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

Master Animal Flow instructor Swetha Devaraj breaks down the intricacies of the body-weight only exercise form derived from the movements of animals

Created by long-time 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. “Master instructors are the only people qualified to hold Animal Flow workshops that act as a pathway to certification for other aspiring instructors,” Devaraj explains.

The two trainers remain the only two master instructors in the country, helping those looking to explore their athletic potential. “Our workshops are open to everyone, but our attendees often include athletes, boxers, trainers and physiotherapists, looking to become certified Animal Flow instructors themselves,” she adds.

Animal Flow is a form of quadrupedal movement training rooted exclusively in ground-based 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, “It’s a form of exercise which is focused on tapping into your ‘inner animal.’ In other words, it’s about returning to the basics.” Devaraj will be hosting a two-day workshop in Mumbai from July 29 to July 30, designed for absolute beginners. The gruelling workshop will be for six-and-a-half hours each day. 

“The workouts rely on bodyweight exercises, meaning that there is no need for equipment,” Devaraj says. “This 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 routine,” Devaraj says. “I have done the flow at the beach, and noticed that it attracts a lot of curiosity because of how beautiful and unique it looks.” 

mid-day tried out some of the fundamentals of Animal Flow under Devaraj’s guidance, who held an impromptu session for this writer via video call. The session started with some simple warm-up exercises. 
“Before any session, wrist mobilisations are essential,” she tells us. “In Animal Flow, we spend a lot of time on our palms and feet, because all workouts are done on all fours.” The warm-up included some simple wrist and arm movements to prevent injury when moving on to more complicated techniques.

Next, Devaraj demonstrated “activations”, 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. “During 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 ground-based training, you improve your cognitive focus a lot,” she says, adding, “It’s better than any other kind of exercise.”

The next phase of our session covered form specific stretches, which the 38-year 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 low-impact.

“I started doing Animal Flow because I had an injury that kept me from running and exercising the way I used to,” Devaraj says. “I realised that because Animal Flow is low-impact, I could protect myself from further injury and still feel amazing, as though I had gone for a run.” The Bengaluru-based fitness instructor also wants her workshops to be firmly based around the scientific benefits of the activities. “I studied medicine, and am a qualified vascular radiologist,” she says.
 
“When 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 doing.” The main benefit of Animal Flow, however, is the feeling after a workout, she explains. “It puts you in a meditative zone,” is how she puts it.

You can learn more about Animal Flow at: www.animalflow.com
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