Ashfaria Khair, Managing Director of Bengal Wellbeing, talks about the inspiration behind introducing Bangladesh’s first Pilates studio, Yasmin Karachiwala’s Body Image (YKBI) Dhaka, its success factors, and overcoming existing barriers to entries for Pilates in the market.
Bengal Wellbeing launched Yasmin Karachiwala’s Body Image (YKBI) in Dhaka in 2019. What was the inspiration behind launching a Pilates studio for the Dhaka market, particularly YKBI?
The main reason was to address the lack of Pilates studios in Bangladesh. Pilates is a form of exercise that uses resistance training to target small muscle groups. It focuses on improving physical strength, flexibility and posture. There are several yoga studios, but we were the first ones to bring Pilates to the market to accommodate the gap. At the time, Dhaka also lacked fitness instructors who had international certifications, perhaps due to a lack of exposure, or the expense of seeking those certifications. Having a team of instructors who know how to train clients well is important to me. This was the inspiration behind introducing Yasmin Karachiwala’s Body Image (YKBI) in Dhaka. Yasmin Karachiwala has been in the industry for about 20 years and is a certified Balanced Body Master Instructor. She provides training and certification opportunities to our instructors. Whether our clients are following the correct Pilates postures, or doing the proper set of exercises that are good for their body type, the instructors give them that guidance. They are very skilled and know what they’re doing and I think, for that, YKBI is great for the Dhaka market.
Who is the target group of YKBI Dhaka? Are there options for young professionals who are eager to incorporate a fitness regimen into their routine?
Pilates is good for all age groups looking for exercises to stay fit and toned. It helps with your posture and is good for building core strength; when you have a strong core, you have a strong base for everything else. At the same time, Pilates is great for rehabilitation, particularly for older age groups for whom a lot of intense workouts may not be suitable. It focuses on mobility and is not exhausting so it is suitable for the elderly. Joseph Pilates’ wife suffered from arthritis and he helped her relieve the pain through the rehabilitation process with Pilates. And, with a lot of injuries, Pilates is recommended for the recovery process.
We are trying to be more accessible to young professionals and accommodate them in our studio. I do realise it has become a bit of a niche market that we have been targeting, as we focus more on personal training. But for those just starting out in their career, we have recently launched spin classes. It is a quick cardio workout, and it’s fun and intense. We get the lights and music going in a dark room, and in about half an hour, you’ve burned up to 500 calories. To young professionals, I’d recommend the morning or evening sessions so they can come in before or after work. We also have Pilates group classes.
Managing Director
Bengal Wellbeing
Pilates is yet to gain traction and build momentum in the market. What are some of its barriers to entry and how could they be overcome?
The major barrier is that most people in Bangladesh still don’t know what Pilates is. There is still a very big learning left, particularly when it comes to recognising that fitness should be a constant part of our lifestyle. The mentality right now is that people only join gyms to shed some weight over a short period and that’s it. But it is so much more than meeting that one goal as it also helps you in so many aspects of your life. When it comes to Pilates, you work on your core, but you won’t see results in just 10 days. But if you are patient and want to incorporate it as a part of your daily life, then after a month, you will see changes in your body.
To overcome that barrier, we need more awareness, and honestly, the best awareness these days are built through social media. That’s the only channel I would say is viable. One thing that comes to our advantage is that most celebrities practice Pilates, and if they are asked what their favourite form of exercise is, they promote it. If that communication wasn’t there, it would be very difficult for us to explain properly what it is. So, we do have content on our social media of them working out at YKBI, as a lot of celebrities come to the studio.
The thing is, since Pilates require equipment, it is not easy to just go out there to do pop-up events for promotions. So an alternative could be to have more open days at the YKBI studio where we invite our target groups to come in and practice a few Pilates exercises.
Having a team of instructors who know how to train clients well is important to me. This was the inspiration behind introducing Yasmin Karachiwala’s Body Image (YKBI) in Dhaka. Yasmin Karachiwala has been in the industry for about 20 years and is a certified Balanced Body Master Instructor.
Over its 5 years of operation, YKBI has become the go-to option for Pilates. What factors have contributed to its success? What are some of its most popular services?
Our most popular service is personal training. All our instructors have certifications and years of experience and that has contributed to attracting people the most. Because our trainers are so knowledgeable, we get celebrities coming in before, say, a movie, and give us their goals and targets. Our trainers can then plan according to their body type and help them achieve that. This has worked well for us and it is the most popular service, but because all training sessions are personalised, it is a unique service that we offer to our clients.
I think word of mouth has played a significant role in YKBI’s success. Our clients who have worked with us see the results, and they are happy to tell their friends and family about the changes. When people see their transformation, they are also eager to join YKBI to achieve similar results.
YKBI also has the first-mover advantage. We are the only Pilates studio here and we were also the first to bring spin classes to Bangladesh. So, when people think Pilates, they think of YKBI. A lot of our clients are ex-pats who are visiting the country for a few days, maybe for work, or for a holiday. When they Google Pilates studios nearby, we are the first to come up in the search results.
How do you foresee the evolution of YKBI Dhaka over the next 5 years?
I’m trying to expand YKBI services and offer more group classes. I realise that with personal training, there are only so many clients that we can target. On top of that, investing in trainers who are internationally certified is expensive, and may not be affordable for all. So, to make YKBI more accessible, my vision is to include a variety of interesting classes and have trainers for them. I also want to incorporate nutrition as an integral part of our services.
What we don’t offer, and will not be offering are normal memberships where you come in and do your own workouts. The focus will remain on training but through the classes.
Photograph: Najmul Haque Sagor
