Natasha Amarasekara is the co-owner of Fit.lk, a business offering personalised fitness training and group classes, along with her partner, Isuru Fonseka. Natasha is also a professional dancer and has been participating in competitions and dance events since she was a child.
In her most recent fitness session, she hosted and guided an “animal flow” session at One Galle Face for Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) Retail Week 2021.
Speaking to Brunch about the outcome of her session, she said: “It went really well and we had a great turnout. I even did a crash course, which I don’t normally do, but everyone seemed to have enjoyed it.”
Animal flow, Natasha explained, is a mix of yoga, martial arts, and breakdance – it is a ground-based movement made fun, challenging, and effective. She began these sessions this year, after she earned her certification in Dubai back in 2019. “We initially planned on starting it in 2020, but unfortunately, due to Covid-19, this was not possible, so we had to wait until this year.”
They used the whole of last year to practise by themselves and become more familiar with the techniques, thus making them more than qualified to host these sessions. They are also the first-ever certified animal flow trainers in Sri Lanka.
She added that anyone can do it as it’s a supplementary workout. “Whether you are a crossfitter, yogi, a stay-at-home mom with body aches, or just someone who wants to improve your posture, it will improve your mobility, flexibility, and strength because you’re not only going into certain moves, you are staying in it.” She also added that it will improve your arm and wrist strength and have better awareness of your body. “If you are a person who’s noticed that you are not very co-ordinated, that your mind is deteriorating, animal flow improves your connection to your mind.”
Whether you want to work out on your own, train with a professional, or take part in group classes, animal flow has something for everyone. Natasha also commented that her favourite style of dance is hip hop, adding that she tries to incorporate that into her training sessions whenever she can. She also does tae bo, a type of total body fitness system that incorporates martial arts techniques such as kicks and punches.
Talking about how she got into fitness, she commented that her passion for it began in 2011 or 2012, when Isuru introduced her to her first gym. Once Isuru earned his qualification, she followed a year later and started Fit.lk. Elaborating on the concept behind Fit.lk, she added: “Fit.lk is a personalised physical training provider. It offers unique, targeted workout choices for clients, with flexible and convenient options including home visits for those on tight schedules.”
They offer sessions on anything, including weight loss, weight gain, and strengthening longevity. Explaining the procedure behind taking in their clients, she said: “We will meet the individual and consult them on what their goals are. Then, we will offer them a plan and their trainer will meet them at a specific location and will help them achieve their goals.”
At Fit.lk, they promote a wholesome aspect of fitness to your body; physical fitness is just one part, but nutrition is so important. “You can work out as much as you want, but if your diet is bad, then obviously you’re not going to get the results you want.”
Apart from that, she added, meditation and mind activities included into your regime is a must. “You can be an awesome fitness person and still be a terrible businessman; you need to have the whole package when you are getting involved in fitness.”
Speaking about what they focus on at Fit.lk, Natasha stated it to be longevity and long life. “You can aim towards a six pack, but you need to be disciplined and have the ability and time to put in the work for that. We are not looking for our clients to have a six pack, we want them to be more healthy, achieve their goals in a realistic manner and have a longer life.”
Natasha also stated that she will be hosting an animal flow session at Prana Lounge on 17 and 24 April at 3 p.m. She revealed that she will eventually be moving to Trainyard at One Galle Face as well to conduct her sessions. “We plan on starting with awareness events so people know what exactly animal flow is because many are under the assumption that it’s another concept of yoga, but it actually is the incorporation of yoga, martial arts, and breakdance.”
In exciting news, she also stated that they are planning a large-scale event, about which she doesn’t wish to share details yet, and urged the public to keep an eye out for this.
