Sucheta Pal: First-Ever Indian Zumba Master Trainer

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3 years ago

Sucheta Pal is the First Zumba Master trainer credited for bringing dance & fitness revolution in India. She was awarded by Zumba Miami as a brand ambassador for Zumba in 2016, and one among the 140 select master trainers in the world, she was chosen by Zumba International to lead the TV series called Zoom Zumba Dance Fitness Party (season 1 and 2) in 2015 and 2016. The show made her a familiar face to people in India.

A Recipient of President’s Award – “First Lady” for Women Wellness,2018 and TedX speaker. She is a celebrity fitness coach for Gauri Khan, Bipasha Basu, Yami Gautam and has been regularly featured in Vogue, Grazia, The Week-Smart Life, Times of India & Hindustan Times. Her life has been full of high’s and low’s to serve as an inspiration for women out there.

Women Fitness India got an opportunity to get in touch with the stunning, energy-packed Zumba trainer, Sucheta Pal to talk about her life, passion, work, and much more. Read on.

Namita Nayyar

Today you are India’s Zumba ambassador and lead Zumba Education specialist, but earlier as indicated you were into a corporate job. Share the series of events that lead to a sudden shift from corporate to fitness world?

Sucheta Pal

It all started with me falling for the rat race of corporate life without actually giving much thought to if that was really what I wanted in life. But as they say it’s a process of self discovery and soon I discovered that although it was a high flying corporate job I was not happy in it at all. Infact I started suffering from social anxiety and acute IBS from corporate life stress and the only relief was when I immersed myself in my childhood passion for dance.

After several years of quite suffering I decided to call it quits, and started my professional dance trainig back in Mumbai at age 25. It was a struggle to make ends meet but I knew I had to hustle from ground zero. Soon we had a turn of events in 2009 and we shifted to the US for my partners work project. Thats where destiny looked at us kindly and I discovered Zumba for the first time. I was hooked, took my license as an instructor and started teaching there.

The CEO of the brand Zumba discovered me shortly and asked me to audition for the role of Zumba Education Specialist (or certified master trainer) for India and that’s when life changed completely. I shifted back to India in 2012 with this new role for the brand and entered the Indian Fitness Industry for the first time. It was an uphill task to introduce this group fitness format into every gym, studio of every nook and corner of India and it took years of relentless and consistent work to do so. I had an excellent team by my side and an amazing community of Zumba Instructors in India who collectively made it happen. I am humbled to say that we did it.

Today Zumba is a household name and thousands of people from dancers to personal trainers and from homemakers to corporate goers have chosen an alternate career with Zumba® as licensed instructors. Its been an honor to train and coach them and I am a proud ambassador of this format which is slowly but surely inspiring thousands of people to move and shake towards a healthier lifestyle.

FULL INTERVIEW ON NEXT PAGE!

This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President womenfitness.org and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.

Namita Nayyar

For a person you tried to end her life with overdose of depression pills to become a role model as of today calls for tremendous courage & strength. Share what all contributed to help you become an inspirational fitness role model

Sucheta Pal

When you have witnessed so closely what you can lose you want to hold on to it for dear life(pun intended). I was battling social anxiety for the longest time and when a turn of events took place in my life I knew I had to grab on to it with both my hands, my legs and any extra limbs I could find. I had never imagined that I would be presented with such opportunities one day but I strongly believe that these opportunities came my way as I had the courage to follow my calling and my passion irrespective of the challenges.

Quitting a corporate job was the first step and it was scary. Trying to not go broke at 25 by hustling in 3 part time jobs in Mumbai was brutal. And then training as a professional dancer at age 25 with young teenagers was tough and stressful. I had started late. But those struggles paved the way forward and doors opened.

But my biggest lesson in life has been what do we do when doors open. We can either doubt ourselves or think we are not good enough or we can hustle to prove that we deserve it. So when I was offered to teach in various studios in Connecticut,US I was unsure of my own capabilities but never said no. I hustled hard to be up to international fitness standards. And instead of one studio within months I was being offered several studios to teach in a foreign country. It felt very reassuring.

And when I was called to audition at the brand’s Miami headquarters to be India’s first Zumba Education Specialist I almost said no out of sheer fear of failing. But thank goodness I mustered the courage to say yes and here I am. But most importantly I owe whoever I am in my professional capacity to my family and friends who stood by me through thick and thin. Whether it was when I was a struggling dancer or a new instructor or when I am an Ambassador, they were there at every step.

