Showing posts with label Anshuka Parwani. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anshuka Parwani. Show all posts
Alia Bhatt is mindful of her habits, and for her, listening to her body is key-Anshuka Parwani
4:09 PM
From ensuring her routine was intense enough to break a sweat, to consuming comfort food to her heart’s content, Alia, say her wellness coaches, took small steps to keep herself in good stead during pregnancy
Sonia Lilla (MID-DAY; January 5, 2023)
A month and a half after her delivery, Alia Bhatt took to her social media handle to share an update on the progress she had made in her fitness journey. In her motivational post to all new mothers, she encouraged them to “listen to your body post-delivery, and not do anything that your gut tells you not to”.
And while the actor stated that the three weeks that followed her delivery were spent in “walking and finding my balance” alone, her yoga trainer, Anshuka Parwani attributes her ability to return to ship-shape post-pregnancy to her active lifestyle. “Alia is mindful of her habits, and for her, listening to her body is key. She was active from the get go, and her [training] pattern was similar to what Kareena [Kapoor Khan] followed,” says the trainer who catered to both actors during their pregnancies.
Admitting that pregnancy can be emotionally challenging for women who “haven’t seen their body in a certain way”, she says staying active is integral to positively impacting the parasympathetic nervous system. “This in turn affects your hormonal system as well.”
She encouraged Bhatt to work towards breaking a sweat during her training. “As long as we were being safe with the [choice of] exercise, we were still adhering to a holistic practice. The suryanamaskars that we followed were challenging. Since it is easy to lose muscle mass during pregnancy, we continued to train with light weights to retain the muscle tone. Apart from resistance bands, body weight was also employed in her regimen. So, as long as the practice is alerted keeping one’s safety in mind, one can follow a well-rounded regimen.”
Weeks after her delivery, Bhatt caught the attention of social media users when she left Parwani’s yoga studio, with fans commending her for shedding her post-pregnancy weight in no time. However, Parwani says a discussion on weight-loss never occurred between the two. Using medical opinion to decipher when it would be safe for her to resume training, she brought Bhatt back to the studio after four weeks.
“It’s important to know that this period can vary for each woman. Some women may need three months of rest before resuming. With Alia, we worked on bringing the muscle-memory back, because returning to the original routine after nine months is hard. Building the mind-body connection, and core strength are the aspects that pose a challenge. Also, you need to be mindful of avoiding injuries both during and post-pregnancy. This is because the process of delivery alters the body and the muscle strength. Alia started with breath work, and then progressed to mobility training. Subsequently, we worked on core and pelvic floor training.”
Getting Alia to eat right!
Bhatt’s nutritionist Dr Siddhant Bhargava tweaked her diet frequently to ensure that she was on track to gaining no more than the nine to 11 kilos that is recommended during pregnancy. “While ensuring that [the health of the actor and the baby] were addressed, we’d take a call on adding or reducing [calories] after studying her scans. Alia’s diet comprised comfort food, whether that was dahi chawal, or anything else that she wanted. We usually calculate every gram of food, including the oils and vegetables she consumes. But during her pregnancy, we didn’t have a very strict routine.”
Like he would while creating a diet chart for a pregnant woman, Dr Bhargava added iron supplements, folic acid, and a good share of greens and fruits in her diet. Sugars, on the other hand, were eliminated. “There are too many myths associated with pregnancy, and women are encouraged to have large quantities of ghee and jaggery because these are considered healthy food items. These recommendations were born out of a good place, but if you consume these foods unchecked, it could cause trouble. All of these things lead to excessive weight gain. When you add extra sugar to a pregnant woman’s diet, the chances of developing gestational diabetes increases. The child could also develop insulin resistance. So, we did not disregard traditional nutritional advice, but found ways to work around them.”
While Dr Bhargava paid heed to the fact that the actor would want to return to shape to resume her work in the industry, weight-loss, he says, was not part of their conversations. “Only three weeks after her delivery did we take up any diet-centric conversations. Post-pregnancy, one’s calorie requirement increases. Breastfeeding takes away a large part of your caloric intake, and we wanted to make no compromises there, because we wanted the baby to receive the best nutrition. Now that it has been three months, we’ll start adding some restrictions to her diet.”
Prod him if Bhatt follows a low-carb diet, and he responds in the negative. “She consumes about 80 grams, which is equivalent to four rotis.”
Alia Bhatt, Sonam Kapoor, Anushka Sharma: Bollywood moms get on the mat
8:28 AM
Soon-to-be moms Alia Bhatt; Sonam K Ahuja are among those currently training with Anshuka Parwani; Parwani with Pernia Qureshi. Pics/Instagram
Pre-natal yoga trainer to Alia Bhatt, Sonam K Ahuja on how the actors stay fit during their pregnancies
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; July 13, 2022)
Yoga appears to be the go-to exercise regimen that Bollywood’s to-be moms are turning to. Celebrity yoga trainer Anshuka Parwani, who has been training Alia Bhatt and Sonam K Ahuja during their pregnancies, reveals that actresses today are less apprehensive about their physical appearance, and have been approaching pregnancies “as the natural next step” in their life.
