KOCHI: An increasingly health-conscious population has begun to seek recourse in fitness programmes to shed extra calories and keep in shape. While regimens like the zumba are popular among Kochiites, Ritu Paul, who runs Bollyfit, has certainly brought a desi twist to the regimen.
“Bollyfit is essentially a cardiovascular programme that uses dance moves set to Bollywood music to improve heart health,” says Ritu, a Canadian of Indian origin brought up in the US, who relocated to Kochi after her marriage.
Initially trained as a pastry chef, Ritu, who loved dancing and has participated in dance programmes during her years in school and college in the US, decided to give her career a makeover. After training in Chicago as a fitness instructor, she started holding fitness workshops around the US, before marriage brought her to Kochi.
Ritu launched Bollyfit a year ago as an alternative to the fitness centres dotted across the city. “While the regimens at Bollyfit are rooted in cardio, the fact that you are dancing to songs you love and relate to makes the process a lot more enjoyable,” she adds.
Ritu incorporates music ranging from Bhangra to Bharatanatyam into her fitness sessions that usually last an hour. She currently holds morning and evening sessions at Jawahar Nagar and evening sessions at Girinagar.
Over the past year since she’s launched Bollyfit, the response has been phenomenal, perhaps more than what she could handle, Ritu says. She also holds fitness sessions free for public public participation, the next one scheduled for July 2. For more details, visit facebook.com/bollyfitkochi or contact Ritu Paul at 9562677111.