Fitness expert Namrata Purohit busts long-held misconceptions around Pilates

The Pilates expert, celebrity trainer and founder of The Pilates Studio shares why the form of exercise is versatile, customisable and engages more than just your core muscles

When I started off my journey as a Pilates trainer, a lot of people would come to me just for weight loss. They walked in with the goal of shedding a certain number of kilograms. Today, however, people have become more mindful, and their way of measuring good health is evolving, as working out makes them feel good. It isn’t just about “looking” good anymore. People are finally understanding the true meaning of “being healthy and fit,” which doesn’t necessarily mean being skinny. 

Through my experience, I can tell that the Coronavirus pandemic has played a role in this shift since a lot of people realised the importance of mental health. Not everyone may know that Pilates focuses on all aspects of fitness including one’s core strength, overall strength, flexibility, endurance, balance, and stability. It teaches one to engage their muscles correctly and learn to connect the mind, body, and soul. As a result, you equip your mind and body to tackle stressful situations. Pilates gives you the benefits of a nice, tough workout while leaving you feeling more relaxed and refreshed. After any workout, you don’t want to feel drained—one shouldn’t be too exhausted or the muscles shouldn’t be too sore the next day.

Busting common myths

However, Pilates is still surrounded by a slew of misconceptions. The biggest one is that it is meant only for women. Pilates, as a technique for healing, was pioneered by a man named Joseph Pilates. It was initially meant for men at war, especially those who needed rehabilitation in order to get fit for war again. Eventually, it transformed into a rehabilitation technique for ballet and contemporary dancers. So I like to believe that Pilates is for those who would like to have the strength of a warrior but the flexibility, balance, and posture of a dancer. 

I’m happy that this perception has changed drastically from when I started out over a decade ago. From actor Varun Dhawan to cricketers like Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav, many men have busted this myth. Today, several men swear by Pilates, as they know how it works for their bodies. But, I will still say that the ratio of women to men opting for Pilates is 60:40 or 65:35. Initially, it was 99:1. So, there’s definitely been a huge difference in men’s understanding of the need for Pilates. Now, people don’t want to be injured; they want lean muscles, flexibility, balance, strength, coordination, and concentration, and all these aspects are covered through Pilates.

While there is still a huge misconception that Pilates is all about flexibility and stretching, that isn’t true. I’ve heard many people say that Pilates is repetitive and that it entails the same exercises on just one single piece of equipment. Again, that’s far from the truth. On just one piece of equipment, the reformer, one can perform 1,500-2,000 exercises. 

One size doesn’t fit all

What makes Pilates unique is how highly customisable it is. No matter what your age, pilates can be taken up by anybody, as long as you choose the right trainer, one who understands how to assess your body and design a workout accordingly. At the studio, we’ve trained kids who are as young as 11 years, to elders aged between 85 and 87. It’s important to train with an instructor who can correctly supervise one’s form and design the workout at the right intensity to suit each individual’s needs. It’s important to note that no two people will have the same routine; we customise it based on one’s needs, body type, goals, fitness levels, and injury, if any. Since pilates is an extremely customised form of exercise, it can be tailor-made for people with osteoporosis, arthritis, slipped discs, and other health conditions, as well as pregnant women and sportspersons. This is because it is joint-friendly and can not only help recover from injuries but also help prevent them.

Lastly, besides being so versatile, Pilates is also very compatible with other forms of workouts. When actor Janhavi Kapoor needed help with an injury, she considered Pilates as a temporary solution to heal the injury and intended to go back to the gym. But, over the years, Pilates has become an integral part of her workout routine. Whether you want to combine Pilates with any other form of workout depends on your goals. For example, actor Sara Ali Khan only relies on Pilates; she goes to the gym probably on a weekly or monthly basis and sticks to Pilates six days a week. On the other hand, Varun Dhawan does a couple of days at our Pilates studio and a couple of days of strength training at the gym because he wants to have a slightly more bulky look. 

It’s always advisable to sign up for Pilates with a qualified instructor who understands the body and can design a workout based on one’s needs. It is equally important to start slow, understand the equipment and movement, and then increase the intensity. It’s also crucial to remember that quality is more important than quantity, and hence your instructor will focus most on your form and body awareness while practising Pilates.

Also Read: Why choosing between workouts doesn’t follow a one-size-fits-all approach

Also Read: Are group fitness classes better than individual workouts?

Also Read: Yoga can help manage the heat in your body—experts explain how