“I like to prove to myself that I can do hard things”—a yoga instructor shares her varied weekly workout routine

Welcome to Workout Diaries, a series where we ask expert trainers to talk us through what a week of exercise looks like for them, helping you figure out how to develop and maintain an effective workout routine.

Puravi Joshi is a yoga teacher and reformer Pilates instructor based in London. Exercise is a big part of her life, but she doesn’t just stick to the types of movement she’s trained in.

“I like to keep things quite varied and fun,” she tells Fit&Well. “I used to do HIIT four times a week, but I was exhausted and I ended up hating it, so I completely stopped.”

“Variety keeps things fun and it also keeps your body guessing, because otherwise progress can get stagnant,” she adds.

Below, Joshi shares what a week of exercise looks like for her.

Puravi Joshi’s weekly workout routine

Monday 6.45pm
One-hour run club

Tuesday 10am
75-minute slow yoga flow

Wednesday 1pm
One-hour strength session

Thursday 11.30am
75-minute dynamic vinyasa flow with handstand practice

Friday 10am
One-hour reformer Pilates workout

Saturday 8am
90-minute walk

Sunday 5pm
90-minute yin yoga and meditation

Puravi Joshi’s tips for building an exercise routine you love

Set yourself non-negotiables

When first starting out with exercise, most people try to stick to a strict routine. But rather than doing the same workouts at the same time each week, Joshi has three non-negotiables she always sticks to. Anything she can do on top of that is a bonus.

“My main non-negotiable is my strength session with my personal trainer. I do that every single week, without fail,” she says. “I do [a short] yoga practice every day, and I get out and get some fresh air.”

Challenge yourself

“I’ve just joined a run club even though I hate running, but I like to do things to prove to myself that I can do hard things,” Joshi says.

“We say in yoga that the things that come really natural, we don’t really need—we need the things we don’t really want to do,” she adds.

Pushing herself out of her comfort zone is a central part of this. “Even as a fitness instructor, I was nervous going into this run club. The emotions of ‘I’m going to be picked last’ came flooding back to me,” she says. However, pushing through that feeling has helped her develop mental resilience, as well as improve her physical health.

Prioritise rest

“It’s important to recognize that when your body needs rest, it actually does need rest,” Joshi says. “On the days when I don’t want to do anything, all I aim to do is get out and get the sun on my face.”