Beats’n’Steps to launch New Dance-Fitness Studio in Panampilly Nagar

PRESS RELEASE
KOCHI: Beats’n’Steps, the renowned dance-fitness studio is opening its second center at Panampilly Nagar after two successful years of functioning at South Kalamassery. The new center will be focussed on dance, fitness and martial arts with the best talent to teach in each category.

Training in BollyFitness, Zumba Basic and Strong, Mixed Martial Arts with Taekwondo, Latin Dance Jr, Latin Dance Senior, Bollywood dance, Hip Hop, Contemporary dance, classical dances such as Bharatanatyam, Mohiniattam and Kathak will be offered at the new center, Prasanth S, Director and Co-Founder of Beats’n’Steps said.

“We will have the best of trainers for each of our programs and the most convenient timings for ladies and kids,” Prasanth said. “Lifestyle changes and busy work schedules have made life sedentary for most people and hence our fitness programs are focussed on the requirements of corporates, housewives and above 50 year olds,” he added. 

The Kathak dance training is being provided in association with Mudra School of Dance while Latin Junior and Senior is being offered in association with Paul Paul Academy, Thrissur run by renowned Latin Dance expert Paul Chiriankandath. Paul is preparing kids in the 6-18 age group for Latin Dance Competitions promoted by Dance Sport India affiliated to World Dance Council.

Beats ‘n’ Steps was established in June 2015 by Zumba fitness trainers Prasanth and Aswathy Visweswaran at South Kalamassery. “We have over 250 satisfied clients in our Kalamassery center with focus on Zumba, Aerobics and Yoga,” Prasanth said. He quit a high paying corporate job to start dance fitness business along with Aswathy, a pharmacist turned fitness trainer who is also trained in Latin Salsa dance.

“With more enquiries coming from the heart of the city, we are launching the new facility at Panampilly Nagar to cater to people living in Kaloor- Kadavanthara, Vytilla, Ravipuram, Thoppumpady, Thevara and nearby areas,” Aswathy Visweswaran said.

 “Our clients have expressed satisfaction with Zumba Fitness, Aerobics and Yoga as they have experienced improvement in their health, weight management and happiness which gives us motivation to offer our services more people,” she added. Lately, even doctors, nutritionists and sports medicine experts have recommended Zumba to keep fit and prevent cardiovascular diseases and stroke, Aswathy said.

Beats’n’Steps: Ist Floor Kannada Sangha Builidng, Panampilly Nagar, Kochi-682036

Beatsn’Steps: Ist Floor, Khafji Tower, Near CUSAT Signal

For enquiries: Mob-9895611537, 9744954607

Twin objective of exercise- building body and mental muscles

By Aswathy Visweswaran**

Early morning scene in cities- stadiums, parks, and roads are all alive much before the rising sun. You will find young men, women, old men and women either walking, jogging or do stretching excercises. If you quiz them you could get some common reasons why they have all hit the road early in the morning:

-High Cholesterol
- Blood pressure
-Blood sugar
-Over Weight (Body Mass Index -BMI over 26)
-Belly fat, thigh fat
-Knee Pain, back pain

Still others rush to the nearest gym – do cycling, treadmill, bench press, take the dumb bells, take weights and so on. Their intention most probably could be to build muscles and keep fit.

Why do Excercise?

It is a fact that with more mechanization, computerization many of us are glued to some computerized device, forced to sit for more hours and leading a sedentary life even at home. Not to forget the high fat, high cholesterol, high protein diets, oil foods that clog your arteries or high fat deposits on your tummy. No wonder many succumb to first minor heart attack before 40's. Without exercise you are likely to be unhealthy and witness some of the symptoms given above.

Contrary to popular perception exercise is not only for building body muscles but also mental muscles. According to Chris Paley, author of Unthink (Coronet, UK ,2014). exercise is also beneficial for self –restraint. It helps in dealing with distractions, less TV watching, willingness to wash dishes at home and so on.

Is Exercise alone enough?

If you do one hour of exercise and increase your food intake especially sugar, oily foods, and fat, whatever gains made are quickly offset.  Health and fitness requires moderate exercise and balanced diet as opposed to dieting or starving. Balanced diet- is a mix of vitamins, proteins, minerals, fat,anti-oxidants …

There are others who are lazy and try out quick slim formulas sold either as capsules, powders or compounds from over the counter (OTC) in medical shops and super markets.  They are marketed as herbal, ayurvedic or natural products, whatever it means.

The harm created by dieting need not be over stressed- it leads to deprivation of essential nutrients in the body, lack of oxygen flow to cells, and overall weakness. Their role models are the the ones who appear on TV, banner ads in newspapers and magazines.

NB: If you are excercising or doing regular workouts, it is better to get the advice of dietician or nutritionists on what to eat before and after the workout.

#Advantages of Exercise
- lowers heart rate
-lower blood pressure
- lowers probability of cancer in women (endometrial cancer, liver cancer, ovarian cancer,bladder cancer, blood cancer)

-improves physical and mental alertness
-helps in weight management
-helps in toning of muscles.

