Understanding Animal Flow training from India's only two master instructors

Created by longtime personal trainer Mike Fitch in 2010 Animal Flow is an exercise trend that has expanded to India in recent years thanks to two certified master trainers Swetha Devaraj and Devrath Vijay ldquoMaster instructors are the only people qualified to hold Animal Flow workshops that act as a pathway to certification for other aspiring instructorsrdquo Devaraj explainsThe two trainers remain the only two master instructors in the country helping those looking to explore their athletic potential ldquoOur workshops are open to everyone but our attendees often include athletes boxers trainers and physiotherapists looking to become certified Animal Flow instructors themselvesrdquo she addsAnimal Flow is a form of quadrupedal movement training rooted exclusively in groundbased movement The distinctive movements were influenced by techniques used in breakdancing and gymnastics but with one added inspiration the natural movements of animals Devaraj who first became interested in Animal Flow eight years ago tells us ldquoItrsquos a form of exercise which is focused on tapping into your lsquoinner animalrsquo In other words itrsquos about returning to the basicsrdquo Devaraj will be hosting a twoday workshop in Mumbai from July 29 to July 30 designed for absolute beginners The gruelling workshop will be for sixandahalf hours each dayldquoThe workouts rely on bodyweight exercises meaning that there is no need for equipmentrdquo Devaraj says ldquoThis makes it very appealing as you can do it at any location of your choosing be it your home or a park for instance It can fit very easily into your daily routinerdquo Devaraj says ldquoI have done the flow at the beach and noticed that it attracts a lot of curiosity because of how beautiful and unique it looksrdquomidday tried out some of the fundamentals of Animal Flow under Devarajrsquos guidance who held an impromptu session for this writer via video call The session started with some simple warmup exercisesldquoBefore any session wrist mobilisations are essentialrdquo she tells us ldquoIn Animal Flow we spend a lot of time on our palms and feet because all workouts are done on all foursrdquo The warmup included some simple wrist and arm movements to prevent injury when moving on to more complicated techniquesNext Devaraj demonstrated ldquoactivationsrdquo which are exercises intended to bring conscious attention to the body and its interaction with the ground These movements included a position called the Bear position in which the body is positioned with the knees on the floor perpendicular to the belly button and the heels are lifted off the ground Although this is a relatively simple position aimed at waking up the body it is one that requires you to direct all your attention to the movement of your limbs and the positioning of your hands and feet thereby drawing your consciousness to your form ldquoDuring these exercises a lot of information travels from your hands and feet all the way through the nervous system This is why when you are doing any groundbased training you improve your cognitive focus a lotrdquo she says adding ldquoItrsquos better than any other kind of exerciserdquoThe next phase of our session covered form specific stretches which the 38year old instructor typically teaches on the second day of her workshops These stretches are more challenging testing flexibility as well as the coordination between hands and feet and muscular endurance Although challenging they are still lowimpactldquoI started doing Animal Flow because I had an injury that kept me from running and exercising the way I used tordquo Devaraj says ldquoI realised that because Animal Flow is lowimpact I could protect myself from further injury and still feel amazing as though I had gone for a runrdquo The Bengalurubased fitness instructor also wants her workshops to be firmly based around the scientific benefits of the activities ldquoI studied medicine and am a qualified vascular radiologistrdquo she saysldquoWhen I worked in the medical field I was doing disease care not healthcare I was treating patients for illnesses such as stroke heart disease and diabetes Now teaching Animal Flow I know that I am helping people improve their fitness and prevent those diseases in the first place At every stage of the workshop I talk my students through the medical benefits of the exercises they are doingrdquo The main benefit of Animal Flow however is the feeling after a workout she explains ldquoIt puts you in a meditative zonerdquo is how she puts itYou can learn more about Animal Flow at wwwanimalflowcomhttpswwwinstagramcomsweatyswetha