Yasmin Karachiwala in Two-Piece Workout Gear Shows Off "Pilates Flow"

Daily Movement

In an interview with Vogue India, Yasmin revealed her three cardinal rules for wellness. “Firstly, you have to want it. Make sure there's some form of movement every day of your life—thanks to technology, we’ve become so sedentary. I think movement is really important even if it means taking the stairs, walking short distances rather than relying on your car, if you’re on a call use headphones and walk while you talk. These are very simple things that you can do. The misbelief people have is that exercise only means using a treadmill, going to the gym or going for a walk. We need to inculcate these small movements into our daily life rather than sitting in one place,” she said.

Balancing Good Fat, Fiber, Carbs, Protein, Minerals, and Vitamins

“The second rule would be to watch what you eat,” she revealed. “It’s not about calories—I don’t believe in counting my food, I believe in eating to nourish the body. For me, it’s really important that we eat food that works for us, that nourishes us from the inside out. Your body requires good fat, fibre, carbohydrates, protein, minerals, and vitamins. I don’t eat anything that’s from a packet or consume sugar, because it is poison to the body. Even if you read the nutritional value on a low fat chips packet, you will realise how many preservatives are being used to make it low fat. This is detrimental to your health.”

Hydration

Hydration is the third component of wellness, according to Yasmin. “It is really important to hydrate and drink water because if you don’t, it can lead to bad skin, indigestion and multiple other problems. I believe in the rule of hydration—how much depends on your climate, activity, and body type. I drink more than three litres, so it depends,” she said.

Protein

Yasmin stresses the importance of protein, explaining why your body needs it. “When you workout, there’s a lot of wear and tear that happens at the cellular level. What protein does is it helps to repair the muscle. Your body isn’t built in the gym, it’s built at rest. With that being said, it also depends on what your diet is like. Are you a vegetarian? Are you someone who eats eggs once a day and then doesn’t eat anything? Do you eat chicken three times a day where a substantial amount of protein is going into your body? All of us need protein for our muscles to work better. Once the muscle recovers, it will work better. That’s why you need to evaluate what’s best for you and your body,” she says. “I am a non-vegetarian and my breakfast comprises a bit of protein, my lunch has a good amount of protein and so does my dinner. Does that mean I need supplements? No. But, there are days where I’ll have a vegetarian lunch and protein for dinner—that’s when I’ll add a protein shake in the evening to make sure I get enough protein.”

Pilates

Pilates is Yasmin’s main workout. However, she explains that many of her clients expect to “sweat all the time,” which doesn’t happen with the exercise method. “You have to really explain to them that just because you aren’t feeling the same burn you would at the gym, doesn’t mean that it isn’t working. It works on a very cellular level. Plus, people also think that working out more is better than working out less—just because you finished five minutes before your hour is up, doesn’t mean your workout is less effective,” she says.

She Does Pilates

Pilates is the main thing that keeps Abdin in shape. According to Better Health, it has a lot of health benefits. “The health benefits of Pilates include: improved flexibility, increased muscle strength and tone, particularly of your abdominal muscles, lower back, hips and buttocks (the ‘core muscles’ of your body), balanced muscular strength on both sides of your body, enhanced muscular control of your back and limbs, improved stabilisation of your spine, improved posture.”

She Works Her Abs

In her Instagram post, Abdin is seen doing a lot of core workouts. According to Harvard Health, having strong core muscles is extremely important. “Whether you're hitting a tennis ball or mopping the floor, the necessary motions either originate in your core, or move through it. No matter where motion starts, it ripples upward and downward to adjoining links of the chain. Thus, weak or inflexible core muscles can impair how well your arms and legs function. And that saps power from many of the moves you make. Properly building up your core cranks up the power. A strong core also enhances balance and stability. Thus, it can help prevent falls and injuries during sports or other activities. In fact, a strong, flexible core underpins almost everything you do.”

