Mrunal Thakur, the Bollywood star known for her captivating on-screen presence and dedication to fitness, consistently inspires fans with her workout routines and healthy lifestyle choices. Pilates has become a cornerstone of her fitness regimen, helping her achieve strength, flexibility, and a mindful connection between body and mind. Let’s dive into Mrunal Thakur’s Pilates routine, exploring its benefits and how you can incorporate similar exercises into your own fitness journey.
Mrunal Thakur’s Pilates Power
Mrunal Thakur’s commitment to fitness is evident in her diverse workout routines, which include Pilates, strength training, and even MMA. She often shares glimpses of her workouts on social media, motivating her followers to embrace a healthy and active lifestyle. In several videos and posts, Mrunal can be seen performing various Pilates exercises with precision and grace, showcasing the effectiveness of this workout method. Celebrity fitness trainer Namrata Purohit often shares videos on Instagram featuring Mrunal, Dhvani Bhanushali, Ananya Panday and her sister Rysa Panday working out and acing Pilates exercises together.
The Pilates Advantage
Pilates is a low-impact exercise that focuses on strengthening the core muscles, improving flexibility, and promoting better posture. It emphasizes controlled movements and mindful breathing, creating a strong mind-body connection. Celebrities like Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt, and Janhvi Kapoor also swear by Pilates.
Key benefits of Pilates include:
- Core Strength: Pilates engages deep core muscles, which are essential for stability, balance, and overall body strength.
- Flexibility: Pilates exercises stretch and lengthen muscles, increasing flexibility and range of motion.
- Posture Improvement: By strengthening core and back muscles, Pilates helps improve posture and alignment, reducing the risk of back pain and other musculoskeletal issues.
- Mind-Body Connection: Pilates requires focus and concentration, promoting a greater awareness of your body and its movements.
- Low Impact: Pilates is gentle on the joints, making it suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels.
Side Stretch Perfection
One particular Pilates exercise that Mrunal Thakur seems to have mastered is the side stretch. This exercise targets the oblique muscles, which run along the sides of the torso, helping to define the waistline and improve core stability.
How to do a side stretch (adapted from Pilates principles):
- Starting Position: Sit comfortably on the floor with your legs extended out to the sides, forming a V-shape. If this is uncomfortable, you can bend your knees slightly.
- Arm Placement: Extend your arms out to the sides at shoulder height, palms facing down.
- Initiate the Stretch: Inhale deeply, and as you exhale, reach one arm overhead towards the opposite side, bending at the waist. Keep your hips grounded and focus on lengthening the side of your body.
- Hold: Hold the stretch for a few seconds, feeling the gentle pull along your side.
- Return: Inhale as you return to the starting position.
- Repeat: Repeat the stretch on the other side.
- Sets and Reps: Aim for 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions on each side.
Tips for a perfect side stretch:
- Engage your core: Keep your abdominal muscles engaged throughout the exercise to support your spine and maintain stability.
- Maintain proper alignment: Avoid hunching your shoulders or collapsing your chest. Keep your spine long and your shoulders relaxed.
- Breathe deeply: Focus on your breath, inhaling as you prepare for the stretch and exhaling as you reach to the side.
- Listen to your body: Don’t force the stretch. Go only as far as is comfortable for you, and gradually increase your range of motion over time.
Other Pilates Exercises in Mrunal’s Routine
While the side stretch seems to be a favorite, Mrunal’s Pilates routine likely includes a variety of other exercises to target different muscle groups and enhance overall fitness. These may include:
- The Hundred: A classic Pilates exercise that strengthens the core and improves breathing coordination.
- Roll-Ups: A challenging exercise that works the abdominal muscles and increases spinal flexibility.
- Leg Circles: An exercise that targets the hip flexors, hamstrings, and core muscles.
- Swan Dive: An exercise that strengthens the back muscles and improves posture.
- Pistol Squats: Mrunal has been seen crushing pistol squats with the help of suspension straps, while also adding ankle weights to level it up. This builds leg strength, especially in the quads and glutes, while also improving balance and stability.
Beyond Pilates: Mrunal’s Holistic Fitness Approach
Mrunal Thakur’s fitness journey extends beyond Pilates, encompassing a well-rounded approach that includes a balanced diet, regular exercise, and a positive mindset.
Diet and Nutrition
Mrunal follows a “grandma diet”, which focuses on eating what her family has always eaten, with a balance of understanding of portions and nutrition. Her diet revolves around clean and nutritious eating habits, staying hydrated and consuming nutritious foods like grilled vegetables, fish, and fruits. She avoids junk food, excess carbohydrates, and refined sugar, maintaining a clean diet as much as possible.
Key elements of Mrunal’s diet:
- Hydration: Drinking at least 8 glasses of boiled water daily to keep her skin and body healthy.
- Balanced Meals: Including grilled vegetables, fish, brown bread, fruits, and eggs in her meals.
- Healthy Snacks: Carrying nutritious options such as nuts, oat cookies, pumpkin seeds, and sprouts to curb hunger between meals.
- Protein Intake: Incorporating almond protein bars, protein shakes, and soy milk into her daily routine to support her fitness goals.
Despite her disciplined regimen, Mrunal allows herself occasional indulgences, enjoying pizza, pasta, cheese, and cakes on her cheat days.
Varied Workouts
Mrunal Thakur avoids workout boredom by switching things up and trying different exercises like Pilates, MMA, strength training, and animal movement. She dedicates two days to each workout form and sometimes does two-a-days because she loves food. She also enjoys running, walking, swimming, and dancing.
Mindset and Motivation
Mrunal emphasizes the importance of consistency over extremes and listens to her body, prioritizing rest and recovery. Inspired by fitness icons like Hrithik Roshan, she stays consistent even on days when she feels drained. She also believes in rewarding herself with food that she truly enjoys eating.
Getting Started with Your Own Pilates Routine
Inspired by Mrunal Thakur’s fitness journey, you can start your own Pilates routine to improve your strength, flexibility, and overall well-being.
Here are a few tips to get started:
- Find a qualified instructor: Look for a certified Pilates instructor who can guide you through the exercises and ensure proper form.
- Start with the basics: Begin with beginner-level exercises and gradually progress to more advanced movements as you gain strength and flexibility.
- Listen to your body: Pay attention to your body’s signals and avoid pushing yourself too hard, especially when you’re first starting out.
- Be consistent: Aim to practice Pilates at least 2-3 times per week to see noticeable results.
- Incorporate Pilates into a well-rounded fitness routine: Combine Pilates with other forms of exercise, such as cardio and strength training, for a comprehensive approach to fitness.
Mrunal Thakur’s Pilates routine, with its focus on side stretches and other core-strengthening exercises, offers a fantastic approach to achieving a strong, flexible, and balanced body. By incorporating Pilates into your fitness journey and following a balanced lifestyle, you too can feel better. Remember consistency, proper form, and a positive mindset are key to success.
