Badminton Star Saina Nehwal In Workout Gear Says “Stay Healthy and Fit”

Indian badminton champion Saina Nehwal is reminding fans and followers how important a regular workout routine is—even if you’re not an Olympian. Nehwal, 34, shared a video of herself wearing black shorts and a blue shirt, doing an intense mat workout in her home. “Workout is good 🔥🔥make sure all of you do some amount of workout to stay healthy and fit … ☀️❤️ #morning #workout #fitness #yonexbadminton,” she captioned the post. Here’s how the athlete stays so strong and fit.

1. Women In Badminton

Nehwal is proud to represent her country as a female athlete. “The outlook towards sports has changed since our success at the Olympic stage,” she told HuffPost. “Families encourage their daughters and children to take up sports. And I hope there will be many more Saina Nehwals and Sania Mirzas.”

2. Training Routine

Nehwal works out under the eye of her coach. “I work out six days a week, following a schedule prepared by my coach to suit my body’s requirements,” she told Hindustan Times. “A typical workout includes running, weightlifting, cardio and training of the muscles in the arms and legs in the morning. I also have court practice, in the evenings. I actually prefer working out in the evenings.”

3. No Sugar or Oily Food

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Nehwal makes sure to get at least six hours of sleep a night. “Food and sleep are as vital as exercise,” she told Hindustan Times. “Controlling the quality of your food becomes especially important as you exit your 20s. I generally have cereals, pulses, some non-veg, curd, seasonal fruits and salads every day. I observe a complete ban on unhealthy oils, and avoid sugar, sweets, fatty and fried foods as much as I can.”

4. Professional Attitude

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Nehwal has deep respect for her fellow competitors. “I am friendly with all the players of badminton but on court our attitude change as we prefer not to lose because of these relations,” she told HuffPost. “The one moment that stands out, and I rate it bigger than World No 1 rank, is the medal I won at the London Olympics, 2012 and the Indian national anthem being played in the background. I can’t express the feeling I was going through at that point of time.”

5. Badminton Workout

Nehwal streamlined her training regimen to be as beneficial to her sport as possible. “For me fitness is about having free movements during matches, and accruing no ailments,” she told Hindustan Times. “In my teens and even up to last year, I never worried about how much I exercised. I enjoyed it all – outdoor exercises, indoor workouts, weightlifting etc. But now I am more focused on what’s essential for my sport. I have reduced my running, for instance.”

Smriti Mandhana has joined the Strikers and is proudly wearing the jersey. In a new social media post the team celebrates the arrival of the star cricketer, sharing a clip of her in her two-piece workout gear. “Good to see you in Strikers blue @smriti_mandhana !💙,” they captioned the Instagram video. “Finally 🎉🥹,” commented one of her followers. “Queen of RCB and Indian team❤️,” added another. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care? Here is everything you need to know about her lifestyle habits.

1. Not Over Training or Training “Too Less”

Smriti explains that there has to be balance with training. “I’d like to be as fit and fresh, mentally and physically. So that’s something that I have to manage. I have to manage my workouts and not over train or train too less. I have to be really sure of what I’m doing so that my body is at its best when I go out to play the World Cup,” she told Red Bull.

2. 70 Percent Fitness and 30 Percent Skill

“A few years ago, cricket was mainly a skill-based sport, but now with the T20 format being popular, it is a fast-paced game,” Smriti told Red Bull in another interview. “Even in one-day cricket we have to constantly score and chase. The formats are moving pretty fast, so it’s even more important to work a lot on fitness as much as skills. Earlier it was 70% skill and 30% fitness, but now it's 70% fitness and 30% skill. So that’s a big impact.”

3. Fielding

“I think in fielding, there is a huge impact of fitness. For fielding inside the circle, you need agility. And for fielding outside the circle, you need to be able to run fast to cut the angles. For those, I need to do a lot of fitness that is specifically designed for fielding. When I do fielding fitness training, very often I see direct results; if I do the training consistently, in 20-30 days I see that I am able to move quicker or cut a ball that I may not have been able to do earlier,” she says.