The popularity of Dance-Fitness
Many people get lazy with morning walks and jogging after a few weeks or months, gets disappointed with workouts in the gym, still others who shell out INR 15000 to 25000 to have exercise machines or treadmills at home, only to give up after the initial enthusiasm is over. In many homes, they become the favourite hanging place for your Tees, vests and briefs in bedroom and balacony!

It’s when many people give dance –fitness a try. Zumba has emerged as one of the top favourites as it appeals to all age groups from Kids to old age – Kids Zumba (7-11), Jr Kids Zumba (5-7), Zumba (18-50), Zumba Gold (50 years and above), Zumba Toning (to keep muscles in shape), Aqua Zumba. Zumba is a Latin American dance-fitness program that integrates the best of dance forms Salsa, Cumbia, Regaetton, Merengue accompanied by entertaining global music. Beto Perez is the creator of Zumba Fitness formula that keeps your mind, body agile and brings an amazing change in your lifestyles. Zumba burns upto 800 calories an hour. Aerobics continues to appeal to all age groups due to its scientific methods and music based workouts.

Wishing you all success in health, wellness efforts!

(NB: Those having heart, asthma, ortho or other medical problems needs to first consult a doctor before joining for any fitness program).

(Aswathy Visweswaran is a pharmacist turned Zumba Fitness instructor well-versed in diet and nutrition. She is the co-founder of Beats 'n' Steps, a dance fitness studio in Kalamassery, Kochi and mother of two children). For any suggestions and queries- write to beatsnsteps@gmail.com or call Prasanth-9895611537)

**(Edited by Sreekumar Raghavan)

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Try combo dance routines, to keep boredom away!

By Sreekumar Raghavan

It is often said familiarity breeds contempt and this applies to many things in life including fitness and dance routines. Many a time, people simply abandon their walking, jogging, gym workouts mid-way just because it becomes monotonous and becomes just another daily routine.

In a day filled with work, family and social activities it may not be easy to juggle different fitness activities together. However, dance based fitness routines enable trying out different, exciting formats a week , get better results in terms of wellness, calories and overall health.

Prasanth S, Co-Founder and Director of Beats ‘n’ Steps, a dance fitness studio who pioneered this concept  said that although aerobics, Zumba Fitness and bollywood dance follow different steps and styles, they are essentially about music and dance with Zumba workouts being the most tiresome burning out more calories than the rest. Those afraid of falling into a routine and getting bored with dance-fitness routines can try out a combo of Aerobics, Zumba and Bollywood and get better results, he added.

However, he cautioned that fitness enthusiasts should opt for fitness centes that provide quality, licensed instructors in all the three disciplines. 

Aswathy Visweswaran, Co-Founder of Beats ‘n’ Steps pointed out that from a trainer’s perspective it is a challenge to master different routines but Zumba itself is an amalgamation of Merengue, Salsa, Bachata and Regaetton , hence it is good if trainers get additional training in those styles too. “ Hence I am going for Salsa training to further improve my Zumba skills,” she added. However, from a practitioners’s perspective it is great to do different styles to attain wellness and hence the introduction of combo routines.


Aerobics Dance
It is a great way to maintain your body shape and it’s lot of fun too, according to Seema Subodh, Reebok Certified Aerobics trainer at Beats ‘n’ Steps.  It should begin with a warm up, followed by  high impact and a cool down  and it is ideal for kids and teens. Fun, Excitement, music and fitness are the hall marks of Aerobics programme.

Zumba Fitness

Zumba is a intensive workout that last for an hour daily and helps you burn more calories, keep your skin smooth and youthful, according to Aswathy Visweswarn, ZIN (Zumba Instructor Network). It can make amazing changes in your life not only in terms of weight maintenance but help you indulge in your favourite foods without being bothered about counting calories.

Bollywood Dance
The dances are a fusion of traditional and classical Indian dances with the influence of some jazz, hip-hop and modern dance. Timing and Rhythm, engery, and sharp controlled expressive movements are the important elements of Bollywood Dancing!  According to Anupama, accomplished dancer and instructor at Beats ‘n’ Steps, it’s a whole some offering that helps to bring out the dancing talents in you with enjoyable songs and music.

(For details regarding Dance-Fitness combo programs: mailto : prasant4444@yahoo.co.in)

Beats 'n' Steps, dance-fitness studio launched in Kochi

KOCHI, INDIA: Burning calories, attaining fitness and remaining healthy are all goals most people have. Until now the options were going out for a walk, jogging, workout in the gym or at home. All these fitness routines are good enough but has a lot of limitations.

Key drawbacks:

1)Progress in walking and jogging activities may take a longer time to show results
2)Solo activities may be uninteresting and lead to boredom and abandonment
3)Rain or inclement weather can spoil the outdoor activity and hence impact daily excercise routine

It is here that dance based fitness routines score over conventional ones, according to Aswathy Visweswaran, ZIN (Zumba Instructor Network-www.zumba.com) and Prasanth S, Zin, co-founders of Beats 'n' Steps a dance-fitness studio in South Kalamassery in the commercial city of Kochi.

