Witnessing people flourish outside the four walls of a fitness centre owing to the sheer hard work done inside the gym is what makes Shalini’s fitness journey a pleasurable one.
Having been in the fitness industry for twenty years, enhanced with in-depth knowledge of fitness, she has not only mastered the nuances but also gained a holistic perspective about this field.
She is the Director and Founder of JG’S Fitness Centre and successfully runs the IFAI (Indian Fitness and Aerobic Institute) where new methodologies and training techniques are taught to aspiring fitness trainers to take their passion for fitness to another level.
Being the Master Trainer for Masala Bhangra, she has trained and mentored Masala Bhangra Ambassadors across Asia, Europe, USA and Australia and has also presented this dance-fitness-workout at various conventions, workshops and other events.
She is also a Celebrity Fitness Trainer to Madhuri Dixit, Dr. Sriram Nene, Sandip Soparrkar to name a few excluding numerous other celebrities who have been members at JG’s Fitness and others who continue to be.
With so many credits to her name, Women Fitness takes the pleasure to talk to Ms. Shalini Bhargava about her incredible journey in the world of fitness.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
As an ACSM Certified Health Fitness Specialist & NSCA certified Personal Trainer, what attracted you to open JG’S Fitness Centre?
Ms. Shalini Bhargava:
For me, JG’S is the result of my undying passion towards fitness and health, a holistic approach towards mind and body. Immense hard work, dedication and perseverance has gone into bringing up and building up JG’S.The whole concept behind kick-starting the fitness centre has been to offer a space where people come together and workout under the ableguidance of a skilled and proficient team that is continually supervising and motivating them. Through this futuristic gym we aim to offer an unmatched delivery methodology to wellness enthusiasts.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You also run the IFAI (Indian Fitness and Aerobic Institute) where new methodologies and training techniques are taught to aspiring fitness trainers. How do you go about managing the need to educate men and women with what actually fitness should be about?
Ms. Shalini Bhargava:
With a rise in the number of health-related issues, a lot of consciousness needs to be created on topics like physical and mental fitness and health, diet, and nutrition have a key role to play in reinforcing the health and well-being of individuals both men and women and also the youth. Through IFAI, our main objective is to create a space enabling aspiring fitness trainers to come under one roof and learn different methodologies and programs, current trends, individualised training programs, besides, of course the basic fitness training.
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President womenfitness.org and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2018 Women Fitness Org
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Your workout daily routine? 5 fitness tips for women of any age group and health status?
Ms. Shalini Bhargava:
As far as my workout is concerned, I follow a combination of nearly all modes of fitness, Cardio,(aerobics, dance fitness, spinning) HIIT, weight training ,yoga and Pilates .I teach a variety of group fitness classes and lead the class, so get my own workout done. As far as weight training is concerned, I do that 3 times a week, for which I dedicate 40 mins to myself and not teach any class in that time. Same goes for Pilates, I try to squeeze in an hour and a half on at least 2 days to practise on different Pilates equipment. So summing up, and this could mean that I work out 2 or 3 hours daily, and absolutely a couch potato on a Sunday!!!
5 fitness tips for women of any age group and health status
Women must set aside an hour for themselves and perform any fitness activity that you love and enjoy. Consumption of a well-balanced, clean and healthy diet is a cornerstone of health. Women, must enjoy a range of healthful and wholesome foods encompassing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, low-fat or fat-free dairy and lean protein. Staying hydrated at all times is another aspect that should not be given a miss at any point. Drinking fluids is an important step to stay healthy and to maintain the function of every system in your body, most importantly your brain, heart and muscles. Fluids carry essential nutrients to your cells, flush out the unwanted microorganisms from your bladder, and averts constipation. Lifting weights too bestows women with a host of physical and mental health benefits like burning down more fats and calories, lends you a well-toned and sleek body, reduces the perils of muscle loss, condenses the jeopardy of injuries, majorly enhances body metabolism, reduces the risk of falling prey to diabetes, aids in protecting the heart, enhances the muscle strength and power and corrects bad posture, to name a few.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You are also the Program Director for Bollyout at Dance With Madhuri (DWM). How did this association come into being?
Ms. Shalini Bhargava:
So, I was working for Madhuri Dixit’s portal, Dance with Madhuri, as in doing videos in different fitness forms. Dr Nene and Madhuri ma’am are both fitness enthusiasts and wanted to create a program which was fun, effective and suitable for all, loosely based on Madhuri’s passion for dance. And from there emerged Bollyout, a dance fitness program, with moves and steps created by Madhuri ma’am and put into a fitness setting by me.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You are the Celebrity Trainer of Ms. Madhuri Dixit. Share with us 5 tips from her workout routine that have really helped her. Also 2 tips for family women, especially working mothers who tend to neglect their own health?