“In batting, there is a lot of technique involved. Even if I do a lot of strength training, if I don’t time the ball properly, the shot won’t work. But fielding and running between the wickets, these are two aspects of the game where I can actually say to myself, ‘Oh yes, I worked on these things in fitness and I’ve seen a positive impact in the game.’ I see direct results,” she told Red Bull

4. Cardio and Strength Training

“In pre-season, I will usually do a cardio session and a strength training session every day. It would usually be cardio in the morning for half-an-hour and then a strength training session in the afternoon or evening for one-and-half-hour. This is for five days a week. And then two days would be swimming and other recovery sessions,” she told Red Bull. “I love strength training. I think I could do strength every day of the week,” Smriti says. “My least favorite is anything to do with running. I try to avoid it, but I know I can’t avoid it. It’s funny because I never get nervous before a match, but if I know I have to wake up tomorrow and go running, I will be nervous before the run.”

5. Meditation and Yoga

She also gets her zen on. “I do meditation before a match. I do 10-15 minutes of guided mediation. I can never sit quietly in one spot, so that's why I do guided meditation and try to calm myself down,” she says. “I also practice a bit of yoga. I do Surya Namaskar every day. In fact I use Surya Namaskar as part of my stretching routine before gym sessions.” “When you meditate, you may clear away the information overload that builds up every day and contributes to your stress,” says the Mayo Clinic. Benefits include:

• Gaining a new perspective on stressful situations
• Building skills to manage your stress
• Increasing self-awareness
• Focusing on the present
• Reducing negative emotions
• Increasing imagination and creativity
• Increasing patience and tolerance
• Lowering resting heart rate
• Lowering resting blood pressure
• Improving sleep quality

Indian badminton champion PV Sindhu is as graceful off the court as she is focused while competing. Sindhu, 28, shared a picture of herself posing on the court with Spanish Olympic champion Carolina Marin, flashing thumbs up and peace signs at the camera. “We wage war every time we play, but off the court, the smiles and friendships persist, as they always should ❤️. Always wonderful to cross paths with you, dear friend! Congratulations on all England 🙌,” she captioned the post. Here’s what Sindhu’s diet, exercise, and wellness regimen looks like.

1. 12 Hours DailyTraining

Sindhu has a full day of training broken up over 12 hours, which includes her workouts. “I start my morning session at 7am, which goes on till about 12pm,” she told Vogue India. “This is when I focus on my game on court, post which I head home for lunch at 1pm and rest until 3pm. I am back at the academy by 4pm for endurance training and wrap up my day by 7pm. My pre-workout routine starts with stretching exercises and finishes with a run. My workout session varies every day, and is planned on a monthly basis, focusing on my back, abdomen, knees and shoulders. In between practice sessions, I keep myself well hydrated since athletic performance is greatly improved when one is properly hydrated.”

2. Carbs and Protein

Sindhu balances carbs and proteins for her daily diet. “My day usually starts with milk, eggs and fruits for breakfast,” she told Vogue India. “I then head to the courts and keep myself hydrated in between sessions with plenty of liquids. For lunch and dinner, I eat meat with vegetables and rice. Also, I never leave for my workout without a snack in my kitbag—this is usually a small bowl of fruits, a few dried nuts and a bottle of Gatorade. All of them help me keep up my energy and provide me with endurance.”

3. No Sugar When Training

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Sindhu does her best to avoid sugar when training. “Ice cream and chocolates are kryptonite for an athlete,” she told Elle India. “Ditto for anything with too much oil in it. Swearing off junk food altogether is scary though; indulge yourself once in a while to avoid an ungodly binge later.”

4. Active Lifestyle

Sindhu is a strong advocate for an active lifestyle. “Being physically active helps us stay fit and healthy. Regular exercise can help you reduce serious health issues and also helps with weight management,” she said at the ‘Virtual Healthcare and Hygiene Expo 2020’ organized by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). “A healthy lifestyle should be the dream of each individual as it could be a great source of peace and happiness. For me, health is the complete state of physical, mental and social well-being.”

5. Hard Work and Pride

Sindhu doesn’t find her intense training regimen to be a negative. “Practice really doesn’t seem like a burden when you love every minute of it,” she told Elle India. “I just give my body one day to detox after returning from a tournament, and then take to the court again the very next day… With two national champions for parents, my journey in sports has been complemented by their phenomenal support. They do say that women face a tough time in Indian sports, but for me fortunately, there has been nothing but support.”

Indian actress Sara Ali Khan is giving her 45 million Instagram followers a look at what a typical core workout looks like. Khan, 28, shared a video of herself wearing green shorts and a sports bra, doing slow, controlled abdominal exercises on a Pilates reformer machine. “Start your day right, hold your core tight. I shall invest in some more gym wear soon! Till then I’m more than happy in my green,” reads the text over her post. Khan famously lost almost 90 pounds through diet and exercise—here’s how the star keeps it off and focuses on her health.

