At 27, Abhilash Singh has already taken an unconventional route into the world of fitness. A certified Reformer Pilates instructor and the founder of Ignite Studio, he arrived at Pilates not through a conventional fitness career, but while searching for an approach that could offer balance, adaptability and long-term physical wellbeing. His journey began in event production, where he worked as a site supervisor, before an unexpected health setback changed the direction of his professional life.
After being bitten by a venomous snake, Abhilash began reconsidering the kind of physical training that suited him. Traditional gym workouts felt too rigorous, while yoga seemed too light for what he was looking for. Pilates offered a middle ground, combining controlled movement, strength and precision. What began as a search for a suitable form of exercise soon developed into a deeper interest in the principles behind the discipline, eventually leading him to pursue it professionally.
Finding His Path in Pilates
For Abhilash, becoming an instructor was about more than acquiring a professional qualification. He wanted to develop the knowledge required to work with clients correctly and effectively. He became a certified Reformer Pilates instructor through Balance Body USA, using the training to deepen his understanding of movement while gaining professional validation in the field.
Before establishing his own studio, he gained experience working with other Pilates studios. That period helped him understand the practical side of teaching and eventually gave him the confidence to build a space around his own approach. Ignite Studio was established in Porvorim on 21 May 2024, with a vision that remains central to the business: making Pilates accessible across different sections of society rather than allowing it to remain associated primarily with an elite clientele.
The name Ignite reflects this philosophy. Abhilash believes that everyone has a spark within them, and the studio aims to help people discover and activate that energy through movement and consistent training.
Training with Purpose
Ignite Studio currently focuses exclusively on Reformer Pilates, with sessions adapted according to an individual’s fitness and strength level. Rather than following a single programme for everyone, Abhilash assesses each person’s capabilities and requirements before determining how they can be trained.
The approach begins with a complimentary trial session, during which the team looks at a person’s strengths, weaknesses, existing injuries and specific areas of focus. Their goals are also discussed before they are placed into an appropriate group. This allows the sessions to accommodate different ages, genders and levels of physical ability.
The studio also works with individuals dealing with rehabilitation needs and injuries. For Abhilash, one of the most meaningful aspects of teaching is seeing these clients gradually regain movement and perform activities they struggled with before joining Ignite.
A Simple Space, Focused on Results
Ignite Studio operates from two locations in Goa. The original Porvorim studio is situated opposite Dr Sai Prabhudesai’s acupuncture clinic at Alcon Regency, while the second studio is located at Skyline Adwalpalkar in Dona Paula, above Swastik Hospital on the first floor.
Both spaces reflect a deliberate choice to keep things simple. Rather than placing emphasis on elaborate interiors or creating an environment designed primarily for photographs and social media content, Abhilash wants the studios to remain focused on training and measurable progress.
The equipment supports this practical approach. Alongside Reformers, the studios have jump boards, magic rings, fitness balls, kettlebells, clubbells, dumbbells and ankle weights. These tools allow exercises to be varied and adapted, adding different forms of resistance and movement to make sessions more effective.
Another distinctive element is Abhilash’s involvement in developing exercise variations. He studies movements from anatomical and medical perspectives before categorising variations according to basic, intermediate or advanced levels. This allows exercises to be selected with greater attention to an individual’s strength, ability and training requirements.
Consistency Over Complexity
Abhilash’s teaching philosophy is straightforward: understand the fundamental principles of Pilates and remain consistent. He wants clients to experience the discipline beyond its popular image and discover what the human body can achieve when it is trained in a specific and considered manner.
For him, the value of Pilates lies not simply in completing a workout, but in understanding movement and gradually building the body’s ability to perform better. That philosophy also informs his work with people who require rehabilitation, where progress can often be measured through improvements in everyday movement.
Building Ignite, however, has not been without difficulty. Abhilash says he faced serious personal and professional challenges during the early years of the business, including a dispute with former employers that resulted in allegations against him. He states that the Goa Police subsequently concluded the case was false and dropped the charges. Despite the experience, he continued working towards establishing the studio and developing his practice.
Looking Ahead
Abhilash’s ambitions for Ignite remain closely connected to the reason he entered Pilates in the first place. He hopes to educate more people about the discipline and make its benefits accessible to a wider audience. Rather than positioning fitness as something reserved for a particular demographic, his goal is to help the people who walk through Ignite’s doors become stronger, healthier and more aware of their physical capabilities.
Away from the studio, Abhilash has a creative pursuit that offers a different side to his personality. He enjoys writing lyrics and rapping, an interest familiar to those in his personal circle but less visible within his professional life.
His journey, in many ways, mirrors the message he wants Ignite to communicate: a person’s starting point does not have to determine where they end up. Having found his own direction through an unexpected turn in life, Abhilash continues to build Ignite around the belief that change can begin at any stage, provided one is willing to take the first step.