“[Both Alia and Sonam] were curious about how their practices would differ during their pregnancies, and wanted to understand why we were doing what we did. Conversations would change over the different trimesters, because each trimester brings about different changes in the body.”
Yoga, she reveals, can address all the different fitness components that can benefit pregnant women. “Each time you arrive for a session, you are shocking your own body. Your body is heavier than the last time, and performing the same movements becomes tougher. You don’t need to supplement [it with another exercise form], but walking is beneficial. I also encourage them to practise breath-work, because that keeps stress in check.”
Staying active, says Parwani, is equally important, both during pregnancy, and after delivery. Highlighting that she would encourage both Bhatt and Ahuja to resume training within six weeks of delivery, Pawani says both the actors have continued to stay active during their ongoing pregnancies. “Sonam may not be out of a shooting schedule, but during her time in London, she would walk about Hyde Park frequently. Staying active also enables women to progress through their pregnancies [with ease].”
Parwani highlights that exercise patterns for both the actors were altered based on their daily requirements. “Swelling of arms and feet are common, so we do asanas that enable them to reduce bloating. We avoid postures that involve hyper-extension, because that exerts pressure on the muscles of the core. If one of them did not feel centred enough, we’d focus on balancing asanas. If they felt stiff, we’d focus on flexibility.”
Parwani, who also trained fashion entrepreneur Pernia Qureshi during her pregnancy, reveals that training thrice a week is usually recommended. “I often encourage women to also do activities like sweeping the floor, because that posture is beneficial for them. But, it’s essential to pay attention to one’s safety. Avoid things like hot yoga, or classes [along those lines], and don’t start something new. Unless it has been specified by a medical professional, I encourage women to do their own work during this time. Concepts like eating for two during pregnancy are old-school.”
Other actresses who practised yoga
- Sharing a string of images of her practising yoga, both before and during her pregnancy, Anushka Sharma advocated its benefits.
- Having spoken about her love for yoga on multiple occasions, Kareena Kapoor Khan also practised the form during her pregnancy.
- Practising yoga during pregnancy, Soha Ali Khan had previously said in an interview, enabled her to develop a close bond with her child. She had spoken about adjusting her routine, and avoiding prone positions during a period of her pregnancy.
How Deepika Padukone got into yoga trainer's shoes for Gehraiyaan
8:16 AM
Bollywood’s go-to yoga trainer Anshuka Parwani opens up on getting Deepika Padukone ready to play a character that resembles her, in Gehraiyaan
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; February 23, 2022)
Deepika Padukone could have approached the role of a yoga trainer in Gehraiyaan in two ways. One, she could have slipped into an ongoing class of Anshuka Parwani and noticed the manner in which the trainer corrected postures and conducted sessions. Two, she could have cashed in on the opportunity to learn more about a subject she was passionate about. Evidently, Padukone picked the latter.
Parwani, whose city-based yoga studio could well double up as a hot-spot to spot celebrities, tells mid-day, “Both Deepika and I understood that we would like to approach this opportunity holistically, and not go through these sessions [superficially]. Apart from the physical work, there were many discussions on what we do, as trainers. I taught her many flows, and established the reason behind practicing different flows at different times of the day — like [performing] an energising flow in the morning, the kind that gets you ready for the day, and a grounded and relaxing flow in the evening. Such discussions formed a big part of the collaboration,” says Parwani, who was approached to get Padukone ready to play the part.
Padukone’s portrayal of a yoga trainer may have been a small part of Shakun Batra’s directorial venture, but certain nuances of her act would have put a smile on the faces of trainers, who could find themselves in her. How did the actor pick up on the nitty-gritties of the job?
“Because, as a student, she made the same kind of mistakes that you see her correcting in the film. Only someone with an understanding of anatomy can bring about such corrections, which is why that theory became an important part of the discussion. Since we were training through the pandemic, we didn’t have the opportunity to bring her into class. The training began online. Since we also did sessions with the rest of the cast members [Siddhanth Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, and Dhairya Karwa], we got three more humans to work with.”
Watching a chip of her life play out on screen was reason for her, as well as “the entire yoga community” to celebrate. Instances like the one in which Padukone’s character is urged to showcase a few yoga moves during a social gathering, Parwani says, are like taking a leaf out of every fitness trainer’s book.
“It’s something we are always asked to do. People will say, ‘Chalo, show us something’,” she laughs, elated that an industry like Bollywood, which enjoys a devoted following in India, made the fitness format an integral part of the story’s narrative.
Parwani, who boasts of a clientele including names like Kareena Kapoor Khan — her first student — Alia Bhatt, and Rakul Preet Singh, among others, learnt the art after a near-fatal bike accident rendered her incapable of pursuing her dreams of becoming a pilot. The early bird that she is, she was sent on her first assignment after another teacher couldn’t turn up, and arrived at Khan’s doorstep at 5 am.
