PEAKLIFE

The key name in the fitness industry, Pilates trainer Namrata Purohit feels truly blessed.

“I believe workouts need to be fun,” says Namrata Purohit, one of the youngest fully trained Stott Pilates instructors in the entire world. Prompted by a knee injury (that made her abandon squash as a pursuit and explore innumerable exercise routines), Namrata found her calling in Stott Pilates — a contemporary version of the Pilates method of physical exercise. Today she is the most highly sought after fitness expert, the go-to person for all the celeb hot bods including Kangana Ranaut, Malaika Arora, Jacqueline Fernandes…

Namrata, together with her father Sameer Purohit, work wonders at their studio in suburban Mumbai. “Stott Pilates connects you to your core and teaches you how to use it to maximum benefit during your workout. It connects you with every fibre and muscle in your body and increases your stamina,” she explains. “Once your core is stable, there is zero danger of any injury,” she says. Always game to bring in a fun element to the workouts, Namrata has recently brought in the Core Stix workout, that functions along on the same principles as Pilates; electric muscle stimulation (a modern, scientific take on working out) and music Pilates for an element of enthusiasm.

Though Namrata confesses her biggest learning came when she authored ‘The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Being Fit’. “I realized that perception is the key to understand human behavior better. This made me spread awareness on the topic and broaden my horizons. I count that as the highest point in my learning curve as I used the book as a medium for people to understand that everyone is different; and that different people go through different fitness journeys. It made me more aware of the struggles, the battles people fight both internally and externally.”

Her constant challenge is to encourage people to come in to try Pilates to realize the importance and need for this workout, daily. Says Namrata, “Two misconceptions abound: one, that Pilates is only meant for women. When you are practicing Pilates, you achieve the strength of a warrior and a lean, long, flexible body of a contemporary ballet dancer. Men have played a prominent role in the history of Pilates that was started by a man named Joseph Pilates, during World War 2. The second misconception is that people think Pilates is slow, only bringing about flexibility. Pilates, a challenging routine, elongates muscles, bettering flexibility.” Her own lean and lithe form cloaks her love for food though. “I can never resist spaghetti aglio-olio and cheesecakes. There isn’t any specific day for my cheat,” she laughs. “It is just that I feel that one should never restrict herself for food. I eat whenever I feel like and equate the same later.” Sound mantra. “Even a 15-20 minute workout is excellent if done right,” says Namrata. “I make sure to work out for 6 days in a week with 1 day of active rest. I believe that I am at my body weight, the one I desire to be.

So what’s next? “On the anvil are a line of Pilates studios pan India, especially in the satellite cities. I truly want the maximum number of people to benefit from Pilates,” she smiles. “As I always advise my clients, KISSS ie. Keep It Safe Simple and Smart.”

(As told to Shilpi Madan)