Ms. Shalini Bhargava:
Madhuri Dixit Nene Diet and Workout
Belonging to an industry where one requires to look visually presentable and well-dressed always, Madhuri believes in holistic fitness. For her, dance is her love, passion fitness and meditation. She practices kathak two to three times a week. For her, dancing is just not a way of life but it is also a form of workout. Her workout mostly comprises of yoga, Pilates, cardio, and weight training exercises. One of her chief secrets to a healthy diet is to consume food like the Japanese. Her diet majorly encompasses of healthy delectable like tofu, seafood, and sushi, a bowl full of soup served with poached mushrooms and assorted, leafy vegetables at the side. Consuming this diet lends her enough energy from all the rich irons, proteins, vitamins and minerals and also helps to balance her blood pressure and upholds heart health due to its low cholesterol value. Apart from this, fresh fruits and veggies top her diet, her breakfast comprises 3 egg whites with some veggies, a cup of almond milk and a handful of nuts. Occasionally, she also loves binging on kandha poha! For lunch she usually prefers to have two pieces of chicken or fish, some vegetables and a multigrain roti or a bowl of brown rice, salad and buttermilk. For evenings she usually has a bowl of makhana, some fruit and a cup of tea.. She has an early dinner which comprises of a bowl of salad, grilled fish or chicken and vegetables.
2 tips for family women, especially working mothers who tend to neglect their own health
In the quest of prioritizing the family requirements first, working women are always more likely to neglect their own nutritional needs. Feasting on the right amount of edibles would not only enhance their mood and energy but will also facilitate in upholding a healthy weight, helping you stay fit through every phase of a woman’s life. Moreover a well-balanced diet is a basic necessity for women’s health. A nutritious diet is the one that includes, a wide range of foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, lean meat, eggs, proteins, healthy fats and dairy products that are low in fat content. Additionally a well-balanced diet lends a helping hand in majorly condensing PMS pain problems and keeping the bones strong. It also builds a robust immunity level, which aids in evading the indications of menopause.
Breakfast the most important meal of the day: Whether you are working or a house-wife, women must consider kick-starting their metabolic rate by incorporating proteins in their breakfast, you can choose from eggs, lean meat, salmon or low-fat dairy products. The human body has the tendency to burn more amount of calories with the intake of proteins rather than carbs, hence by eating a protein-rich breakfast, will help you to up your metabolism. Moreover, protein intake will keep you satiated and full for long intervals, thus you will end up eating far fewer calories for the rest of the day. The best way to add protein to your breakfast is by topping your morning toast with a scrambled egg, sautéed mushrooms, and omelette or with a slice of ham. Breakfast play a great role in maintaining a healthy weight, hence skipping breakfast is not at all advisable.
Mid-morning snack is must: Healthy snacking before lunchtime is a healthy option and should be a part of every women’s dietary chart. A protein rich salad, nuts, yoghurt, cottage cheese, are some healthy options.
Some form of exercise daily is a must, to keep the body fit, joints active and muscles supple. Like it’s said. “If you don’t use it, you lose it “So keep aside an hour for yourself, in which you indulge in any activity that you like and enjoy. Be it gym, yoga, Pilates, dance, some sport or a simple brisk walk.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What is your advice on the kind of diet that an aspiring model should have? 5 Foods that should be kept to a minimum?
Ms. Shalini Bhargava:
It is prudent for aspiring models to eat clean, which implies filling your diet with whole, negligibly processed edibles. Along with eliminating processed foods from your diet, greasy and sugar-rich edibles like cakes, cookies, chocolates, aerated beverages must also be flushed out. An aspiring model who is keen on walking the ramp must limit oil, sugar and salt, while alcohol and caffeine should be totally eliminated.
Their breakfast could comprise of healthy juice with a mix of broccoli, mint, parsley, kale, lime juice, orange juice , some water rich fruits, a portion of protein (like egg whites/cottage cheese/ yoghurt
For lunch one must consume lean proteins such as steak, fish and chicken; whole grains such as brown rice; and fresh veggies such as spinach or salad.
Dinner will be almost the same as lunch, minus the whole grains. For purification and to stay hydrated, you also need to consume at least 8 glasses of water a day.
Portion control is the most important aspect in diet that models must follow. Along with following a modified diet pattern, daily workout is equally important.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Define Women Fitness India for our viewers.