"We decided to launch this venture based on dance-based routines because people from all age groups especially late 30's and 40's genuinely feel a need to have some fun, entertainment and tangible results when it comes to burning calories and attaining wellness,"  Aswathy and Prasanth said.

Beats 'n' Steps provides training in Zumba Fitness, Aerobics, Bollywood dance, Hip Hop, and traditional yoga and Bharatanatyam. Zumba is capable of burning upto 800 calories an hour. Many people are initially shy or reluctant to join Zumba as they feel they require to be good at dancing. " Many of the students whom I studied with had no background in dancing but only a desire to be healthy and shed flab," Aswathy Visweswaran said in chat with CommodityJourno.blogspot.in. Presence of personal trainer and contemporary dancer, Ritin is a boost for Beats 'n' Steps, the promoters said.

Seema Subodh, is a Reebok certified Aerobics trainer now available at Beats 'n' Steps. She believes that dance based fitness sessions bring out the best in each individual raising their confidence level and outlook towards life. However, those having heart ailments or chest problems need to first consult a doctor and also need to inform the trainer about their ailments.

Anupama, bollywood and bharatanatyam trainer is an accomplished dancer who has done several shows in India and abroad. She believes Beats 'n' Steps has the right mix of offerings for anyone interested in the aesthetics of keeping fit and healthy in life.

Mehbooba, the yoga teacher said that awareness about the benefits of yoga is now spreading across the world. The mere fact that June 21 is observed as International Yoga day is ample proof this. It can work miracles on our body, mind, breath control meditation and body flexibility.

In due course, Beats 'n' Steps is planning several innovative programs on personality development and machine based workouts, promoters said. There are separate classes for ladies and kids.

For details: contact Aswathy Visweswaran 9744954607, Prasanth-9895611537
Beats'n' Steps is located at CUSAT Signal Jn, South Kalamassery, Kochi-682023

Zumba: The zest for health, beauty and happiness!

Haven't you heard the popular quote: If wealth is lost nothing is lost, if health is lost something is lost, if character is lost everything is lost. All round the world you find people running after wealth ignoring the the other two vital things and end up in a miserable state by middle age-- a rotund figure,bulging stomachs, weak muscles and skin texture. To compound it all you have several negative things popping up on your vital medical tests- cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, heart rate, triglycerides and it is the begining of all traumas that are going to affect them for the rest of their life.

Then people start trying out several things- dieting, exercise, hitting the gym, doing aerobics, or simply taking push-ups and dumb bells at home. These no doubt burn calories but may not be adding to your fitness. Unscientific dieting techniques can create several health and nutrition problems, add to stress and ultimately lead to more fat in your body.

Here comes Zumba!
Zumba, zumba, zumba, zumba,zumba, zumba, zumba ye, zumba aaaa....if this fast number you can see in YouTube makes you hit the floor and swing, then zumba is really for you. It combines aerobics, free style dance, rhythmic body movements, and no pressure to conform to any set basic rules. Dance, apart from being an artform is also useful for right-brain left brain co-ordination and attaining symmetry. Aerobics has already been proven to be best way to burn out calories and combine that with rigorous physical exertion, music and fun-- an enchanting cocktail.

I was not very enthusiastic when my wife Aswathy was keen to join for Zumba at The Floor September 2013. Our daughter Diyah was already there for ballet classes under Maria Roy.

No appreciable change was seen in the first few months but towards the sixth month people started noticing the change in her- our son Darshan's class teacher said your mom looks like your elder sister. Her photos on Facebook attracted hundreds of 'wovs' and the latest one 'High on Happiness with Zumba' was posted in The Floor FB page thanks to her Zumba mentor Arunima Gupta with more comments and likes pouring in. Not to be left out, Maria Roy,Arunima and Aswathy have been urging me to take to the Floor!

Seeing the new look Aswathy several skeptics of Zumba have now become zumba fans with several more likely to follow. One is our former neighbour, Jayasree, a bank manager who rushes from her busy office schedule to be at The Floor by 7.30 pm three days a week for the one-hour workout. Chubby Nitin, a student of catering at Wayanad has also hit the floor recently and is amazed by the change it brings. He says one hour at The Floor is equivalent to six to seven hours work out at the Gym. Jayasree who was quite scary of her poor dancing skills found that no body had the time to look into her faults, you just fall in line seeing what others do.

From early morning itself The Floor at Panampilly Nagar comes live with mentors Arunima, Govind, Poornima all creating a passion for men and women of all ages to be young, healthy, beautiful which all rubs on their character and outlook. In the mean time, just saw an FB post : Beauty catches the attention, but character catches the heart.

For all those interested in Zumba: The Floor, Canal Road, Panampilly Nagar is waiting for you. Contact info: Arunima Gupta 9747640575 or on Facebook: The Floor. Additionally, Aswathy Visweswaran, ZIN has now co-founded Beats 'n' Steps to promote Zumba fitness. You may contact her on aswathydiyah@gmail.com or Mob-9744954607