Fitness – we all have a love or hate relationship with it, don’t we? Now, if you’re someone who spends a considerable amount of time online, or just keep up with the general news, you’ll know that there is a huge variety of fitness trends that are all the rage. Your favourite celebs sign up for them, and soon you see everyone talking about it, or participating in it.
One such form of workout which has taken over the fitness circuit is Barre. A low-impact but rigorous workout which targets your core and balance. It incorporates moves from ballet, yoga, and Pilates.
So what prompted Mallika Parekh, a double Master’s in Medical Science and Public Health, to bring this form of workout to India, and establish the country’s first Barre studio? Let’s find out.
The Beginning
Growing up, Parekh was actively into sports. However, she did end up with numerous injuries over the years. “I was introduced to Physique 57 in New York (where the brand was born, and where I am from) and once I tried the workout and noticed immediate, pain-free results, I was hooked. It is a ground-breaking fitness method that offers a high-intensity yet low-impact workout, via its innovative philosophy of Interval Overload training, precisely choreographed to produce maximum results in minimal time,” she explains.
While doing this workout regularly, she no longer felt pain in her bones and joints, which meant she could focus on building and sculpting lean muscle safely through this innovative and unique method.
The Physique 57 Method
Physique 57 is a signature barre-based workout that blends the most effective elements of cardio, strength training and stretching to redefine the body from the very first class. The USP of this is that the class is under an hour. She expounds, “Each 57-minute group class combines the best of proven interval training techniques, using a continuous combination of isometric (small) and isotonic (large) muscle movement and then kicks their effectiveness up a notch. The workout uses your own body weight as resistance to target and overload muscles to the point of fatigue, and then stretches them immediately for relief. This ground-breaking process is called Interval Overload.”
Physique 57’s version includes muscle-defining arm exercises, intense thigh and glute sequences, waist-chiselling ab moves and fluid stretches to heat up (and cinch) every inch. “Every Physique 57 class is structured to maximise each minute and move – with constantly updated choreography, bliss-inducing music and beats, and motivating instructors dedicated to keeping you going strong on the path to your fitness goals,” she adds.
What makes Physique unique is that it covers cardio, strength training, and stretching all in one comprehensive 57-minute workout each and every time you come. “In under an hour, you get a full body, personal training experience in a group setting. The instructors, who have trained for over 300 hours under the global training team in New York City, are all fitness experts who have a background in professional dance, so they are extremely well-versed with precise form and alignment to prevent injury. The facility we have built (and those we will continue to build) is to serve as a state-of-the-art escape from the madness of this city, all the while keeping you energised and reminding you of the investment you are making in yourself,” she explains.
Bringing The Barre To India
So, what made Parekh bring Barre, and specially the Physique 57 method to India?
“I started my fitness journey with Physique 57 in 2011. As a double masters in Medical Science and Public Health, I was working on a healthcare venture in India, when I quickly learned that fitness was a growing industry here, but that there was a gap in the market as far as boutique fitness was concerned. Physique 57 caters to all individuals, including those with injuries or bone density issues which are common amongst the Indian population. With the brand being born in New York City, I quickly convinced the founders, Jennifer Maanavi and Tanya Becker, that there would be a demand for this method in India, and thankfully they trusted me to bring the franchise here,” she quips.
Setting up the studio came with its own share of adventures. Parekh mentions, “Doing business in a new country brings its own set of challenges and I had to navigate so much while learning how to do business in India. From finding a trusted team to identifying the right trainers (who then travelled to New York to train and learn the Physique 57 method there); from negotiating a lease for our very first studio at the Four Seasons Hotel in Mumbai to actually launching it, just a few months after I had twin baby girls, it was a whirlwind of frenetic activity, but it all paid off in the end. It was also fascinating, diving into the local fitness culture and understanding how and why Mumbaikars work out. Bringing an international brand to India has had many advantages, but it’s also been a learning experience finding a niche in a market with so many established, local players.”
But, what if it didn’t work out? We asked Parekh if there was a back-up plan in place, to which she responded in the negative. “No. I was prepared to give myself time to build brand value and financial success, especially in a market in which this concept of boutique but scientifically proven fitness is so new. However, with the right team, informed clients, and a method that works and lasts, I was willing to put my eggs in this basket and focus on building a sticky client-base that would stay with the brand for the long-haul.”
The Journey So Far
It’s been almost five years since Parekh opened her studio. Half a decade in the industry, and one might wonder what her journey has been like. To this, she says, “The motto that stuck with me most throughout my process of bringing Physique 57 to India was actually the brand tag line: Sculpting Bodies, Changing Lives. With every frustration that comes with setting up a new business, that too in a new country, or anytime anyone wondered why I felt strongly enough to bring a fitness brand to India with my background as a scientist, I went back to the fact that this method would indeed change lives which is what I set out to do for my entire career,” she explains.
She had researched about the method thoroughly and came back with countless stories from other countries of how Physique 57 truly strengthened clients, both physically and mentally and changed their lives as a result. From cancer survivors, bone marrow transplant candidates, clients with congenital defects, speech defects, mental health illnesses, and C-section recoveries, to professional athletes, this method created a community of changed lives for those that engaged with it.
"From my own experience, I knew it was certainly more than a gym, a boutique fitness studio, or simply about sculpting bodies, and the enthusiastic response I have seen from clients since we launched has cemented this belief and determination," she points out.
Entrepreneur Mode
What about learnings as an entrepreneur? She responds, “As an entrepreneur, I believe one goes through so many shifts based on where the business stands at any given point. Before launch, there are understandable nerves, a sense of excitement, and anticipation to finally bring your brand to market. The launch period brings exhilaration, but also this is when the true learning begins, as your brand is tried and tested by its customers and potential loyalists. Brand owners that are lucky to find a footing and an enthusiastic market response can then move slowly into cruise control mode, focusing on the next stages of growth for the business, now that the initial response has been positive.”
She continues, “My learnings so far have been to create and nurture a strong team, respect and really listen to what your customers need, and be prepared for absolutely anything that may be thrown at you – life and business is too unpredictable otherwise!”
What Does The Future Hold?
As with any and every business, a future plan is equally important. Parekh shares hers, “We have some exciting plans in the pipeline to expand throughout Mumbai as well as in other cities across India. While the Physique 57 method is truly best experienced in-studio, the last two years have taught us how effective our virtual classes have been – which means that nationwide reach to fitness enthusiasts across the country will continue via our virtual classes. We have just launched our brand-new studio at Kemp’s Corner in South Mumbai and are working hard to open studios throughout India. Stay tuned in the coming months!”
Advice For Fellow Entrepreneurs
Aligning with the theme of the month, we asked Parekh if she had any word of advice for our readers at Her Circle.
“My message is tied to a quote that provides me endless motivation, every day. “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” It’s quite a famous quote, one of the great Maya Angelou’s, but it resonates with me because it’s reasonable and implies constant improvement, evolution and progress. There is no endpoint to being better—there is always room to raise the bar. This is my advice to entrepreneurs everywhere,” she signs off.
Also Read: New Age Workouts: Everything You Need To Know About Barre