Ms. Shalini Bhargava:
Health should be a major priority in a women’s life in India or anywhere in the world. In a country like India women are expected to accomplish multitude duties like managing home , children and their professional life, so it is very vital for women to be fit and in the best of health. Today with so much of awareness on women fitness, females in our country are taking active steps to uphold a healthy lifestyle. Initially fitness for women meant only yoga and dieting, today women are actively embracing various forms of fitness like Pilates combined with effective weight-training exercises, Zumba, Masala Bhangra and Bollywood fitness which are very effective in toning the body. Women today have comprehended that if they will be healthy and fit they can take care of others with better way.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What is your daily skincare and haircare routine like:
Ms. Shalini Bhargava:
Daily skincare after a hard workout for a good skin: It’s a known fact that the best skin care is workout. A good workout does wonders for the skin. However, in a city like Mumbai, with the temperatures and humidity mostly high, the skin also tends to get dehydrated because of excessive sweating. I do drink a lot of water throughout the day, almost four litres. Genetically, I am blessed with a good skin, but I do use a face spray between sessions. Post workout, I apply aloe vera gel and after a shower, I apply a vitamin c serum, followed by a light moisturiser and sun block. I do not use any make up on a daily basis, except a lip balm and that ensures that my pores don’t get clogged.
Haircare routine post workout: Post workout, my hair is dripping with sweat, so alternate days, I shampoo and condition and other days, I just run water over my scalp. I use the Moroccan oil serum after shampoo, on dry hair. And to be honest, Hair care is probably the biggest post workout challenge for me. Since my hair is always wet, I leave it open to dry and do not use a hair dryer, except when I have to be dressed to go out. This challenge sometimes tempts me to go short but it’s always a passing fancy.
Skincare before going to bed: I can never go off to bed without washing my face, since cleansing it helps to clear pores, eliminate oil from the skin, avert wrinkles and most importantly freshens up your skin. I use a night cream and under eye cream, thereafter. And I never go to bed with make up on. I use Johnson’s baby oil to clean make up off.
Haircare before going to bed: Going off to sleep with your hair up in a messy bun or high ponytail may seem completely fine to you, but the tension from having your hair up for many hours can put an anxiety on your scalp and lead to ultimate hair loss. Instead of tying a messy bun or the tight updo I prefer to opt for a loose classic three-strand braid, or just leave them loose.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Share with us 5 diet & exercise myths that need to be busted?
Ms. Shalini Bhargava:
Myth 1— Exercises like crunches reduces belly fat: People usually, tend to do a lot of crunches being under the impression that it will help curb their unwanted belly fat. Crunches, coupled with other stomach workouts, build only strength and endurance in your abdominal muscles, however, these exercises do not contribute to reducing the surrounding belly fat. To reduce the stubborn stomach fat, you need to perform full-body cardiovascular workouts that will help burn out calories so you can utilize the deposited fat.
Myth 2 — Nuts are fattening: They are exceptionally healthy, as they packed with good-for-you fats, vitamins, minerals, protein, nutrients and antioxidants that are very good for upholding brain and heart health. In fact, consumption of nuts is associated with a wide range of health advantages, like safeguard against heart ailments and diabetes.
Myth 3 — Cutting down on carbs contribute to making you skinny: Carbs have gained a bad reputation for causing weight gain and hampering weight loss, but this is not essentially true. Consumption of a very low-carb diet can lead to poor energy levels, low mood, unappeasable appetite and poor function of the gut encompassing bowel movements in the long-term. Even though you might have experienced a rapid weight loss by condensing carbs, it’s most likely water weight, and not fat loss.
Myth 4 — Exercising lends you the license to eat unhealthy: It is a common belief among many that doing a workout enables them to eat poorly for the rest of the day. Nevertheless, if weight reduction is a goal, this faith will not support your goals of becoming fit because it is improbable for your workout to burn down an extreme amount of energy. Hence a workout coupled with a well-balanced healthy diet is the go-to option to stay fit and in the best of health.
Myth 5 —Women tend to get bulky by lifting weights: The biggest fear many women have is becoming “heavy” from picking up weights. However, in reality, resistance training leads to developing lean muscle mass and enhanced body metabolism. Refraining from weight-lifting in the long-run will lead to a decline in muscle mass and could lead to an increase of weight or fat gain.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
As a Certified Master Trainer for Masala Bhangra, how do you think this form is gaining popularity worldwide? Share with us its 3 benefits. According to you who all are fit to enrol for this program?
