As kids, we're full of dreams and bustling energy, and Suvini Mehra was no different. She was an all-rounder with a penchant for extra-curricular activities. From Abacus and Ballet to Tennis and Golf – she played and excelled at it all. However, soon came the pressure of studies and the constant nagging of society. Suvini had to let go of her sporty endeavors along with part of her zeal in life. But not for long!
From being an under-confident girl who was astray in life to regaining confidence as a leading Dance trainer and Strength coach – here's Suvini's personal account into the world of fitness.
Maneuvering the extremes of fitness
As a child, I believed that I could achieve everything. But as it does for most of us, the feeling soon got clouded with doubts, insecurities, and societal rules. While I was always into sports and extracurricular activities when growing up, the pressure of studies and the dictate of excelling at academics soon took it all away.
I fell prey to binge eating and savoring junk and gradually grew unfit. And it wasn't just my body that suffered. With fitness down the drain, my confidence also took a hit. I became extremely conscious of how I looked and developed body image issues. However, not one to be bogged down easily, I soon took matters into my own hands.
Grit, determination and dedication
I was determined to drop the kilos, and I started working out to the point of insanity. I forgot what a ''balanced diet'' was and went straight for crash diets and all sorts of fads. I was obsessed with the weighing scale and developed a rather unhealthy relationship with food.
For me, it was simple – work out like there's no tomorrow, drop the weight, and when it's under control, binge and enjoy again. However, I soon realized that this was in no way sensible or sustainable.
Discovering cult.fit and how it changed my life
From fit to unfit to fit again - I was tired of the vicious cycle. However, I was definitely not prepared to go back to my unhealthy and under-confident self. So I kept at it and heard about cult.fit through my friends in my second year of college
The platform looked promising and presented various group classes, which were appealing to me. I joined right away. Soon I realized that fitness is not about penalizing yourself and that working out can be fun. At the same time, I began mingling with fellow members and mentors, and cult.fit became family before I knew it.
Finding my calling in fitness
The holistic approach to fitness and the atmosphere here had me hooked, and my workouts became the highlight of my day. My friends, too, started teasing me and said that I practically live at cult.fit. And frankly, they weren't wrong.
I picked Zumba classes over a night at the club and preferred working out over hanging out with friends. Due to my love for dance, Zumba soon became my go-to fitness format. I even started memorizing the choreography and moves for every song. Around the same time, college came to an end, and it was time for me to find a job.
From being a member to becoming a dance trainer
While my friends were quick to pick plush jobs in corporations, I wasn't ready to do that. I had a degree in marketing, but I realized that it was far from my calling. And thus, despite having several job offers in hand, I decided to follow my heart, and it led me to cult.fit.
I got my Zumba certification, and before I knew it, I was part of the Cult Tribe. It felt surreal and, at the same time, a little intimidating. It soon dawned upon me that being a Zumba trainer isn't the same as being a member. And that’s when the tough climb began.
Learning the tricks of the trade
While it was easy to zero down on fitness as a profession, I had a long way to go. As an instructor, I had to learn to cue, match the rhythm and remember the steps – all at once. I even had to start the steps on my left, which was a task. But this was only half the battle.
While nailing the fitness aspect was important, my job also required me to fight my personal roadblocks– one of which was public speaking.
Getting over stage fright with the help of mentors
My mentors at cult.fit patiently helped me with this and taught me personality-building skills, which I otherwise would not have known. They also helped me unearth fitness myths and gain a well-rounded understanding of fitness. Although my work as a Zumba trainer required me to focus on Cardio, my mentors showed me the value of inculcating strength training into my routines.
Steadily, I marched towards my dream – both professionally as well as personally.
Reaping the fruits of hard work
In the days to come, I started taking solo sessions, additional training, and sought feedback from mentors. Determined to become better, I made time for strength training between classes to improve my own fitness. By now, I conquered my fear of public speaking and was improving my stage presence with each passing day.
Gradually, I moved from Zumba to learning new formats - first Dance Fitness and then Prowl - and even got promoted as a senior trainer. I hustled hard and traveled all over Bangalore to conduct sessions. And as they say, hard work never fails you.
I got recognized as a support trainer at cultpass LIVE (previously cult.live) and soon got the opportunity to conduct online sessions amid the pandemic.
The journey has just begun
I no longer need scripts to conduct my classes. In fact, I now help my colleagues with running the formats, planning shoots, and telecasting sessions. I have also finished my CCFT training and am excited to see where my fitness journey takes me next.
As of today, I have completed four years with cult.fit and am only raring to go further. I am grateful that I could make Fitness accessible to a whole lot of people during the pandemic, and I am more determined than ever to keep going!
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