Lifestyle

Lifestyle – Shilpa Shetty

[Show as slideshow]

Hot Yoga & you

Want to learn the secret behind the controversial sudden weight loss in Kareena Kapoor? Read on…

Kareena Kapoor’s hot turn in ‘Tashan’ has been the talk of the town. So much so that her dietician Rujuta Diwekar had to actually come out with explanations that the actress did not resort to any so-called ‘liquid diet’ but was religiously practising yoga to get that fab figure. And not just any form of yoga, but hot yoga, the latest fad in the fitness world.

Says Leena Mogre, fitness expert, “Hot yoga is a series of yoga poses done in a heated room. The room is usually maintained at a temperature of 95-100 degrees.” As you can imagine, a vigorous yoga session at this temperature promotes profuse sweating which rids the body of toxins. It also makes the body very warm, and therefore more flexible.

But why the heat?

The heat allows you to get into postures more deeply and effectively and the benefits of the postures come faster than ever. Practicing yoga in a warm room creates a satisfying and almost addictive feeling of achievement. We give you a host of reasons to practice the much-in-demand art…

• Your body burns fat more effectively; fat may be redistributed and burned as energy during the class. It is common to lose centimetres of shape in a very short time’

• The heat produces a fluid-like stretch allowing for greater range of movement in joints, muscles, ligaments and other supporting structures of the body

• Capillaries dilate in the heat; more effectively oxygenating the tissues, muscles, glands and organs and helping in the removal of waste products

• Your peripheral circulation improves due to enhanced perfusion of your extremities

• Your metabolism speeds up the breakdown of glucose and fatty acids

• You benefit from a strengthening of willpower, self control, concentration and determination in this challenging environment

• Your cardiovascular system gets a thorough workout

• Your muscles and connective tissues become more elastic and allow for greater flexibility with less chance of injury and improved resolution of injury

• Sweating promotes detoxification and elimination through the skin, which is the body’s largest eliminating organ

• Just as your body raises its temperature to fight infection, the raised temperature in the room will assist in improving T-cell function and the proper functioning of your immune system

• Your nervous system function is greatly improved and messages are carried more efficiently to and from your brain

• Metabolism improves in your digestive system and in the body’s cells (that is food in the gut and nutrients in the cells)

Tips and caution

• It is essential to have your own yoga mat and towel when doing hot yoga since you will be sweating so much. Students tend to wear very little clothing for the same reason.

• Make sure to drink plenty of water before and after class so you don’t get dehydrated. It is not advisable to eat during the two hours before class.

• Hot yoga is not advised for pregnant women, since it can raise the core body temperature.

Yoga is the most holistic approach to life: Shilpa Shetty

Shilpa Shetty unarguably has one of the most enviable figures in Bollywood. And she has been able to maintain this well for long enough for us to claim so.

The actress recently came up with a DVD of her Yoga practice to spread awareness of the form of exercise. We checked out what is it that has been able to keep the lady so hot even in her thirties.

Her daily diet

Shilpa loves her food. “Dieting is not something I believe in,” she says. For Shilpa it is always a balanced diet. “I like to keep it as a mixture of all the essentials,” she adds. The actress also says she would never opt for any sort of laxative drinks that are much in vogue among the dieters.

The exercise quotient

For Shilpa gymming is an integral part of life. She has a personal trainer who has been working on her for years now, every day. “I had to get extremely fit while shooting for ‘Dus’ and I got addicted after that!” shares Shilpa and adds, “I have been working out pretty hard since then.” And that’s not it. As mentioned earlier, Yoga is something she relies on to keep her fit.

“It’s a management system for life and it is the most holistic approach to life that I have ever come across. It strengthens, tones and cures,” she says. “It works on body, mind and soul. Yoga has had a spectacular impact on my life,” concludes the leggy beauty.

Comments are closed.