Many of us find exercise and dance a good way to blow off the steam after a long day at work. But given a choice, would you quit a well-established corporate career to pursue fitness full time? That’s exactly what Princy Mehta did! Not only did she switch careers, she also used that opportunity to move home from Mumbai to Goa, where she knew no one. From establishing herself as a fitness coach and choreographer in a new city, to living a life of everyone’s dreams in Goa, Princy has come a long way.
From choreographing dance routines for weddings and other events to taking up fitness and dance classes, her journey is brave, strong and inspiring! Let’s know more about how she got there.
Journey Before The Foray Into Fitness
Princy shares, “I completed high school from a small town in Gujarat called Bharuch and then moved to Ahmedabad for my graduation in commerce. I later on studied mass communication with specialization in Public Relations and Events. I worked with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) for three years managing different events and then moved on to working for PR companies. I worked as a PR Consultant for companies like Torque Communication, Adfactors PR and APCO Worldwide working with clients from diverse industries like IT, telecom, pharmaceuticals, F&B managing their PR needs. At APCO Worldwide, I worked with the government of Gujarat for their worldwide PR need for influencing investors into the state.”
She says that her education into events and PR helped her in her corporate life and is still helping her today as a Choreographer and Fitness Coach. She adds,
“I learnt Bharatanatyam for six years in my schooling years and then picked up western styles of dance during college days. I was also part of Shiamak Davar’s institute in Ahmedabad with their special batch for performances. Once I got busy with my corporate life, I took up group fitness classes for my personal fitness goals and that’s when the seeds for my current profession were sowed.”
From The Hustle Of Mumbai To The Chills Of Goa!
Princy was earlier in Mumbai, working with APCO Worldwide. In 2012 she decided to take a sabbatical for a year from her corporate life and pursue what she was alternatively good at – dance and fitness! She says that’s when her husband, Amrit and she decided to move to Goa.
Making a move from Mumbai to Goa and changing my career from a PR consultant to a Fitness Coach /Choreographer happened almost at the same time. These two simultaneous changes brought in its own set of challenges. She says,
“I learnt how to create a new life in a new city without having known a single person to start with. And today, after five years of having been Goa I have learnt that its your skill set and your drive to achieve something that will take you through this life journey no matter where you are and what you are doing.”
Cultivating Fitness Through Exercise & Dance
Princy Mehta says that being a fitness coach for her is a chance to help and inspire people to lead a healthy and fit life. She opines that if you are passionate about fitness, the opportunities in this industry are umpteen.
She says, “A good group fitness coach is someone who has the ability to demonstrate and instruct proper exercise as per the varied goals of the said group. Catering to a big group becomes challenging and that’s when the instructors ability to provide variations according to an individual’s capacity and the ability to motivate and take them through a one hour class comes into picture.”
Princy takes up group fitness classes in Weight Training, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), Circuit Training, STRONG by Zumba, and BollyFIT. She teaches Hip Hop and Bollywood freestyle in her dance workshops. Apart from that, Princy also takes up event/wedding choreographs, corporate group fitness classes for their offsite, and private dance classes for couples. She loves teaching dance to kids and teens, currently at two schools in Goa.
When asked for a simple fitness hack that can be adopted by everyone in their respective lives, she suggests keeping it simple and effective. Princy says,
“For general fitness levels, I suggest 4-5 hours of exercise per week including at least 2-3 days of strength training and cardio on other days. Eating balanced meals and cooking food at home is a great habit to cultivate. Being active throughout the day and getting 7-8 hours of sound sleep is a must.”
Takeaways – Habits That Help
“In my five years of being a Fitness Coach and Choreographer, one of the biggest trait I have learnt and cultivated is being consistent in whatever it is that you are doing and wanting to achieve. There is no alternative to consistency and hard work!”
Liked reading this? Then you might also like to read Srinivasa Pejathaya – A Teacher Who Pushes His Students To Achieve Their Highest Potential.
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