I work harder each day as I owe it to them. Gratitude is my biggest motivation.

Namita Nayyar

To begin with, how did you land in the first Zumba Class? Share the experience that changed your life for good.

Sucheta Pal

When my husband and I moved to the US back in 2009, I chanced upon a fitness studio one day which was offering Zumba sessions. I was really curious and enrolled myself just to give it a try. I remember it was a cold winter morning, pretty early 7am class and as I entered the studio I saw 80 people waiting before me.

There was this happy vibrant vibe and I remember wondering why. I was answered very soon, as this Zumba instructor entered and from the happy vibe the atmosphere went all out carnival mode. The music started, the instructor jumped on stage and the class kicked off. I was hooked from the word go.

The music was insanely good, the moves were inspired from dance styles from across the world from Flamenco to Reggaeton to our desi Bollywood to Samba and there were people of all sizes, shape and age moving and grooving together.

The best part was that we were smiling as we were sweating and huffing and puffing. That was my first taste of Zumba and I was in love.

This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President womenfitness.org and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.

Namita Nayyar

Zumba can be practiced by every individual irrespective of their age, weight, health-related issues, and fitness level. People find it hard to believe the fact. Can you throw light sharing from your personal experience?

Sucheta Pal

I cannot emphasize enough the power of Zumba and how it has changed lives. One of the biggest examples I always give is that from my own family.

My 65 years plus mother-in-law who had never entered a gym in her entire life, started her fitness journey with Zumba and has never been happier. In fact she is a regular at my open Zumba events and you will find her on stage with me moving and shaking. I have one of these captured on one of my youtube videos too. The crowd loved her.

We have 16 year olds to 60 years old rocking Zumba and the best part is that Zumba has also now become a viable fitness career opportunity. So Zumba lovers from corporate goers to home makers have now taken this career option and inspiring many others to start their own fitness and health journey through this happy workout format.

Namita Nayyar

Please share your personal fitness routine as of today, being a mother and an instructor? Number of days you workout and the schedule you follow.

Sucheta Pal

I workout for two reasons. My profession requires me to invest in my body and my son requires me to be agile and fit. So I diligently have worked out since 2 months post pregnancy till date.

I started off with specialized post natal fitness to recuperate and strengthen my diastasis recti and heal my pelvic floor after my pregnancy and C-section delivery and once I regained strength I incorporated 2- 3 days of body weight and free weight training (kettlebells being my favourite) and ofcourse teaching Zumba sessions gives me the much needed cardio regularly.

Thanks to this and a balanced diet I have regained my stamina and strength very quickly and in fact feel much more stronger than even before my pregnancy.

This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President womenfitness.org and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.

Namita Nayyar

Share an insight into your diet routine? Foods you like to eat and supplements you incorporate to stay strong?

Sucheta Pal

Thanks to pregnancy I started to consciously change my eating habits and thankfully have continued. I don’t belive in counting calories but instead I control portion size. I include a good helping of a protein source on my plate be it chicken or eggs, a helping of veggies and rice for carbohydrates and fibre and ofcourse good fat like avocado, ghee etc.

I also realized that no matter what thanks to our hectic schedules we may not get all our nutrients from our daily food intake and supplements are key. So a Vitamin supplement, a fish oil capsule and a protein drink is always included in my daily nutrition routine. And during and after my workouts I will always replenish myself with a good electrolyte drink like Fast & Up or coconut water.

Namita Nayyar

In your #PregnantAndPerfect campaign, your aim was to break some of the biggest myths about pregnancy. You danced all through the ninth month of your pregnancy, came to be known as ‘Zumba mommy’ in the Zumba community. Please throw some light on the same.

Sucheta Pal

Although I was already called a Zumba mommy lovingly by the instructor community of India who I have had the pleasure to coach and train, I truly became one when I got pregnant in 2019. But pregnancy brought in unsolicited advice and I was always surrounded by people telling me not to workout during pregnancy or to take it easy and I knew it was time to really dig deep and break these myths.

After a lot of research and with my doctors encouragement I decided to continue doing what I loved. Travel and teach Zumba. So I had a 7 city tour across India teaching LIVE Zumba sessions in my 2nd Trimester to hundreds of students and followers across Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and even Jaipur. And it was humbling to see the response, especially my women.

