"We feel like our studio is a little family, and all the clients become part of our family."
Pilates has become one of the most favoured ways to maintain fitness, especially with the Bollywood stars. Many of them train with the ‘Original Pilates Girl’ – Namrata Purohit.
The 24-year-old has carved a successful path as an instructor. Not only does she train with the Hindi celebrities, but she set up her own studio and written a popular book!
Her passion for the exercise began after suffering a bad knee injury at the age of 15. An active individual, she took part in her father’s Pilates course; thus her journey began.
Over the years, she has trained with Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sara Ali Khan, Varun Dhawan and more!
Now, in an exclusive interview with DESIblitz, we talk to Namrata about her fascinating journey. Learn more about Pilates, Namrata’s fitness regime and her tips for beginners!
What inspired you to become a Pilates instructor?
When I was 15, I fell off a horse and had a bad knee injury. I had to undergo an immediate surgery and was told not to dance, play squash or any other sport.
I could not stay off my sports and had to find a way to get back to it as soon as possible.
Luckily for me, my father was hosting a Pilates course in Mumbai, and I decided to participate in the course. Four days into [it] and my knee pain had completely gone, I was back on [the] court.
My coach actually thought I was more balanced now than I was before my injury and I also started dancing without pain.
I became a believer, it was then that I thought this magic needs to be spread. If it could help me, I knew it could help many other people. That is when my father and I decided to open our first studio.
How can Pilates help a person’s fitness and overall health?
Pilates is an extremely safe form of exercise, that challenges the body and mind. It works every muscle in the body and focuses on every aspect of fitness. It doesn’t only work the superficial muscles of the body but works a lot deeper and even the tiny muscles in the body.
It is the safest way to get fit the smart way. No aspect of being fit is forgotten, and this form of exercise can be done by people of all ages.
Also, the beauty of Pilates is that it is extremely customised to a person’s body type, and no two workouts are the same. You are constantly challenged and always learning something new.
Tell us about your pilates studio. What is special about it?
The Pilates Studio was started by my father and me for the sheer love of fitness, and the belief we had in the magic of Pilates. We have always believed in quality over quantity and all the trainers at the studio are extremely well qualified.
We feel like our studio is a little family, and all the clients become part of our family. We ensure each person achieves their goal, and that everyone is given the personal attention they require.
I can confidently say that every client who has done Pilates at our studio has seen the benefits and found it fun.
Tell us about some of the famous clients you’ve worked with.
We’ve been fortunate to be trusted by a lot of Bollywood celebrities as well as sports personalities with their fitness and regime.
Working with [them] is always fun as each one has a different goal, and sometimes even the same person has a different goal during a different time of the year, for a different role.
It is amazing to see how busy their lives are, and still, they have to find time for fitness as they are constantly judged on it.
Working with sports personalities is a delight. They are focused and determined to reach their target and put in all the effort they can in order to get there.
Some of the sports personalities we’ve trained have represented India in the Olympics and even won medals for India. This makes us feel extremely proud and happy to have been a part of their journey.
Tell us the story behind your 2016 book, “The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Being Fit”?
The idea of writing the book came about while I was in junior college. I would see a lot of people struggling to find time to workout or just not fond of the idea of working out.
The book has a lot of workouts from 5-7 mins to 40 mins and explains what fitness really means. It is a fun book that encourages people to get smart and get moving and lists different fun ways through which that can be done.
The book talks about various sports, dancing and even partying and shopping as a means to burn calories. It is for everyone out there who needs to find a fun way to get fit.
What is a typical fitness regime for Namrata Purohit?
At the moment I do Pilates thrice a week, EMS training once a week and cardiovascular exercises twice a week (mostly the trampoline).
I also dance 2-4 times a week, go horse riding or play squash occasionally.
Diet is important for any kind of fitness. What do you recommend?
I recommend eating enough but eating healthy. A lot of times people feel that eating less is beneficial, which is not the case. One must eat enough to ensure they get all the required nutrients and are not left hungry.
Eat your 3 main meals, ie. breakfast, lunch and dinner and have two small meals between those main meals. That is what I recommend, as this way you won’t feel hungry and would have gotten the nutrients you require.
Ensure to have fruits, and vegetables on a daily basis and make sure there is some form of protein in your diet.
What kind of exercises other than pilates do you suggest to lose weight?
Cardiovascular exercises are important in order to lose weight, you need to burn those calories, this could be swimming, trampoline, running, walking, skipping or even dancing.
You can even do Electric Muscle Stimulation (EMS) in order to take your fitness to whole new level. A lot of people at our studio are doing EMS with us and have seen a great difference in their body and fitness levels.
Any tips you would recommend to those new to Pilates?
Ensure you have a qualified instructor teaching you, I think that is the most important thing. If not taught right, it could ruin your entire experience.
Pilates is fun, challenging and there are more than 500 exercises that can be done on one equipment, so your instructor should always be able to keep the class fun, interesting and challenging.
As one can see, Namrata Purohit hails as a passionate, dedicated instructor. No wonder she has earned the title of the ‘Original Pilates Girl’!
Throughout her career, she has shown perseverance and determination. With qualities such as these, she has become a popular choice for Bollywood stars to train with.
We certainly can’t wait to see what the future will bring to this inspirational figure!
Interested to learn more about Namrata? Make sure you follow her Twitter and Instagram.
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