1. Her Fitness Goals

Khan changes up her fitness goals depending on her work—for example, having to look a certain way for a certain role. “But my fitness endeavor started before the realization that I wanted to become an actor,” she told Elle India. “My fitness goal is to wake up every morning and get in at least an hour of some form of exercise so I am a stronger and happier version of myself. I think the hormones that one has going after a good workout and just the feeling of satisfaction and conviction in yourself after a good workout is irreplaceable. That feel-good-serotonin that just rushes through your body is my goal.”

2. Moody Day Workouts

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Khan does specific workouts to lift her mood when she needs a boost. “Usually a swim or a boxing session helps,” she told Elle India. “But if it's an extremely low day, and then I think a piece of chocolate that guilts me into working out even harder the next day keeps me going.”

3. 90-Pound Weight Loss

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Khan lost almost 90 pounds and transformed her life. “My weight loss journey has been a profound learning experience, unveiling crucial insights into wellness and self-care,” she told Lifestyle Asia. “The massive impact nutrition has on overall fitness has been my key takeaway from my journey. It is rightly said beauty truly begins in the kitchen. I have come to appreciate the nourishing power of natural ingredients for nurturing my skin from within.”

4. Yoga, Meditation, and Self-Care

Khan has a holistic approach to health and beauty. “I think beauty tips are very subjective because it depends on how comfortable you are with the products you use,” she told Lifestyle Asia. “But for me a couple of these things are essential on a daily routine basis – a good, nourishing shower gel with skin conditioners, an effective sunscreen and lots of water throughout the day. I usually keep an hour in the day to meditate or practice yoga which also lets me unwind and relax.”

5. Her Fitness Advice

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Khan has good advice for fitness beginners. “Don’t get disappointed if you don’t see immediate results, anything worth it takes time,” she told Elle India. “Look good, feel good, work harder—I work out better when I look better so dress for yourself in the gym. Set a weekly target for yourself with a reward system, so you can keep going. Working out is just half the battle, eating right is as important. Change up your routine; body, mind and souls enjoy variation in workout!”

British-Indian actress Sophie Choudry is reminding fans about the important things in life. Choudry, 42, shared a reel of herself doing a variety of different workouts, including one where she’s doing a mat workout in orange leggings and a black sports bra. “Good health is the greatest wealth!! Regular exercise, a healthy diet, nature, love and doing things that make your heart happy! Take care of yourself physically and mentally!!” she captioned the post. Here’s what the star’s diet, training, and wellness regimen looks like.

1. Weekly Workouts

Choudry works out four times a week. “I do Pilates, strength training, and cardio,” she told Times of India. “I go four times a week. I don't work out to be skinny or anything like that. As soon as work gets full-blown again, in terms of stage shows and shooting, you need to be fit to be in this line of work. It makes me really happy and I enjoy working out.”

2. Pilates Sessions

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Choudry loves Pilates best out of all her workout choices. “I think if you are lucky to find the form of workout you enjoy, then you will be excited to go,” she told Times of India. “For some people, it's weight training, yoga, running, dancing. For me it is Pilates. Because I love it so much so it never feels like a routine or chores. It is something I am really passionate about. I still try to do some stuff online at home because I realized that I enjoy that. It is possible to stay fit at home. There is so much stuff available online on YouTube. It is really about your determination.”

3. Pandemic Workouts

Choudry switched to online workouts during the pandemic lockdowns. “I somehow managed to stay fit through lockdown by doing online sessions with my trainer, Yashmin Karachiwala, and followed YouTube videos,” she told Times of India. “With all of us being stuck in our homes, one thing we have to do is focus on our health. Working out helps me to keep my physical fitness and mental sanity. I got into such a good routine through the lockdown.''

4. Beauty Diet

Choudry likes to take care of her skin through her diet. “I know that people put all kinds of things on their faces. Fruits, nuts, vegetables but that's not my thing,” she told IDiva. “I prefer to eat healthy and let that reflect on my skin. If I feel a little pale in color, I start drinking a blend of apple, beet and carrot juice. In a couple of days, the skin looks brighter.”

5. Not a Party Girl

Choudry lives a quiet life. “Contrary to the glam-party image, I hardly ever drink and I don't smoke,” she told IDiva. “I'm in bed by 12AM and up at 7AM, and I eat healthy. But yes sometimes, if I've indulged in unhealthy goodies, I workout more, drink a lot of coconut water, mint tea and I eat a lot of salads and fresh fruit. That works well for me.”