She Uses an Exercise Ball

Abdin likes to use an exercise ball to workout. She shared this post on Instagram of herself doing lower body exercises with one. In it, Abdin is seen doing things like calf raises, toe taps, and hip lifts with the ball. She captioned the post, “Glutes, hamstrings, thighs, and calves! 🦵🦵 🤍 Your stability ball should be firm and bouncy, neither under nor overinflated. It should give slightly when you sit on it. 🤍 Go slowly and controlled, that is more effective than rushing through the movements. 🤍 Do each move 10-5 reps. 🤍 1-2 rounds if you're pairing this with yesterday's core routine. 3-4 rounds if this is your full workout today.”

She Uses Weights

Abdin also likes to use weights to workout. She shared some of her favorite dumbbell exercises in this Instagram post. Abdin is seen doing things like reach-over crunches and straight-leg situps with them. She captioned the post, “Spicy moves for core, obliques, and back muscles. If you don't have a dumbbell, improvise with a soup can or water bottle. Do each move 10-15 reps. Go 2-4 rounds.”

She Uses Resistance Bands

Abdin shared this post on Instagram of herself using a resistance band to workout. She is seen doing exercises like hamstring curls, straight leg pulses, and squat walks. Abdin captioned the post, “Seven moves. Use the thickest resistance band you can, while still maintaining good form. You can always switch to a lighter band on your second or third round if the stronger band exhausts your muscles after the first round. 🤍 Do each move 10-15 reps on each side. 🤍 Stretch at least one minute. 🤍 Repeat for 3-5 rounds.”

She Golfs

Amanda is an avid golfer. In golf, even if you’ve mastered the swing, you’ll never be satisfied if your mental game is weak, and vice versa. Golf is sneaky demanding of both physical and mental strength,” she told Golf. A comprehensive review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that golf's health benefits are extensive, including mind, body, and even lifespan. Benefits include improved longevity, decreased risk of developing heart disease or suffering a stroke, good mental health, and improved strength and balance.

She Takes Baths

Amanda enjoys hot water therapy in the form of baths. Why should you consider a soak? Baths have been linked to better sleep and even found helpful to minimize anxiety and depression. One recent study even found that they may even boast cardiovascular benefits.

She Snowboards

In the winter, you can find Amanda snowboarding. “Jackson is a Hole vibe (I’m sorry I’m this way 😂),” she captioned an Instagram post from the slopes. According to the University of Rochester, snowboarding, like skiing, is a great cardiovascular workout. “Because they are also weight-bearing exercises, they strengthen your bones as they tone your muscles,” they say. “Cardiovascular or aerobic exercises also work to reduce your risk for chronic diseases, and lower blood pressure. They also help you maintain a healthy body weight. Through regular aerobic exercise like skiing and snowboarding, you lower your risk of developing conditions like diabetes and heart disease, having a stroke, and perhaps even getting cancer.”

She Lifts Weights

Amanda also strength trains. According to the Mayo Clinic, strength and weight training help reduce body fat, preserve and increase lean muscle mass, and burn calories more efficiently. Strength training may also help you:

• Develop strong bones
• Manage your weight
• Enhance your quality of life
• Manage chronic conditions
• Sharpen your thinking skills

[slidetitle num="6"]Pilates[/slidetitle]

Yoga

Amanda is a yogi. “Through controlled breath and meditative movements, practicing yoga has taught me how to stay calm during difficult situations. About three years after I discovered the practice, I became certified in Baptiste-style training. It was an intense 200-hour journey that transformed my mind because it forced me to sort through my own issues before having the capacity to teach others. I now teach whenever I can, and I continue to practice yoga at least a few times a week—the length of each session ranges from 10 to 90 minutes, depending on how stressed I am that day,” she told Golf. “I’ve reaped more mental benefits from yoga as I’ve become physically stronger, and that’s why golf and yoga are far more similar than people realize.” During her recent travels she even did yoga at the SFO airport.

Pilates

In her recent video Amanda does Pilates. Why is pilates a good workout? According to the Mayo Clinic there are lots of benefits to the workout, as it “strengthens the body's inner core while increasing its flexibility resulting in improved overall health.” It can also promote longer, leaner muscles, injury prevention, relief from stress and back pain, enhanced athletic performance, and heightened mind-body awareness.