Ms. Shalini Bhargava:
Masala Bhangra is the novel form of fitness that has gradually gaining foothold in India. This new form of dancercise that is dance plus exercise finely amalgamates the high-energy folk dance from Punjab with adrenaline pumping Bollywood moves. The individuality of this fun exercise lies in the fact that it blends cardiovascular activity with fun moves. It is a forty five to sixty minutes class and the music played is based on dhol beats which aid in making it a high-energy exercise.
Masala Bhangra sessions helps to burn about 500 calories in an hour. The workout moves guarantees that a person receives a total cardiovascular workout. Moreover, Masala Bhangra strengthens the upper body since while performing the workout our arms are up in the air and shoulders are moving in the up and down positon for most part, characteristically as is done in Bhangra. Since a lot of importance is placed on the thighs, the legs too get sturdier. Since one has to maintain an upright position throughout the exercise, the core muscles too get stronger. Masala Bhangra is a full-body workout that tones the entire body.
The fitness exercise is a group activity which is open to people belonging from all kinds of age-groups as steps or moves can be adapted to suit all. One does not need to be a trained dancer to be suitable enough for performing Masala Bhangra.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Looking at the current health conditions of people in our country, how do you wish to make the women of our country more aware about healthy living?
Ms. Shalini Bhargava:
Traditionally, women in our country have never concerned themselves with upholding good health, fitness or staying active. Their only exercise came from chasing their children. But in modern times, women have slowly started to consider wellness and exercise an integral part of staying fit and healthy. Today there is a lot of awareness on the advantages of exercising and the perils of living a sedentary lifestyle among the women and they are definitely making fitness a higher precedence in their lives. Contemporarily with women who work in high managerial positions in the corporate world, have been surrounded by many stress-related health issues and diseases allied with certain lifestyles. Combatting these life-threatening ailments is one more reason why wellness is equally prudent for women. Moreover, regardless of their occupation, fitness is very important for women as staying physically fit aids to reinforce the heart, respiratory and cerebral functions. Staying physically active can help in every moves made all through the day. Hence women must engage in regular physical activity like a mixture of resistance and cardio workouts and activities like walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling which will help in raising heartbeat and will burn calories.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
For a young girl who wants to lose about 20 kgs, what would be your 5 big tips for her that can change her life?
Ms. Shalini Bhargava:
Undoubtedly the teenage years are the hardest phase in the lives of young girls, since it puts them under tremendous pressure of examinations, relationship issues and career goals. Health snags like obesity and eating disorder try and make it all the more worse for them. Below mentioned are five tips, young girls should consider to lose weight and there guidelines will surely change their lives for the better.
· Ditch soda forever: Sodas and aerated drinks come laden with empty calories. Along with contributing to weight gain, when consumed on a regular basis these can also negatively impact your skin’s appearance. If skipping these beverages is difficult, you must swap them with low-calorie or diet versions. You must also give a miss to other drinks like caffeine and evade packaged foods completely.
· Say sayonara to junk: Consumption of unhealthy junk edibles will make you gain unwanted and stubborn fat, which becomes problematic to lose later. You must trade junk foods for healthier options like replacing chips with healthier options like seeds, whole wheat sandwiches, nuts and oatmeal cookies. Your sweet cravings can be replaced with healthy fruits.
· Don’t skip breakfast: Breakfast is the most significant meal of the day. Skipping breakfast will lever contribute in weight loss, instead it can be a major reason for you to put on. A healthy breakfast should have a fine balance of healthy carbs, fiber and proteins, to aid in kick-starting your body metabolism, thus facilitating in faster weight loss.
· Try your hand at yoga and workouts: Yoga is one of the finest therapies for losing unwanted weight. It lends you the power to fight other fluctuations in your body and life and is the best way to achieve a calm and composed mind, body, and soul. Moreover, fitness workouts like Pilates, helps to channelize more energy into your body and facilitates in controlling your metabolism. If regular yoga does not interest you, options like aerial yoga or a mixed workout can always make exercising fun yet challenging for you.
· Get optimum sleep: A major reason contributing to stress and indirectly weight gain is sleep deficiency. This in turn can lead to emotional binging, where-in you tend to reach out for unhealthy edibles and indulge even if you are not hungry at all. This can make you feel sluggish throughout the day and even force you to miss your regular workouts and other activities. To avert this I is important for teenage girls to stick to a proper sleep schedule. They must always try to wake up and go off to bed at the same time every day.
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This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar, President womenfitness.org and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2018 Women Fitness Org