Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra is renowned for her dedication to fitness and holistic well-being. More than just a celebrity, she’s become a wellness icon, inspiring millions with her commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Through yoga, balanced nutrition, and a positive mindset, Shilpa demonstrates that a healthier and happier life is achievable for everyone. Her philosophy, “Swasth Raho, Mast Raho” (Stay Healthy, Stay Happy), encapsulates her approach to life. Here are five essential fitness tips gleaned from Shilpa Shetty Kundra’s own practices that you can incorporate into your daily routine.
1. Embrace Yoga: A Way of Life
For Shilpa Shetty Kundra, yoga is more than just exercise; it’s a way of life. She emphasizes the power of yoga for achieving a physically fit and toned physique. Yoga’s incorporation of meditation and breathing can significantly improve a person’s mental well-being.
Integrating Yoga into Your Routine
- Start with the Basics: If you’re new to yoga, begin with beginner-friendly asanas like Tadasana (Mountain Pose), Kati Chakrasana (Waist Rotating Pose), and simple breathing exercises. Shilpa herself offers beginner yoga routines that can be easily followed.
- Surya Namaskar: Shilpa often starts her day with Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation), a comprehensive sequence that blends various yoga poses. It’s a great way to warm up the body and improve flexibility.
- Flexibility and Strength: Yoga improves balance, increases hip and pelvic flexibility, and stretches the groin, hamstrings, and adductor muscles. Poses like Virabhadrasana (Warrior Pose) and Skandasana (Side Lunge Pose) are beneficial for strengthening the thigh and core muscles.
- Mind-Body Connection: Regular yoga practice creates mental clarity and calmness, increases body awareness, relieves chronic stress patterns, relaxes the mind, centers attention, and sharpens concentration.
2. Prioritize a Balanced and Nutritious Diet
Shilpa Shetty Kundra firmly believes that nutrition plays a vital role in overall fitness. She advocates for a balanced diet comprising wholesome, natural foods. She follows a structured daily diet routine apart from her yoga practice and workouts.
Key Principles of Shilpa’s Diet:
- Start with Warm Water: Shilpa begins her day by drinking two glasses of warm water, often with a tablespoon of ghee, turmeric, dry ginger, and pepper to kickstart her metabolism.
- Simple Breakfast: Her breakfast is usually simple and nutritious, such as porridge and tea, a four-grain mix, or whole-wheat toast with paneer bhurji or tofu. She replaces white sugar with brown sugar whenever possible.
- Balanced Lunch: For lunch, she typically has dal rice (brown rice), chapatti and chicken curry, and one vegetable.
- Healthy Evening Snack: If hungry in the evening, she opts for a brown toast with two eggs and tea.
- Early and Light Dinner: Shilpa tries to eat dinner early, consisting of a salad, soup, and one chicken dish. She focuses on keeping her diet simple and easy to follow.
- Avoid Ultra-Processed Foods: Shilpa prefers natural foods and stays away from ultra-processed items, incorporating ghee and natural fats, seasonal vegetables, and natural sweeteners for additional health benefits.
3. Incorporate Weight Training and Cardio
While yoga is a cornerstone of Shilpa’s fitness regime, she also incorporates weight training and cardio to maintain a toned physique and improve overall fitness. She alternates weight training with yoga.
Strategies for Strength and Endurance:
- Combination Approach: Shilpa follows a combination of yoga, cardio, and strength training to keep her body fit.
- Cardio Variety: She includes activities like running, cycling, and swimming to improve endurance and burn calories.
- Functional Training: Shilpa also incorporates functional training and animal crawls into her workout routine.
- Fun Workouts: Shilpa believes in making workouts fun by mixing them up with dance moves, upbeat music, and playful challenges.
4. Stay Hydrated and Detoxify
Hydration is another crucial aspect of Shilpa Shetty Kundra’s fitness philosophy. She emphasizes the importance of staying hydrated and incorporating detoxifying drinks into her daily routine.
Hydration and Detox Tips:
- Hot Water Benefits: Shilpa loves drinking hot water throughout the day, which, according to Ayurveda, helps in smooth digestion and aids weight loss.
- Aloe Vera Juice: She often starts her day with aloe vera juice, which is great for the immune system and skin.
- Coconut Milk: Shilpa considers coconut milk a beneficial part of her diet for weight management.
- Noni Juice: Shilpa likes to have one glass of lukewarm water along with noni juice. Noni juice has numerous potential benefits, including a high level of vitamin C, boosting endurance, relieving pain, treating arthritis, and fighting aging. If noni juice is not available, it can be substituted with aloe vera juice or amla juice.
5. Maintain a Positive Mindset and Embrace Holistic Wellness
Beyond physical exercise and diet, mental well-being is a critical component of Shilpa Shetty Kundra’s approach to health. She believes in maintaining a positive mindset and embracing holistic wellness.
Tips for Mental and Emotional Well-being:
- Meditation: Yoga’s incorporation of meditation can significantly improve a person’s mental well-being. Regular yoga practice creates mental clarity and calmness, increases body awareness, relieves chronic stress patterns, relaxes the mind, centers attention, and sharpens concentration.
- De-stressing: Yoga, breathing exercises, and meditation can reduce stress, promote healing, and enhance quality of life.
- “Swasth Raho, Mast Raho”: Shilpa lives by her philosophy of ‘Swasth Raho, Mast Raho’ (Stay Healthy, Stay Happy), encouraging a healthy lifestyle modification.
- Balance: The Simple Soulful App by Shilpa Shetty offers easy-to-do yoga asanas, exercises, and recipes to maintain a healthy balance in life.
By integrating these five essential fitness tips from Shilpa Shetty Kundra into your lifestyle, you can embark on a journey toward a healthier, happier, and more fulfilling life. Remember, consistency and a positive mindset are key to achieving your wellness goals.