Deepika Padukone is taking to yoga to maintain her fitness and keep her body trim and toned. The top Bollywood actress is working with teacher Abhishek Sharma, who is also the author of “Fitness On The Go” a book supposedly filled with fitness secrets.
Padukone is the daughter of former international badminton player Prakash Padukone and was training under her father in her teens to take up badminton on the national circuit. Her three hour training regime, 40 minute runs and fitness diet have served her in good stead in Bollywood, and she has now taken to a combination of Hatha Yoga and cardio and weight training to stay fit. She added yoga to her fitness plan in 2008.
Sharma has designed an exclusive yoga plan for Padukone which involves 10 slow cycles of Surya Namaskar, also known as Sun Salutation. “These cycles relax the body and calm the mind and if done regularly, can work wonders for every part of the body from head to toe,” he says.
The next aspect of her practice involves yogasanas for correct posture and a healthy spine. She does the cat stretch to strengthen her shoulders and arms and keep backpain at bay. She also does the shoulder stand or sarvangasana, which is supposed to nourish the brain with more blood. “The asana eliminates all lethargy. The whole body feels, light, refreshed and energized after this practice,” says Sharma. Padukone also practices pranayama and deep breathing to maintain a steady breathing rhythm and calm the mind.
Padukone is one of the Indian film industry’s top actresses and her recent movie “Finding Fanny”, a dark comedy with big box office expectations has brought in 28 crore rupees or 4.5 million USD in its first week, though many critics were not impressed by it. The film stars Naseerudin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Dimple Kapadia, Deepika Padukone and Arjun Kapoor.