Thereafter, there was no looking back. And despite the fact that filmmakers demand dramatic physical transformations in a relatively short span of time — the kind that is better brought about by other fitness formats — Parwani continues to find favour among B-Town’s actresses.
“The way people think, has changed. There are certain goals that people need to achieve that only yoga cannot help with. Thus, I train in a format that combines yoga with pilates, and such a hybrid approach [can bring about desired results]. Heading to the gym can bring about faster results. But everyone understands that fitness is as much about tuning in, as it is about the physical body. The thing that rarely gets highlighted about celebrities is that their consistency is [the game-changer]. If Deepika had to shoot at 5 am, we would practice at 4 am. Kareena is also disciplined.”
Kareena Kapoor Khan and Alia Bhatt are among other celebrities who learn from Parwani
After losing 12 kg within 5 months of Taimur's birth, Kareena Kapoor aims to shed 8 more?
8:02 AM
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 16, 2017)
Kareena Kapoor who set fashion trends through nine months of pregnancy, is now in a hurry to lose the extra kilos before she kicks off Rhea Kapoor’s coming-of-age girl gang film, Veere Di Wedding, also featuring Sonam Kapoor and Swara Bhaskar. Five months since she delivered Taimur, the 36-year-old actress has already dropped 12 kg and wants to lose eight more before she faces the camera.
Her yoga instructor, Anshuka Parwani, whose clientele boasts of Jacqueline Fernandez, Malaika Arora, Parineeti Chopra and Huma Qureshi, is however quick to point out that Kareena is not counting kilos, rather she is focussed on strengthening her core muscles. Anshuka, who has been training Kareena since 2009, admits she does not know how much she weighs and what her goal weight is.
Anshuka was a commercial pilot till a fatal bike accident left her with multiple fractures and a head injury. She had to quit but physiotherapy, yoga and a strong mind had her walking again. She dug deeper to understand ashtanga yoga and started her own company with Kareena as her first student. She has put the actress on a new routine called ‘Flying Fit’ which includes 60 to 75 minutes of aerial twists, along with a high intensity yoga and pilates workout, apart from the usual mix of pranayam, meditation and surya namaskars. “It’s not about jumping but holding postures. Kareena can hold position for up to two minutes which is an achievement,” exults the proud teacher.
She goes on to reveal that Kareena was doing yoga until a week before she delivered and started again three weeks after. “Her workout is tailor-made and we keep changing the routines. Post pregnancy, it’s been a lot more about balancing out hormones and the endocrine system. She practices the ‘Aerial Silk Yoga’ which uses a low-hanging hammock to aid traditional postures by supporting your entire body weight mid-air. Kareena and I are always working towards achieving more aligned postures through relaxation and breathing. I usually travel with her so we don’t miss a session and when I can’t she does cardio,” Anshuka signs off.
Kareena Kapoor inspires friends to try out aerial fitness routine FlyFit
7:29 PM
Upala KBR (DNA; April 18, 2017)
Kareena Kapoor Khan’s workout routines and her affirmed love for yoga is known. And the yummy mummy’s dedication to fitness continues, even as she prepares for her acting comeback after her pregnancy hiatus.
And healthy eating apart, Bebo has another trick in her arsenal. She is training in FlyFit — a fitness routine created by Anshuka Parwani, which is a blend of aerial yoga, aerial Pilates and aerial fitness. Post Kareena’s new yoga fitness mantra, her friends including Amrita Arora Ladak, Tusshar and Malaika Arora have followed suit and has even got actresses like Huma Qureshi and Parineeti Chopra interested in the routine.
Anshuka has been training Bebo since her Golmaal 3 days and used to travel with her to Goa and Hyderabad. Says Anshuka, “Amrita and Malaika have been training since the past few months and came via Kareena. Parineeti just started and she came with her friend, celeb stylist Sanjana Batra. I teach Ashtanga Yoga-lattes (a workout that combines the best stretches from Yoga with the best core exercises from Pilates) and a mixture of mat Pilates and FlyFit. Apart from actresses, even actors like Tusshar Kapoor and Amit Sadh are learning FlyFit. I wanted a fitness regime which is a combination of mind and body and the boys love doing it, too.”
She lists the benefits of the routine. “A FlyFit workout releases endorphins into our blood stream boosting our adrenalin and everything else, leading to the glowing complexion one sees in my clients after a class. As the yoga is done from an inverted position, the impact is internal and external for any posture. I like my clients to work out for at least an hour and for a minimum three times a week to start with and for all other days after that. It aids in quick weight loss as it’s a mixture of Pilates and asanas, boosts your metabolism and yet, is a fun way of keeping fit. It’s all about using your mind and soul to enhance your body.”
Anshuka says FlyFit is different from Aerial Silk, which has has been around for years, which involves working out using a silk cloth hanging from the wall. She explains, “In my workout, I use a hammock setup, which is very different from Silk. It’s tougher to work out on. Doing a surya namaskar or shavasana on a hammock is challenging to the core and you see faster results. A lot of people even overcome their fears while practising it.”
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