This Chennai duo explains the logic behind workouts

Spread across 3,000 square feet and replete with cadillacs and arc barrels, Leap Wellness Studio has moved to a new venue at the Park Hyatt. And yes, they have taken their resident skeleton along

July 08, 2019 05:11 pm | Updated 05:11 pm IST

CHENNAI, 25/06/2019: For Metro Plus: P. Santhosh Kumar and Nita Futani, Founders of Leap Welllness Studio at Park Hyatt Hotel, Guindy on Tuesday. Photo: R. Ragu / The Hindu

CHENNAI, 25/06/2019: For Metro Plus: P. Santhosh Kumar and Nita Futani, Founders of Leap Welllness Studio at Park Hyatt Hotel, Guindy on Tuesday. Photo: R. Ragu / The Hindu

If you sign up for a class with Nita and Santosh, chances are you’ll meet the resident skeleton first.

It hangs in the corner of the plush studio, looking important, while clients look at it intently, learning more about the body. “We encourage clients to know their musculoskeletal system better and understand which muscle is located where, what they are called, and which exercise works for each. This helps them get better at what they do,” explains Santosh.

Popular city fitness coaches, Nita and Santosh, who prefer to be known by their first names, are now collaborating with Viju Mahtani, the owner of Park Hyatt Chennai, to launch their Leap Wellness Studio at the hotel.

The new studio features a 3,000 square feet space outfitted with cadillacs, stability chairs, arc barrels and other pilates-related equipment.

Nita says Leap Wellness Studio as a concept started in 2009. “At that point we worked out of a tiny 800 square feet space in RA Puram. In 2010 we moved to a bigger space on Cenotaph Road. Eventually, we relocated to CP Ramaswamy Road and now we are here.”

She adds that they don’t believe in opening branches. This is why, when they move, they relocate entirely. “We want to be involved with everything and personally be there for our clients,” says Santosh.

He, along with Nita got into fitness in 2000. In 2008, they trained in the US at Marshall Eklund Pilates School (San Diego) Institute to become qualified pilates instructors. “For our certification, we had to learn, then perform and then teach. In fact, we are still assimilating what we learnt. Each day we discover something new,” says Nita.

Since they like to stay updated, she travels once a year to learn more. They are also trained in Tabata (training strategy that alternates short intense sessions with short recovery periods). “We noticed what’s trending currently is small group training, where routines can be combined,” says Nita.

A matter of choice

Before making this career switch, both studied systems management at NIIT on College Road; that’s where they met. Post that, Nita got in to copywriting and Santosh, into marketing. “We got married after that. I was passionate about gardening and did landscaping and Nita learnt pottery and took it up seriously. We were simultaneously doing martial arts and body weight conditioning exercises on our terrace. Soon, our friends asked us to teach them,” recalls Santosh, tracing how it all began.

Eventually, the couple realised that they had to let one go: either landscaping or wellness. In 2000 Nita got into the Reebok training programme and Santosh went on to learn yoga at Sivananda Ashram.

“We introduced pilates in Chennai in 2008,” says Nita. In 2010, they went back to the US once again for their advanced-level training in pilates. The following year they introduced exuberant animal (works with primal movement patterns) to their clients. Then came kettle bell training in 2011. By 2012 it was crossfit. However, as crossfit was not suited to their specific form of fitness it was phased out. “We don’t believe in fads and trends. What we have here is the latest in fitness and proven by science,” says Santosh, adding, “For example, I brought aerial yoga here, then felt it was more of a fad because my clients were not really benefiting from it,” he says. He then discontinued it.

The list of classes Leap Studio now offers includes zumba, pilates, yoga, boot camp, booty barre, beyond barre, meditation, and dance classes... They also have a running clinic to prepare enthusiastic runners for marathons, and a golf simulator room for those interested in bettering their game.

“If you do pilates, it improves your golf,” smiles Santosh. Both Nita and he start their day at 3.45 every morning. They work out at home from 4.45 am to 6.30 am and once again in the evening from 3.45 pm to 6 pm.

In addition, the studio also has a nutritionist based out of Mumbai. She is co-creating a healthy breakfast menu with the hotel’s restaurants so people interested in grabbing a quick bite post workout can do so. “Eighty per cent of body weight is composed of what you eat,” says Santosh. The first question that most people ask them on joining is, how much weight will I lose? “We want to help people come out of looking only at body weight and instead look at well-being. Their thoughts need to be monitored. We teach them to love their body,” he says.

Group classes are priced at ₹5,000 for 12 classes. For details, log onto www.leapwellness.com or call 6374791169.

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