Badminton Star P.V. Sindhu in Two-Piece Workout Gear Had "Great Experience"

P.V. Sindhu is on the badminton court – in her workout gear. In a new social media post the racquet star shows off her fit figure in an exercise set while playing with an official. “What a great experience playing a friendly few points with the honorable sports minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya ji! Your energy and enthusiasm for badminton is truly inspiring! Looking forward to more games and promoting sports across the nation together!” she captioned the Instagram post. How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care?

1. Healthy Diet

“My day starts out with a hearty protein-rich breakfast of eggs and milk. Lunch is usually green leafy vegetables and chicken that helps pack in the carbs. I keep my energy up between sessions with Gatorade that helps build endurance,” she told Elle about her diet. Things she stays away from? “Ice cream and chocolates are kryptonite for an athlete. 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.”

2. Rest Days

Sindhu understands the importance of rest. “Stress. It is easy to carry the performance pressure around with you as a burden. Cut yourself some slack and take it easy,” she says. “Practice really doesn’t seem like a burden when you love every minute of it. 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.”

3. Hydration

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She also understands the benefits of drinking lots of water. “In between practice sessions, I keep myself well hydrated since athletic performance is greatly improved when one is properly hydrated.”

4. Balancing Carbs and Protein

“Nutrition for me is about balancing the carbs and proteins. My day usually starts with milk, eggs and fruits for breakfast. I then head to the courts and keep myself hydrated in between sessions with plenty of liquids,” she says. “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.”Her match-day prep “Match day typically involves exercises that help me warm up and nothing too tiring. My diet for match day is calculated basis the match timing.”

5. Intense Training

Sindhu trains hard. “I start my morning session at 7am, which goes on till about 12pm. 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,” she told Vogue. “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.”

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 cricketer Smriti Mandhana works hard both on season and off—and her training sessions are intense. Mandhana, 27, shared a video of herself wearing black workout pants, shorts, and a black t-shirt, doing a strength training workout at the gym. “Superb,” an admiring fan commented. Mandhana’s workout and diet regimen is as strict as you would expect from a professional athlete—here’s how she stays fit, focused, and on top of her game.

1. Running Every Day

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Mandhana goes for a run every day as part of her cricket training. “During off season, we train really hard,” Mandhana told Femina. “We amp up our workouts and try to take our gym and fitness routines to another level. We follow a rather stringent diet set by the team’s nutritionist. Since I don’t eat meat, I have to really take care of my protein intake. So, I include a lot of protein shakes, eggs and soybean in my meals.”

2. Good Nutrition

Mandhana focuses on good nutrition as crucial to her athletic performance. “Earlier, cricket was termed as a skill-sport a lot but now with the increased number of games and the hectic schedule we have, nutrition has become a vital aspect for fitness,” she told Sportstar. “It’ll be one of the most important aspects going forward. Even for me, post my ACL (injury rehab in 2017), I am more aware about my nutrition - how much protein intake I should have and hydration levels, understanding my body better and plan accordingly, besides gym and physical conditioning. If we have to compete at the highest level, be the top team in the world, we have to look after ourselves and nutrition is one of the most important parts of it.”

3. Cricket Dreams

Mandhana knew she wanted to play professional cricket from early childhood. “When I was nine, I would face older boys aged 13 very well,” she told Red Bull. “As I continued playing, I learnt to time the ball well during net sessions; that’s when my father decided to take me for selection trials. Once I started representing Maharashtra and heard about the likes of Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, I started feeling that I too could play alongside these greats and represent India.”

4. Sunscreen and Lip Balm

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Mandhana keeps her skincare routine simple, with a focus on sun protection. “My beauty rules are pretty basic, as I hardly use any makeup,” she told Femina. “I use a great body lotion and a lip balm while stepping out. My go-to skincare product is the Vaseline Sun and Pollution Protection lotion, which comes with SPF 24 PA++ and a unique Pollution Protection Formula (PPF). It’s the one product I carry with me always because it protects me from the harsh sun and pollution. I neither have the time nor the inclination to use multiple products. Vaseline Sun and Pollution Protection lotion with its dual benefits addresses my major skincare concerns, and gives me the confidence to go out and focus.”

5. Cricket Taught Her Everything

Mandhana is thrilled to represent her country on the international stage. “It has been amazing,” she told Red Bull. “Cricket has taught me everything; including how to handle success and failure. Whatever I am today is because of cricket. I feel no pressure. I only feel pride to wear the blue jersey and represent the country. Very few people get opportunities like this, so it is a great feeling.”