes, I just go for fun we’ve finally arrived in the got married in people’s perception of this form of The most amazing aspect of Pilates is that it’s very many different people has always been my goal that one session of EMS is equal to almost four dance classes or go for a game of squash or horse City of Joy. Being the first Calcutta, we exercise? customised. There’s no age limit as such for doing Pilates.... and at the same time, to take it slow so that we can strength-training sessions. It’s extremely time- riding. I used to play squash nationally, have played exclusive Pilates studio in decided to bring Initially Pilates was seen as a form of Like yoga, a lot of men thought that Pilates is also just about maintain our quality, which is more far important efficient, helps lose inches and even helps in building football for Mumbai and have done equestrian Calcutta, I hope people Namrata’s studio exercise primarily of women. Like stretching. Now more and more men are realising that it is much to us than quantity. muscle; excellent for people with injuries and is quite sports. I’ve been playing sports almost all my life sign up in large numbers here as Sanjana is yoga, a lot of men thought that Pilates more than that. One has to understand that Pilates is not a form of safe, since there’s no impact on the joints. (laughs). to try out this amazing a big fan of her,” is also just about stretching. Now more exercise that you can do and leave. There’s a lot of mind-body connection. Apart from Pilates, your studios also have Flowin is friction training. It’s on a mat where one Ravjit Singh form of exercise,” he said. added Malika. and more men are realising that it is People who sign up for Pilates should also have patience — NAMRATA Electro Muscle Stimulation (EMS), Flowin generates friction with pads designated for different The Pilates Studio pictures: Pabitra Das
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