Written By: Pavitra Sampath | Updated : March 20, 2014 5:48 PM IST
March 8 is International Women's Day.
Be it cricket, the kitchen or a corporate office, today's woman is no less than her male counterpart. Fitness, commonly thought to be a male dominated arena, is now being taken over by women. Here are the top 10 fitness icons we chose (in no particular order):
Mary Kom: She shot to fame when she won the bronze medal in women's boxing at the Olympics. Before her stint at the olympics, she was a five time World Boxing Champion and the only boxer to win a medal in all six world championships. Mary's fitness regime awes man a fitness freak. Her day starts with a 14 kilometre run, followed by stretching, skipping and floor exercises. She then practices shadow boxing followed by a session with the punching bag and the speed bag. After a few hours of rest she spends her afternoon in the gym, doing a lot of pushups, sit ups and strength training before moving back to honing her boxing skills. She cools down with a short run and stretching.
Sania Mirza: The only Indian woman to have won a WTA tour title,Sania she has beaten tennis greats like former World No. 1s Martina Hingis and Dinara Safina and current World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka. She pushes herself to achieve the best she can without injuring herself. Her routine includes strength training and core conditioning, apart from that she strengthens her arms and legs by making it a point to do as many push ups and sit ups as possible. She also indulges in swimming and running.
Saina Nehwal: The first Indian to win a medal at the Olympics in badminton, Saina currently is world number 4 in the Badminton World Federation. Currently at her fittest, Saina has two to four sessions of strength training, three to six sessions of endurance training and six to eight sessions of agility training (per day?per week?). She also includes running into her fitness regime. A big fan of weight training, Saina is currently at her fittest.
Deepika Palikal: An ace squash player ranked 17th world over, she commits to a grueling schedule of gymming and running. As for her diet, she has recently converted to vegetarianism and says that it has helped her perform better this season.
Mithali Raj: The current captain of the Indian women's cricket team, Mithali Raj has the distinction of being the second woman the world over to have the highest run rate. Being a cricketer demands a strict fitness regime that includes running, core exercises and strength training. A home body at heart, she loves to spend time with her family when her schedule allows it.
Bipasha Basu: One of the fittest actresses in Bollywood, Bipasha's fitness regime includes working out a different part of her body every day of the week. When it comes to cheating on her diet, she says she believes that everything in moderation is good for the body, so allows herself little indulgences every now and then. Her fitness regime includes yoga, stretching, dance, cardio, spinning and circuit training. Surya namaskars are her favourite and she is known to do a hundred of them every day!
Shilpa Shetty: This new mommy has astonishingly lost 16 kilos of post pregnancy weight. Her mantra, exercise when you have the time and eat right. One of the first actresses to release a fitness DVD, Shilpa has always been one of the fittest yet curvaceous ladies in the industry. A big Ashtanga yoga fan, she practices Yoga every morning and eats foods that are healthy for her and her baby. The actress says that apart from working out, she does simple things like taking the stairs instead of the lift, or going for a short walk when the time permits.
Ramona Braganza: Known as the 'go to' trainer for post baby weight loss, Ramona has the distinction of sculpting the bodies of Jessica Alba, Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway and many other Hollywood stars. She believes in starting her day with meditation and a protein-rich breakfast. She trains at the gym four to five days a week with her 3-2-1 training method or strength training. She also indulges in a kickboxing or dance class or a run at times. She pushes herself past her comfort zone at least twice a week.
Lara Dutta: Another new mommy on the block, Lara Dutta Bhupati, has wowed her fans with a quick return to her original sexy self. The actress also launched her fitness DVD, aptly named H.E.A.L, (Health, Exercise and Longevity). The main aim of this DVD is to help people realize that fitness is not just about hitting the gym every day, it a lifestyle that you stick to forever. A huge fan of Yoga, Lara says that it is the best way to get into shape holistically.
Deepika Padukone: The daughter of a renowned badminton player, it's no surprise that the model turned actor has a drool-worthy body. As a young athlete Deepika had a gruelling workout regime, which included forty minutes of running in the morning, weight training, and 3-4 hours of badminton in the evening. The regime turned out to be too strenuous for her and she decided to take a break from it. Currently the slender actress follows a regime of either swimming or dancing along with Pilates for flexibility. Way to take it easy Deepika!
Also read: Women's Day Special: Fitter, Sexier Healthier
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