I could see that in some small way I had contributed to empower them by walking the talk.Yes the body changes during pregnancy and one needs to be safe but exercise is the best thing we can do for a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby. Its totally safe to continue with our original fitness regime with 30% less intensity and staying hydrated and never out of breath. As long as you have your doctors permission you are good to go.

Namita Nayyar

Zumba essentials to follow in a prenatal class?

5 things to keep in mind while joining Zumba class after a childbirth?

Sucheta Pal

Zumba® being a fitness format which is inspired by dance and music is one of the most recommended workouts for pregnancy. Of Course it helps in keeping the woman active but the best part is that it’s a happy workout thanks to the foot stomping music and dance styles. Its a great stress buster in pregnancy.

If you are pregnant and have joined a Zumba® session then please ensure you have informed your licensed Zumba Instructor of the same and have your doctors permission.

One should reduce their exercise intensity by 30%, stay hydrated, never get breathless and take a break or stop the moment they feel discomfort of any sort. Most importantly is to listen to your body.

After childbirth don’t rush into the rat race of losing the baby weight. It’s more important to understand the changes in your body, heal and strengthen it before one resumes any fitness routine.

Take doctors permission at 6 weeks check up
Start Diaphragmatic breathing
Core engagement in all daily activities
Post Natal Core workout for Diastasis recti or ab separation (Not Crunches or sit ups)
Pelvic floor strengthening workout

I would suggest giving yourself 3 to 6 months to completely recover before one starts off with the fitness journey for weight loss. You can hire a post natal specialist or enroll for one of my affordable online sessions for the same on www.suchetapalofficial.com.

Namita Nayyar

According to you, how significant is mental fitness as a part of a fit body, mind and soul?

Sucheta Pal

In todays day and age when we need to slow down and decompress mental fitness is the key and should be on the top of our priority list. Being in good shape definitely helps in mental agility, memory and improving mental wellness.

The biggest benefit is stress relief. Physical activity aides mental fitness in two ways. It increases the flow of oxygen to our brains and also increases the amount of endorphins, the “feel-good” chemicals. Mental fitness can not only help us battle anxiety and depression but also help gain a more positive outlook on life.

Namita Nayyar

You are a mothers to son, Kiyaan who turned one this year. How has motherhood changed you as a person and an instructor. How do you go about balancing your personal and professional life?

Sucheta Pal

I thought I was patient, but after motherhood I have discovered a whole new level of patience and that has made me a more compassionate leader. I listen more, I think more and I make decisions with the intention to serve and add value. But the biggest upside is I have miraculously become an ace in time management and get more work done in less time. Sometimes I wonder what I was doing before. Also priorities are absolutely straight.

With respect to the balancing act, I don’t belive in living two different lives, one personal and one professional life. In the course of a day, I spend my time with my family, my friends, my colleagues and my students and followers and I enjoy all these relationships. I cannot have a happy career without having a happy personal life and vice versa. So just as I chose my partner in my family life I also choose the people I want to work with. They become like family. In fact you will always find my son and husband making special appearances in my sessions too.

Namita Nayyar

As indicated in your previous interview your husband and elder sister have been your pillar of strength till date?

14 February is celebrated as Valentine’s day, a personal message for your loved ones, fans and WF followers.

Sucheta Pal

My family is my sunshine in the storm called life. My husband and sisters are definitely my pillars of strength. But I also have to add that my extended family of my instructors, students and my social media followers make my heart smile each day. Wishing each one of them a very happy Valentines day and for our WF followers I wish that you all find your sunshine among family and friends.

Namita Nayyar

Tips on how Zumba can assist in weight loss and fight obesity.

Sucheta Pal

Its possible to burn between 300 and 900 calories during one hour of a Zumba session .To lose weight, you’ll need to create a calorie deficit by burning more calories than you’re consuming. You can do this with a combination of reducing your daily caloric intake and physical activity. The ideal way is by attending Zumba sessions two or three times a week, weekly strength training sessions and a balanced diet. You will see yourself achieving your weight loss goals and fight obesity.

If you want to increase the number of calories burned during Zumba, upping the intensity of the workout can help. Ofcourse calorie burn depends on various other factors like age,genetics or current level of fitness. One can also try one of many formats of Zumba® to mix it up like Strong by Zumba(HIIT) or Zumba® Sentao(with a chair).

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This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President womenfitness.org and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.