For years, fitness has been associated with strict schedules, punishing routines and rigid systems, often making movement feel inaccessible amid the demands of everyday life. In her latest book, Your Body Your Gym, celebrity Pilates expert Namrata Purohit challenges this mindset, arguing that fitness should work with life rather than against it.
Known for training celebrities such as Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sara Ali Khan, Janhvi Kapoor and Ananya Panday, Purohit has built a reputation through dynamic, music-led workouts and a philosophy rooted in simplicity. At just 16, she became the world’s youngest certified STOTT Pilates instructor, laying the groundwork for a career centred on movement and wellness. Her mantra, ‘KISSS’ — Keep It Safe, Simple and Smart — continues to guide her approach.
Returning as an author for the second time, Purohit uses Your Body Your Gym to challenge fitness myths in an era dominated by quick-fix transformations and complicated wellness trends. The book advocates natural movement and bodyweight exercise, encouraging readers to prioritise strength, mobility and long-term wellbeing over aesthetics.
Structured as a practical guide, the book promotes fitness as a sustainable lifelong practice centred on functionality, self-awareness and consistency. In conversation with t2, Purohit spoke about bodyweight training, recovery and learning to trust one’s body.
Your book argues that India has developed a dependency problem when it comes to fitness. What, in your view, has driven this shift away from trusting our own bodies?
I do not think it is simply a matter of people no longer trusting their bodies. Life today is incredibly busy, and many people see exercise as another task they need to squeeze into an already packed schedule. The first thing they tend to remove is the 45 minutes or one hour dedicated to movement, instead of finding ways to make physical activity a natural part of everyday life.
At the same time, there is a growing belief that fitness is only effective if it involves doing more, lifting heavier or constantly pushing harder. In reality, fitness is deeply personal. It should be accessible, sustainable and easy to follow. The last thing anyone needs is a fitness routine that becomes a source of stress.
The title Your Body Your Gym carries the weight of a philosophy in itself. Was there a specific experience or turning point that convinced you fitness needed to move back towards a simpler, more accessible approach?
The body is an extraordinary machine. When we learn to respect it and work with it rather than against it, it is capable of remarkable things. That realisation became especially clear during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. Everyone was confined to their homes, and I began creating online programmes so people could continue exercising despite having no access to gyms or equipment. The only tool available to them was their own body.
It reminded me of the incredible potential of bodyweight training. Through carefully designed routines and a deeper understanding of movement, people were able to achieve impressive results. That experience reinforced the idea behind this book. Today, everyone is constantly on the move, and sometimes we simply need a reminder that a great workout requires nothing more than the body we already have.
You first discovered Pilates while recovering from an injury. How did that experience shape the philosophy behind this book compared with your first one?
Interestingly, both my books were written after my injury. What has changed over time, however, is the depth of experience behind them. The more people you train, the more bodies you work with, and the longer you spend studying movement, the more you appreciate both the similarities and differences between individuals.
Every year of practice teaches you something new about how the body functions. Writing this book felt like an opportunity to share everything I have learnt over the years. I wanted it to be a practical handbook — something that helps readers understand not only movement, but also nutrition, recovery, the importance of rest, and some of the common misconceptions surrounding fitness.
Social media constantly promotes intense routines, dramatic transformations and viral fitness trends. How can people distinguish sustainable fitness from performative fitness?
Sustainability is always at the centre of my conversations with clients. I spend a great deal of time helping them understand that lasting results come from consistency, not from chasing shortcuts. Quick fixes deliver exactly what their name suggests — temporary outcomes. Sustainable habits, on the other hand, allow the body to adapt gradually, become stronger and remain injury-free. Real fitness is about building long-term health rather than pursuing aesthetics at any cost.
You have worked with celebrities such as Janhvi Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan and Ananya Panday. Do even high-profile clients struggle with consistency and body awareness despite having access to the best resources?
Actually, I find that most of them are extremely aware of their bodies. Of course, when they first begin training, some may arrive with the same misconceptions many others have — seeking rapid results rather than sustainable progress. But once they understand what their bodies are truly capable of, their focus shifts.
They begin to value consistency, discipline and long-term health over quick fixes. That commitment becomes visible not only in the way they look but also in the way they move, perform and feel. They have strength, flexibility and endurance. Their energy levels remain high throughout demanding schedules. Their skin looks healthy, their hair looks healthy, and that is because fitness is never just about exercise. It is the result of training well, eating well and sleeping well.
One of the book’s strongest themes is the idea of prioritising capability over aesthetics. Is the fitness industry moving in that direction, or does it still have a long way to go?
I think we are somewhere in the middle. There are definitely more people today who care about being genuinely fit and allowing aesthetics to be a by-product of that process. At the same time, there is still a significant need for education. Many people continue to associate fitness primarily with appearance. The shift is happening, but we are not quite there yet.
The book places significant emphasis on bodyweight movement and foundational exercises. For someone intimidated by gyms or complicated programmes, what is the first mindset shift they need to make?
The most important thing to understand is that your body is enough. If stepping into a gym feels overwhelming, start at home. A mat and a few simple exercises can go a very long way. Hip rolls, abdominal work, squats, wall push-ups and modified push-ups are all effective starting points. The key is not perfection. The key is taking that first step. Even 10 or 15 minutes of movement each day can create meaningful change over time.
Recovery and consistency are treated as being just as important as exercise itself. Why is rest still undervalued in modern fitness culture?
Since many people still believe that more is always better. There is a tendency to think that the harder you train and the more frequently you work out, the faster you will see results. In reality, adaptation happens during recovery.
Rest is when muscles rebuild, when the body adjusts and when real progress takes place. That is why I repeatedly emphasise recovery in the book. As important as training is, the actual transformation happens during rest. Even active recovery — something as simple as a gentle walk or a swim — can be more beneficial than another intense workout session. Without recovery, the body never gets the opportunity to fully adapt and improve.
With a foreword by Ishaan Khatter, the book also appears to speak directly to a younger generation approaching wellness differently. Beyond fitness advice, what do you hope a 20-year-old reader takes away from it?
More than anything else, I hope young readers come away with a deeper appreciation for their bodies. The body is an extraordinary machine, and learning to value it early in life can have a lasting impact. The choices you make in your twenties — how you move, how you care for yourself and how you treat your body — will continue to serve you for decades.