Shilpa Shetty, a prominent Bollywood figure, has long been an advocate for fitness, incorporating yoga, strength training, and simple stretches into her daily routine. Her social media platforms are filled with workout ideas, wellness tips, and fitness advice. Recently, she highlighted the importance of flexibility and mobility, often overlooked in fitness routines, emphasizing balance over solely focusing on cardio or strength training.

Yoga Asanas Recommended by Shilpa Shetty:

Here are some yoga asanas that Shilpa Shetty recommends, incorporating details about how to perform them and their benefits:

• Ashwasanchalanasana (Equestrian or Low Lunge Pose): In a recent Instagram post, Shilpa demonstrated a dynamic yoga movement, holding the Ashwasanchalanasana, also known as the Equestrian Pose or Low Lunge pose. To perform this asana, start by bending forward from a standing position, placing your palms on the floor. Step your right leg back as far as possible, keeping the knee down and toes tucked, while your left knee stays bent at a right angle above the ankle. Keep your palms beside the front foot, push your hips gently forward, open your chest, and look ahead. Hold for a few breaths, then bring your right leg forward and repeat on the other side. This pose stretches the hips, thighs, and chest while improving balance and flexibility and increasing lower body flexibility by deeply stretching the inner thighs, hamstrings, hips, and groin. These stretches assist the body in releasing tension accumulated from extended sitting or demanding activities and play a major role in functional mobility, which is required for daily tasks such as bending, walking, squatting, and lifting goods. It also enhances posture and balance, supports lower body strength and core stability, and improves body control and coordination by taxing the core and minor stabilising muscles.
• Dhanurasana (Bow Pose): Lie face down on a yoga mat, bring your legs forward, and hold them with your hands, keeping your face forward. This pose strengthens back and core muscles, increases flexibility in the spine, shoulders, hips, and quadriceps, improves digestion, and strengthens abdominal organs like the liver, pancreas, and intestines.
• Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose): Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Lift your body off the floor, pushing your hips upwards, and hold your ankles with your hands. Shilpa also demonstrates a variation where she raises her feet off the ground, balancing on her toes and supporting her body by placing her hands above the hips, then raising her legs in the air alternatively. This asana strengthens the back, glutes, hamstrings, and core, stimulates the thyroid gland, improves its function, and is beneficial for back pain.
• Chakrasana (Wheel Pose): Lie on the floor face up, with your feet tucked near your hips and hands flat on the ground near your head. Push your body off the ground. This strengthens shoulders, arms, back, legs, core, and spine, increases blood flow to the brain, heart, and vital organs, and enhances mental clarity and cognitive function.
• Vrikshasana (Tree Pose): Stand straight on both feet, balance on your left leg, and fold your right leg, placing its sole on the inner thigh of your left leg, pointing your toes downwards. Fix your gaze and slowly extend your arms upwards in a namaskar position, ensuring your spine is straight, and take long, deep breaths. This pose rejuvenates and engages your legs, back, and arms and reduces stress levels in both body and mind while improving focus and concentration levels.
• Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III Pose): Stand straight, keep your back straight, stretch your arms up, and join your palms in pranam. Exhale and bend your upper body forward until it is parallel to the floor, keeping your arms beside your ears. Slowly lift your right leg upwards behind you, keeping it straight. This pose develops strength and opens the hips and is excellent for improving stability.
• Natarajasana (Dancer Pose): Stand straight with legs together, inhale and bend your left knee from the back. Exhale, and with your left hand grab your ankle and lift your leg up. This pose helps to boost weight loss and is a great calorie burner, stretching and strengthening the legs, chest, hips, and abdominal muscles and improving the body's overall flexibility.

Incorporating these asanas into your fitness routine can help improve flexibility, strength, balance, and overall well-being. As Shilpa Shetty says, " celebrate your health every day; it's your greatest wealth".